Corrective Vision Therapy For Adults and Kids

Some people are born with vision issues, others develop them as time passes. When vision is not in optimal condition, everyday life can begin to suffer.

For children, this can be seen in the classroom, as vision issues can cause reading and learning problems. For adults, this can be seen at home and work, as vision issues and eye strain can lead to blurry vision, headaches and an overall lack of effectiveness.

For certain issues, optometric vision therapy can correct the vision problem or help improve visual skills.

iCare’s vision therapy for adults and kids – which includes vision therapy for lazy eye and strabismus – proudly serves vision therapy patients from Mount Vernon, Centerburg, Fredericktown, Danville, Homer, Newark, Bellville and Gambier.

“Dr. Wineland and his staff take great care of all of the patients. Dr. Wineland spends whatever time is needed to educate patients and/or parents, and the staff is always kind and caring!”
★★★★★ Evelyn C.

What is Vision Therapy?

Optometric vision therapy is a non-surgical, therapeutic program in which doctor and patient engage in visual activities designed to strengthen the visual system and teach it to correct its impairments. The goal of vision therapy is to treat vision issues that glasses, contacts or surgery can’t treat alone, and to help individuals achieve clear binocular vision.

These visual activities can be thought of as physical therapy for the eyes. Most vision therapy exercises:

Are always customized to fit an individual’s exact vision needs
Involve both the eyes and the parts of the brain that control vision
Include prisms, filters, lenses, and computer-assisted activities
Utilize balance metronomes, boards and non-computerized visual instruments when needed
Require active participation from all team members to be successful and effective, including: doctor, patient, child’s parents and, when necessary, vision therapist

Vision Therapy for Kids vs. Vision Therapy for Adults

Just like you lift weights to build biceps or tighten your core, repetition can work wonders for your vision.

Our doctors will design and supervise a vision therapy for adults or vision therapy for children program of regular eye exercises.

Overall, vision therapy sessions for adults and children are similar in some aspects and different in others. Every session is different from the next, of course, since vision therapy is very personalized and delivered on a one-on-one basis.

Vision Therapy for Adults
Studies have suggested that the adult brain retains a large degree of neural plasticity – meaning adults can learn and expand their knowledge base long past childhood and deep into their adult lives.

With this, vision therapy research and studies support a more aggressive approach to adult vision therapy to increase efficiency and tailor to the adult brain.

Vision Therapy for Kids
Depending on what a child’s needs are, each individualized program may incorporate activities that improve visual motor and perceptual performance – starting with:

- Basic skills, like eye-hand coordination

– moving to

- Intermediate skills, like simultaneous multi-sensory processing and peripheral awareness training

– then to

Advanced skills, like binocular skills

Vision Therapy for Lazy Eye & Vision Therapy for Strabismus

Vision Therapy for Amblyopia
Vision therapy can significantly improve amblyopia – also known as “lazy eyes”.

Vision therapy can improve the amblyope’s visual abilities through a wide array of personalized exercises that specifically focus on depth perception, eye coordination, and reduced suppression.

Vision Therapy for Strabismus
Vision therapy can prove to be a very effective treatment for strabismus – also known as “cross-eye”.

Various therapy exercises work to correct the eye misalignment and trains the brain to use both eyes simultaneously. The end goal is to merge the images seen by each eye into one coherent image and strengthen neurological pathways to help eye teaming.

Think you’d benefit from vision therapy for lazy eye/strabismus or individualized sessions of vision therapy for adults or kids?

Schedule a vision therapy appointment today – serving patients from Mount Vernon, Centerburg, Fredericktown, Danville, Homer, Newark, Bellville and Gambier.

Strengthen Your Eyes with Regular Exercise at Home

Through your individualized vision therapy program, we can also prescribe computer or web-based systems – or activities that are non-computer-based – to exercise your or your child’s eyes in between vision therapy appointments.

In addition, our doctors often recommend patients with learning difficulties or brain injuries to practice their eye exercises at home on a consistent basis.

“I have been a patient since the age of 17, and I just turned 48. It’s nice to have an office where everyone makes me feel comfortable and goes out of their way to help and meet my needs. Always a great experience.”
★★★★★ Sherri C.

Correct Lazy Eye the Natural Way

So, how did you or your child end up afflicted with a “lazy eye” anyway? Most often, they simply didn’t learn how to move or focus their eye properly.

The good news is that there’s usually no need for surgery. Through optometric vision therapy, and by wearing proper patching, contacts or glasses, the lazy eye can be improved. There are even new scientific studies and treatments of neuroplasticity focused on improving lazy eyes in older patients.

Stronger Muscles = Better Focus

To best target the right issue, and help your vision improve, we’ll guide your exercises during your in-office visit. Some examples of exercises include:

Practice crossing towards your nose slowly and not seeing double
Practice exercising your focus from near to far and far to near
Moving/tracking with your eyes in the 9 different gazes to improve side to side an up and down movements
Work on peripheral awareness and depth perception exercises

FAQ About Vision Therapy

Does my child need vision therapy?

The best way to determine if your child needs vision therapy is to pay close attention to them while they are studying, doing homework, or simply playing. By doing this, you can detect subtle signs of visual discomfort or vision issues.

Common signs of vision problems that may be best addressed in a vision therapy program include:

Short attention span when doing schoolwork or reading
Display of frustration with schoolwork
Long time taken when doing homework
Re-reading or skipping lines when reading
Display of poor writing, spelling, and/or reading ability
Confusing letters such as ‘b’ as ‘d’ while reading or writing
Complaining of blurriness and headaches
Abnormal mood swings

If your child displays one or more of these signs, seek an optometric diagnosis as soon as possible to determine of your child would benefit from vision therapy or other visual support, such as a prescription.

What age should you start vision therapy?

On average, vision therapy starts around the ages of six or seven. Children younger than that can receive vision therapy, but the process may be slower and structured differently because it tends to be harder for younger kids to understand and comply with the process.

Does vision therapy work for adults?

Absolutely. Vision therapy can help anyone with vision problems who is willing to work hard and train. Vision therapy proves very effective for many adult conditions, including amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (eyes not working together), double vision, and others.

Is there scientific evidence that vision therapy works?

As reported by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, there is certainly a scientific basis for vision therapy and several well-conducted studies, including controlled clinical trials, provide a scientific support to the work performed by many eye care practitioners around the world.

These new science-based vision therapy studies are helping dismantle the negative concept that some hold about vision training.

A lot of these studies show the physiological effects of specific vision therapy exercises, showing how cortical activity is increased after the performance of repetitive training.¹

Does insurance pay for vision therapy?

Some major medical plans will cover vision therapy, others deny or place severe limits on coverage as a cost-saving measure. Everyone’s vision and medical insurance coverage is slightly different and, for some individuals, adequate or comprehensive insurance coverage is hard to obtain. It’s important to first know what your policy entails. Some patients find it more effective to pursue their claim directly to receive a reimbursement.

Vision Therapy Near Me

Our vision therapy programs will help you better interpret and interact with the world visually. iCare serves vision therapy patients from Mount Vernon, Centerburg, Fredericktown, Danville, Homer, Newark, Bellville and Gambier.

“The staff is always friendly, helpful, and efficient. My doctor is very concerned about not only the health of my eyes, but my total health.”
★★★★★ Tamara Ann S.

Resources:
¹ National Center for Biotechnology Information. Science-based vision therapy. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5030323/.

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