Common Questions:

What is vision therapy?

Vision therapy is physical therapy for the brain, eyes, and hands. It consists of a broad group of materials and techniques aimed at correcting and improving binocular, ocular motor, visual processing and perceptual disorders.

Vision therapy is also known as vision training and is practiced primarily by optometrists and trained therapists who specialize in this field. It aims to treat problems including difficulties with visual attention and concentration which may manifest themselves as an inability to sustain focus or to shift focus from one area of space to another.

Vision therapy may also be prescribed to patients with eyestrain and visually-induced headaches. However, not all such therapy is limited to disorders of the visual system. Professional athletes, for example, may use visual therapy to enhance sensitivity to peripheral vision on the playing field or increase responsiveness to fast moving objects.

What are some common symptoms?

When you are not able to focus your eyes easily and accurately, any number of problems may develop including:

Eyestrain
Blurred vision at near
Headaches
Fatigue or sleepiness
Movement of print
Avoidance of near work
Double vision
Reduced reading comprehension
Intermittent distance blur
Problems copying from the chalk/white board (intermittent blur when looking up from near work)
Falling behind in school
Countless hours to complete school or work assignments

If you or your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, contact VIP at Willowbrook.

What is a Behavioral Optometrist?

Behavioral optometrists spend years in post-graduate school, continuing education to master the complex visual programs prescribed to enhance visual performance.

Not all optometrists practice behavioral optometry, which includes developmental and functional optometry. If you do not now have an optometrist who practices behavioral optometry, we invite you to contact us at 724-216-9049.

If you’re not sure if your optometrist is a behavioral optometrist, some questions to ask him/her are:

• Do you perform a full series of near point vision tests?
• Do you perform work-related visual perception tests?
• Do you provide full vision care and visual training in your office, or will you refer me to a colleague if needed?
• Will you see me again during the year, and periodically to determine my progress?
  

What are perceptual skills?

Vision plays an essential role in your ability to learn. In order to effectively learn, your visual system must be able to process, organize, and remember information quickly. Think of your perceptual system as a computer. In order to make use of inputted data, your computer needs a processing system. Likewise, in order to make use of new information, your brain needs a processing system. If your perceptual skills are underdeveloped, your brain cannot successfully interpret the visual information that your eyes are providing. As a result, your ability to learn becomes difficult and stressful which may cause school/work performance to decline. Fortunately, individualized programs can be designed, and you can be taught how to visually translate and organize the information that you are taking in on a daily basis.

It is important to understand that many people with vision related learning problems have 20/20 acuity. Acuity is sharpness of your vision and doesn’t take into account how your brain and eyes are working together to interpret what you are seeing. Since most school screenings and pediatric visits only test the sharpness of eyesight, the majority of these issues will go undetected.

“If the key to a better society is education, the key to a better education is better vision.  If you don’t have that key, you can’t open the door to a better life.”
Luci Baines Johnston, Honorary Chair American Foundation for Vision Awareness Children’s Vision and Learning Campaign, 1999

Why should a concussion patient consider vision therapy?

VIP at Willowbrook is a referral source for the major concussion centers in the greater Pittsburgh and surrounding areas as well as many other health care professionals including UPMC, Excela Health, concussion specialists, and vestibular therapists.  Collaboratively, we have helped hundreds of patients with their rehabilitation.

Acquired brain injuries resulting from traumatic incidents such as a concussion or head trauma can alter your body’s normal function. Whether the symptoms are mild or severe, they can present themselves in a myriad of ways, from behavioral changes to physical ailments, disabilities, and visual impairments.

All of your senses play an intricate role in the normal functioning of your body. However, due to the close relationship between the brain and vision, concussions can disrupt the normal processing of visual information and greatly hinder the progress of your concussion rehabilitation.

Common symptoms indicating a vision problem include (but are not limited to):

• Blurry vision
• Photophobia (light sensitivity)
• Diplopia (double vision)
• Peripheral vision restrictions
• Balance issues
• Memory/concentration issues
• Problems with comprehension
• Headache pain increasing with visual demand
• Pressure in your head
• Lack of progress in impact testing

Vision care professionals can play a vital role in the rehabilitation efforts of acquired brain injuries.  A thorough binocular vision examination by a trained eye care professional can help accelerate your rehabilitation by identifying and treating the hidden visual problems that persist after your injury. An individualized treatment program can then be formulated to eliminate each individual’s specific symptoms. Treatment often involves vision therapy, which helps to strengthen the muscles in your eyes, so that they work together as a team. As a result, your abilities to track smoothly, focus adequately, and process visual information efficiently will be enhanced. 

If you are suffering with a concussion, call VIP at Willowbrook at 724-216-9049 and schedule an evaluation to see if vision therapy can benefit you.

Is vision therapy right for me?

Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. Working with a vision therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of visual and learning challenges.

Vision therapy is right for anyone who is interested in fully developing their visual and perceptual skills, which will result in better learning efficiency, concentration, and visual comfort. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits, giving you the tools you need to re-direct damaging patterns and overcome whatever visual or academic challenges you face.

If you feel that you or your child may benefit from vision therapy, call our office at (724)-216-9049 and speak with our therapy coordinator, Barbara LeMaster. After discussing your concerns, a binocular exam may be recommended to determine whether vision therapy is right for you.

Is medication a substitute for vision therapy?

Health care and education professionals often recommend that ADHD and ADD be treated symptomatically with stimulant medication, special education, and counseling. Although these approaches sometimes yield positive benefits, they may mask the problems rather than get to their underlying causes. Instead of just treating the symptoms, vision therapy addresses the possible cause of your visual distress and limited academic/work performance. Many parents choose vision therapy as an alternative to medication.

Take a look at how similar the symptoms are between ADD/ADHD and visions-related learning problems…