What is vision therapy? What types of things do you do during vision therapy to make it effective? I have frequently been asked these questions during the recent months from family friends. Its difficult to repeat the same thing over and over only to not be able to provide them with a sense of understanding. The only answer that can do it justice is, “it’s not one specific thing, it’s a lot of specific things.”That answer usually leads to even more perplexing and puzzled looks, but it's not something that can be explained over a matter of minutes. In order to understand vision therapy and the benefits, a person must have an understanding of the disorder behind it.
Vision therapy is a customized, progressive, non-surgical approach utilizing visual activities to correct visual problems or to enhance visual skills. Basically, it’s physical therapy for the eyes. Visual training is supervised by a doctor, usually a developmental optometrist and implemented by a vision trainer or therapist. The exercises are performed over a prescribed amount of time by the physician and are taught to the family so they can be performed at home.
The human brain has an innate ability to change its function and structure in response to external stimuli, known as neuroplasticity. Vision therapy can initiate neurological changes to optimize visual performance and correct visual problems. These exercises are applied to correct vision problems that interfere with efficient reading and learning-related vision problems. Sports vision training is designed to enhance visual skills related to improved sports performance. The exercises vary for each individual depending on their specific eye disorder.
As I was about to learn, the length of vision therapy is decided based on the age of the individual, the specific eye disorder, and the goals of therapy. It can be a relatively short period of time or completed over a long period of time. For serious disorders it can take awhile for the eye muscles to relearn skills and change the signals in the brain.
In our case, Dr. R. performed the same comprehensive eye exam as “the other guy” in the same systematic manner. Thankfully, we did not have to repeat the handwriting portion of the testing. We were able to use the results of the first exam that we were able to have faxed over. That did not come without its disadvantages. In this circumstance, Dr. R was not able to observe the mannerisms and behaviors O used during the writing portion. They were not able to observe how long it took O to perform certain tasks. Although I was present during her initial testing, I was not a reliable source because of a lack of specified training. The only reason we omitted it in the first place was to spare O from even more rigorous testing and delay treatment even further.
The eye disorders that are treatable with vision therapy include amblyopia, binocular vision problems, eye movement disorders, accommodative (focusing) disorders, visual perceptive disorders, and strabismus, to name a few. These disorders can result in a profound debilitating on reading comprehension and learning, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. They can also interfere with a child’s confidence and social skills, making the world a much harder place to understand.
Unfortunately with our “second opinion,” O was diagnosed with all but the latter of these disorders. We have a lot of work to do in the coming year. Instead of 42 weeks of therapy, we have 52.
We started this journey by documenting the experience of how it has affected the normal daily dynamics of our lives. This project morphed into a tale of how it not only affects our family, but how it affects O’s ability to learn and comprehend the English language and learn the true art of how to read and write on her developmental level. Along the way we have come across ignorance from medical professionals and blatant disregard from educators. People have a hard time believing in something they know nothing about. Rather than listening, people act as though they are true experts in their respective fields without contemplating the future of a little girl.
What makes me an expert on vision therapy? I’m not. As any other parent, I would like to believe that I am an expert in the field of “My Child.” I am going to go through this next upcoming year with hope that this is the definitive answer into resolving O’s learning struggles and her disdain for reading. Although I may never reach my goal of being on the New York Times bestseller list or appearing on Oprah Winfrey’s book club list, (doesn'y Reese Witherspoon have an equally fabulous list, too? A girl can dream, right). I aspire to touch and educate at least one parent in the hopes to helping other children with “learning disabilities” learn how to read.