Vision Therapy: How Does It Work?

Vision problems can interfere with one’s reading, learning and other basic life skills. While there are a lot of invasive and non-invasive ways to correct such issues, there is one treatment program in which the eyes and the brain undergo certain exercises. This is called vision therapy, and it has helped treat and manage certain vision problems of many individuals.

About Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is a form of physical therapy in which the eyes and brain are engaged simultaneously through a set of activities or exercises. The goal of this program is to correct either visual/motor or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. Performed under the supervision of an eye professional, it can be customized to fit the visual needs of a patient.

Generally, a single vision therapy session is conducted once or twice a week, spanning 30 minutes to an hour. Each session is designed to help patients develop or improve the basic visual skills and abilities, ensure visual comfort and ease, and “rewire” the brain to effectively process and interpret visual information.

Basics of Vision Therapy

There are three fundamental exercise programs involved in vision therapy. The first one is eye teaming, which trains the eyes to work together in an effort to improve binocular vision. Second is eye focusing, wherein the lenses of the eyes are trained to focus when an object is near and relax when the same object is far away. The third is eye tracking, which aims to improve and strengthen eye movement through the smooth movements of a certain target.

Children and adults with visual challenges can benefit from vision therapy. These include those who have learning-related problems, have poor binocular coordination, lazy eyes or double vision, or are crossed-eye.

To learn more about vision therapy, you can turn to Insight Vision Center Optometry. We provide comprehensive eye exams and corrective methods, such as scleral lenses and Ortho-K. Call us today at (714) 486-3315 to schedule an evaluation. We serve residents of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, CA.