Vision Therapy — What is it?

Some visual conditions cannot be treated adequately with just glasses, contact lenses and/or patching, and are best resolved through a program of Vision Therapy.

Optometric vision therapy (sometimes called behavioral or developmental optometry, orthoptics, vision or visual training, eye training, vision therapy or VT) is the part of optometric care devoted to developing, improving and enhancing visual performance for children and adults.

Vision therapy is physical therapy for the eyes AND brain. It may treat many common visual problems such as lazy eye, crossed eyes, double vision, convergence insufficiency, reading and learning disabilities, traumatic head injury, stokes and visual stress.

Vision Therapy is an individualized, supervised, treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. Vision Therapy sessions include procedures designed to enhance the brain's ability to control:

• eye alignment,
• eye teaming,
• eye focusing abilities,
• eye movements, and/or
• visual processing.

Visual-motor skills and endurance are developed through the use of specialized computer and optical devices, including therapeutic lenses, prisms, and filters. During the final stages of therapy, the patient's newly acquired visual skills are reinforced and made automatic through repetition and by integration with motor and cognitive skills.