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What Is Vision Therapy?

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a child laughs while doing vision therapy

Your eyes are precious, and sometimes we can take our vision for granted. Eyesight is complex, and vision care starts with consistent eye exams with your optometrist. Vision therapy is an aspect of eye care that isn’t at the forefront as much. 

Let’s explore what vision therapy is all about, what to expect in the program, and who can benefit from it.

Exploring Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is a personalized treatment program designed by your optometrist that includes visual tasks, exercises, therapeutic lenses, prims, patches, and other tools to train or retrain your visual system to perform effectively and efficiently. 

Your brain and eyes have to work together to provide clear vision—if something goes wrong in your overall visual system, your sight can pay the price.

Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and surgery are usually the primary options for managing visual issues. However, vision therapy can be viable when addressing certain vision needs.

A key pillar of vision therapy is to help patients of all ages learn, relearn, and reinforce specific and essential visual skills such as:

  • Focusing control
  • Eye coordination
  • Eye movement accuracy

Your optometrist will take time to understand what’s causing compromised vision and will develop a customized treatment plan based on your visual needs. Visual skills develop as you grow and can be ever-changing and evolving. Vision therapy can help improve stunted growth or a lack of development.

There are a variety of different conditions vision therapy can help manage and treat.

Convergence Insufficiency

Convergence insufficiency is an eye condition that affects how well your eyes work together when looking at nearby objects. This condition can cause blurry or double vision when looking at things up close, such as a book or your phone.

Common signs and symptoms of convergency insufficiency can include: 

  • Blurry vision
  • Headaches
  • Double vision
  • Tired or sore eyes

Vision therapy can help treat this condition with a vision therapy program called convergence exercises.

a woman covers one eye while doing vision therapy

Strabismus & Amblyopia

Strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye) are conditions caused by eye misalignment. 

Eye misalignment can affect the quality of your vision, and vision therapy can help train your brain and nervous system to control the eye muscles more effectively.

Traumatic Brain Injuries & Concussions

If you have suffered from a brain injury or concussion, you may find it difficult to read, write, or perform other tasks of daily living.

Brain injuries and concussions can also lead to visual issues such as:

  • Blurred vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Headaches with visual tasks
  • Reading difficulty

Your optometrist can prepare a personalized vision therapy program to begin your rehabilitation and help you recover these crucial visual abilities.

Who Can Benefit From Vision Therapy?

The way your brain and eyes work together has a significant impact on the learning process in both children and adults. Vision therapy is designed to enhance fundamental visual skills and abilities.

Children and adults can benefit from vision therapy because of your optometrist’s personalized approach to preparing a treatment program. Vision therapy can help all age groups with reading struggles, learning difficulties, and those with special needs.

1 out of 4 children struggle with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems, so a vision therapy program can begin addressing these visual issues from a young age.

Vision therapy is a powerful tool to help you learn and reinforce vital visual skills and can benefit all ages. 

Prioritizing Your Visual Health

Your visual health is a priority, and vision therapy is an effective tool you can use to balance your sight. Your optometrist will work with you to develop a treatment plan that focuses on your specific visual needs.

Book an appointment with your optometrist today and learn more about how a vision therapy program can benefit you.

Written by Dr. Megan Baldwin

As a Kansas native (born and raised in Kingman), Dr. Baldwin is thrilled to practice what she loves so close to home. She can’t imagine anything better than to care for her community and build strong ties with new friends and colleagues.

When She’s not in the office caring for her patients, Dr. Baldwin enjoys making memories with her husband, Aaron, and two sweet kids, Parker and Stella! You’ll often find her playing piano, hosting her friends and family in her home, or out for a run. Dr. Baldwin and her husband enjoy traveling to warm places and recently became open-water scuba diver certified!

She chose eye care as her career because Dr. Baldwin has always wanted to help people. The quality of care she provides is incredibly important to her. In an age where doctors spend just a few minutes with their patients, she is proud to give her patients the time and diligence they deserve. More than to simply “see” you, Dr. Baldwin wants to learn more about you and how she can best serve your needs. Your relationship matters.

Dr. Baldwin invites you to make an appointment for yourself or your children, whether you have an eye concern or are simply seeking an updated corrective lens prescription. She will always do her best to provide you the best eye care available anywhere in Wichita.

Professional Associations & Memberships

  • Member, Kansas Optometric Association (KOA)
  • Member, American Optometric Association (AOA)
  • Member, Business Networking International (BNI)

Education

  • Bachelor of Science (chemistry) – Bethel College, 2007
  • Doctor of Optometry – Northeastern State University, Oklahoma College of Optometry, 2011
    • Graduated Magna Cum Laude
    • Member of the Beta Sigma Kappa honor society
    • Presented with “Outstanding Clinician in Ocular Disease” award
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