Vision Therapy
Vision therapy can be likened to physical or occupational therapy, but for your eyes. With vision therapy, we work to train, or retrain, the six aspects of vision listed below.
Visual Acuity
Visual acuity is your ability to see 20/20. This aspect of vision is, essentially, the cornerstone on which all other vision is built. If you can’t see, it’s impossible to perceive, manipulate, track, team, or focus a visual target. That’s why most eye doctors focus on visual acuity. At Renewal, we prioritize acuity first, through the use of glasses or contacts, and then work to treat and train the other five components of vision.
Accommodation
Accommodation refers to your eyes’ ability to change focus from distance to near/near to distance. This is a skill that is naturally lost due to the aging process. (Hello, reading glasses!) However, some younger individuals struggle with accommodation as well. Accommodative problems in students can create significant barriers to learning. After all, how is someone supposed to be able read or follow along in the classroom if things are constantly coming in and out of focus?
During vision therapy, we work to train accommodation so the eyes accurately adjust their focus.
Vergence
Vergence, or eye teaming, refers to your eyes’ ability to turn in (converge) and turn out (diverge). In every day life, we naturally converge when looking at things closer to us, and diverge when looking at things at distance. However, some individuals don’t accurately converge or diverge. This creates double vision – seeing two images when there should only be one. More often than not, this shows up in the form of Convergence Insufficiency – being unable to turn the eyes in enough at near to maintain a single image. This can cause problems in the classroom – it’s hard to read when you see two of each page – but also on the ball field. How can you accurately catch a ball when it doubles into two as it gets closer to you?
During vision therapy, individuals are taught how to accurately control their vergence.
Oculomotor
Oculomotor skills are more commonly referred to as eye tracking. Accurate tracking skills are imperative for reading. Signs of poor tracking include skipping words or lines when reading, or rereading the same line/words over and over. Oculomotor skills aren’t limited to the classroom though. They’re also vital for success in sports, as they allow the athlete to track the ball/puck/opponent accurately on and around the court and field.
Visual Motor
Visual motor, or hand-eye coordination, is the ability to respond quickly and effectively to a visual stimulus. This hand-eye coordination shows up in the classroom in the ability to write, draw, or copy information from the board to a paper. It shows up in music as the ability to read music and then play the appropriate note. It shows up on the sports arena with hitting, throwing, catching, running, jumping, tackling, dodging, shooting, and blocking. Last but not least, it shows up in the real world, most significantly when driving.
Visual Perception
Visual perception is the final “catch-all” bucket, for how our brains interpret visual information. Problems with visual perception can include a wide variety of symptoms, including visual motion sensitivity, poor visual memory, running into walls, and letter reversals.
Neuro-Rehabilitation
Neuro-rehabilitation refers to all of the processes of evaluating and retraining the eyes (and brain) after a traumatic or acquired brain injury. What this looks like varies on a case to case basis. For some individuals, neuro-rehab may look a lot like your typical vision therapy. For others, a pair or two of specialized glasses or contacts might be the key to resuming activities of daily living. Still others need help relearning the very basics of sight. Regardless of the specifics, at Renewal, we’re here to see you and walk with you on your visual journey.
How Do I Know if Renewal is Right for Me?
Do you wonder if you or your family member may benefit from Renewal’s services? Here’s a link to some common signs and symptoms that individuals have who may benefit from vision therapy or neuro-rehab!