Service Category: Vision Therapy

Vision is a Learned Skill

Vision is a learned skill that develops along with other skills as a baby grows. Movement and vision are significantly interrelated and the development of vision has to do with the types and varieties of experiences a child has.

It is important to remember that the eyes are part of the brain system. The eyes “see” but the brain “interprets.” A person can have 20/20 eyesight, which measures visual acuity at a distance, and still have a visual skills problem making near work — like reading, writing, or using a computer — extremely difficult. In fact, seeing 20/20 is just one of 20 visual skills necessary to succeed in reading, learning, sports, and in life.

20 Visual Skills

SEE THE 20 VISUAL SKILLS REQUIRED FOR GOOD VISION.

CHILDREN WITH VISUAL SKILLS PROBLEMS

Most visual skill deficiencies reveal themselves when a child enters school because the learning environment is increasingly more demanding of young learners. One out of four children have undiagnosed vision problems. If you’ve ever heard a parent say, “My child is so smart but still, he struggles in school and every day, homework is a battle!” you are hearing a common pain felt by parents of kids who have undiagnosed vision problems. The truth is, once the visual barrier is removed, these kids love school and love to learn.

See our complete checklist of symptoms.

ADULTS WITH VISUAL SKILL DEFICIENCIES

Adults who have managed to graduate high school in spite of a vision skills problem may not pursue college or may drop out early because the demanding workload for reading is just too much. These incredibly smart adults become very skilled at avoiding reading in their personal life as well as at work — and it’s no wonder when reading can be physically painful and exhausting for them! When you consider how few jobs there are that do not include working on a computer, it is easy to see why an adult who suffers from a vision skills problem may have limited career choices and growth opportunities. Learn more about how we help adults with visual skill deficiencies.

REFINING VISION SKILLS: COLLEGE STUDIES

Because good vision is a learned skill it is also a skill that can be enhanced. High school graduates who want to optimize their reading and comprehension efficiency can benefit from Vision Therapy. Our customized programs prepare college students in a way that no other type of college-prep can: By enhancing the eye/brain connection. When visual efficiency, comfort, and stamina is at it’s peak, students can learn faster, easier, and work longer more comfortably than ever before. These skills support learning while in school and professional success for a lifetime.

REFINING VISION SKILLS: SPORTS

Sports Vision Training is a secret weapon of professional athletes that they never talk about. As you know, the skills difference is very small between successful athletes and those who don’t make the cut so fine-tuning all areas of play is critical.

Further developing vision skills improves:

• reaction time
• focusing speed
• eye tracking
• peripheral awareness
• visual processing speed
• eye/hand coordination
• and clutch concentration

We have helped high-school students improve their sports performance to levels that allow them to receive scholarships for college and then move on to pro teams. We have helped aspiring young athletes early in their sports career gain an edge in their performance. We even help weekend warriors improve their game just for bragging rights. Whatever level you play, Sports Vision Training will give you an edge.

BONUS: Athletes that complete our Sports Vision Training also report improved learning and performance in the classroom as a result of improved visual skills.

BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION

When you understand the vital connection between the eyes and brain for seeing, comprehension, and coordination it is easy to realize how a traumatic brain injury, such as a stroke or concussion, can disrupt or distort the flow of information from the eyes to the brain. When vision problems due to a brain injury go untreated, the rehabilitation process can be adversely affected. It is absolutely imperative that any rehabilitation program includes a thorough evaluation of the performance of the visual system.

Vision is a learned skill

Our ability to see is limited when we are born – we cannot use our eyes together, focus far or near, track smoothly and efficiently or understand what we see. These vital skills develop over time and if these skills do not develop normally they could substantially interfere with a child’s ability to learn.

Vision is a learned skill, developing along with other skills as a baby grows. Ideally our vision develops in an appropriate developmental sequence, but too often we just assume that by age 5 or 6 when a child starts school, he or she automatically has a healthy, developmentally ready visual system.

Most school and pediatrician visual screenings check for visual acuity alone and do not screen for visual skills including tracking, focusing, eye teaming or visual information processing skills.

The American Optometric Association guidelines for comprehensive vision examinations for children:

• Infants should receive a comprehensive baseline eye exam between the ages of 6 and 12 months, immediately after the critical period when the eye undergoes rapid and profound changes and is therefore most vulnerable to interference with normal development
• Preschoolers should receive at least one in-person, comprehensive eye exam between the ages of 3 and 5 to prevent or diagnose any condition that may have long-term effects
• School-aged children (6 to 18 years) should receive a comprehensive exam prior to entering the first grade and annually thereafter

Movement and vision are interrelated

Developing good vision has to do with the types and varieties of experiences a child has. Today’s children are exposed to very different experiences in early childhood than they once were, and as a result many children have poor motor skills when they enter school.

