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What is a behavioral optometrist?
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A behavioral optometrist is an eye doctor who is concerned with the effects of vision on behavior and on how behavior affects vision. They are interested in how your eyes and visual system function in your daily life. A behavioral optometrist will ask you questions about vision problems in the classroom, in the work place, and at home. In addition, a behavioral optometrist will explore how eye glasses and vision therapy may help you maintain comfort, improve performance, and prevent future vision problems.
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What is vision therapy?
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Vision therapy is a series of eye exercises designed to improve the functioning and efficiency of the visual system. Vision therapy may be used to treat binocular problems (eye teaming), accommodative problems (focusing and refocusing of the eyes), and oculomotor problems (tracking problems). Strabismus (eye turn) and amblyopia (lazy eye) may also be treated successfully with vision therapy. Additionally, many patients with brain injury due to trauma or disease have visual problems (such as double vision, reading problems, and difficulty focusing) that can be helped by vision therapy. The exercises start with fairly simple tasks and gradually progress to more and more complex exercises as new skills are learned. The therapy is individually tailored to the needs of each patient, and so may vary from patient to patient.
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How long does vision therapy take?
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Weekly office visits are combined with daily home exercises to practice the skills learned in the therapy room. A typical program will last a few months, although it will vary depending on a number of factors, such as the nature and complexity of the condition, the age and motivation of the patient, and other factors. Although changes are seen week to week in the procedures themselves, it typically takes from four to six weeks to notice changes outside of the exercises.
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Can vision therapy be used to treat dyslexia, learning disabilities, or ADHD?
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Vision therapy can be used to treat disorders of the visual system. Behavioral optometrists use vision therapy to treat the vision problems that so often are associated with learning disabilities, dyslexia, and ADHD. For example, in her study, Goddard reported 60% of her dyslexic patients had convergence insufficiency and over 90% had tracking problems (Goddard, JBO, 2000). These visual problems can cause loss of place, skipping over words or lines when reading, headaches and eye strain when reading or doing close work, or double vision. Many parents report that they see increased attentional skills as visual skills are developed in their children.
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What is the difference between a regular eye examination and a behavioral evaluation?
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A regular eye examination involves a history, an ocular and visual system health assessment, and a refraction to determine if there is nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. It may also include a screening of the functional visual system and typically takes about thirty minutes. A behavioral optometric evaluation takes a very detailed case history from pregnancy, labor and delivery, through early childhood development. It includes a full evaluation of the functional visual system with detailed assessment of eye tracking, focusing ability, and eye teaming. A behavioral evaluation typically includes tests of performance such as copying skills, body awareness, and perceptual testing. Developmental milestones are discussed as well as performance in school and in life.
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How do I know if vision therapy is necessary for me or my child?
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After a careful examination and behavioral evaluation, your doctor will discuss the treatment options with you. These options may include prescription eyeglasses, vision therapy, or a combination of the two. Your doctor will be able to recommend the most appropriate and effective treatment.
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Will my insurance pay for vision therapy?
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Determining insurance coverage is often challenging and frustrating. Insurance coverage is determined by your specific insurance policy. If you are unsure, our staff is available to assist you in the process.
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What is strabismus?
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Strabismus is the name for an eye turn. One or both eyes may turn in or out, up or down, and it may be constant or intermittent, or even may alternate between the two eyes. It may be associated with amblyopia.
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What is amblyopia?
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Amblyopia is the condition when vision fails to develop properly in an eye. The vision is not 20/20 even with the best eyeglasses or contacts. It may be caused by an eye turn (strabismus) or a very large difference in the prescription between the two eyes. It also may occur when a child is born with a cataract, which prevents the normal development of vision in the eye.
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When is it too late to treat “lazy eye”?
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In general, the earlier you begin treatment for lazy eye, the better the results. Even though many doctors have felt that lazy eye must be treated by the age of seven, new research suggests that treatment can be successful even at older ages.
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