Movement and vision are significantly interrelated. Children need to run more, jump, climb, throw, catch and ultimately play more to naturally develop good vision. If a child doesn’t have very rich experiences in any area of development it can seriously delay or hamper development in some or all other areas. Any developmental delay can affect a child’s ability to learn properly in school, play sports, socialize and later excel in their career. Think about how screen time might cause a delay in visual development!

https://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/screen-time-for-kids.htm

The good news is that because vision is a learned skill, it can be taught and trained. Since 1982, Highline Center for Vision Performance has provided guidance for children with developmental delays to help build the skills necessary for them to reach their potential.

Call today to schedule an evaluation for your child of any age to see if their visual development is on target.

Our Hours

• Vivid Vision
• VTS 4
• Sanet Vision Integrator
• Visagraph
• HTS2
• Vision Builder
• AmblyoPlay
• FitLight
• Lumosity

Vivid Vision

Vivid Vision is a virtual reality software system that uses goggles and hand-held controllers to help patients with a variety of vision issues. The virtual reality system connects computers, trackers, and goggles together to create an immersive visual (and sometimes auditory) experience. Small screens are positioned in front of each eye that project images. Vivid Vision allows the images to be split with each eye seeing a different image. The strength of the signal being sent to each eye can be adjusted making it easier for the eyes to work together. Users hold controllers that allow them to steer through virtual environments and affect specific elements programmed for interaction. You can play games and visit far away places while enhancing visual skills. Each Vivid Vision session is customized for the patient’s needs.

Vivid Vision is one of many tool Highline Center for Vision Performance has to treat:

• Lazy eye
• Amblyopia
• Strabismus (crossed or wandering eyes)
• Convergence insufficiency and other eye teaming
• Sports performance

VTS 4

VTS 4 is an interactive computer program that uses glasses, a screen, and hand held controllers to diagnose and treat various vision issues. Integrating a flat screen monitor, wireless glasses, and controllers, the system creates 3-D images for patients to interact with in order to assist in vision therapy. Responses to patients actions are in real time and provide a variety of therapy modes.

Patients sit or stand in front of the screen with the wireless glasses on while holding the controller. The vision therapist chooses the appropriate program and sets the parameters. The patient uses the controller to move objects, select appropriate 3-D responses or respond to memory exercises based on their therapy needs.

The therapy is effective for:

• Eliminating amblyopia
• Breaking suppressions
• Improving oculomotor skills (tracking)
• Improving visual memory
• Improving accommodative (near/far focus facility
• Improving eye teaming
• Treating strabismus (crossed or wandering eyes)

Sanet Vision Integrator

The Sanet Vision Integrator uses a 50” touch screen monitor to help a wide range of patients with visually-related learning problems, amblyopia, and traumatic brain injury. It is also a powerful tool for enhancing eye hand coordination and sports performance.

Patients stand in front of a large touch screen and use their hands to complete activities by touching the screen. In some circumstances, auditory directions must be responded to at the same time visual stimulus is presented. Patients must respond to visual images and “spoken” instructions using their body to complete activities, which helps integrate visual, auditory, and body learning. All portions of the therapy (from color, icon size, speed, and distance from center) are customizable to provide the best therapy for each patient. Feedback is immediate, and the program provides detailed records of what activities have been completed and relevant scores.

Visagraph

The Visagraph is an instrument designed to record the efficiency of eye movements while reading. The system measures eye movements with infrared sensors inside goggles. The movements are tracked and analyzed by a computer, which provides objective measurement about how the patient’s eyes move and track while reading. Once completed, patients can view a simulation during which they view the exact movements the eyes made during the reading process.The visagraph can provide information on:

• horizontal eye movements
• the number of fixations (stops) and number of regressions (rereads)
• the average span of word recognition
• the average speed of fixation
• words per minute read
• directional attack
• comprehension score and overall grade level efficiency of eye movements

The Visagraph is included in our Vision and Learning Screening and is a powerful tool when it comes to understanding the link between eye movements and reading efficiency.

HTS2

HTS2 is a sophisticated yet easy-to-use web based program that works with most desktops, laptops, tablets and iPads. It is designed to improve eye movement and eye teaming skills in a step by step manner. It may only be used if prescribed by an eye care professional. HTS2 can be a powerful tool in the remediation of the following diagnosis:

• Convergence Issues
• General Binocular Dysfunction
• Amblyopia
• Strabismus
• Headache
• Eye Strain

All results from HTS activities are stored in the patient’s file for review and discussion between patient and vision therapist.

---

Vision Builder

VisionBuilder is a web-based therapy program that provides support and variety to an in-office based vision therapy program. VisionBuilder offers many features including binocular activities using red/blue glasses, reading related activities, and visual performance related activities. The program tracks scores and frequency of at home activities that have been assigned by the vision therapist. The therapist can access home rehearsal and adjust the demand of the program as skills develop.

---

AmblyoPlay

Amblyoplay is a web based, interactive vision therapy for anyone above 3 years old and helps improve all 6 core visual skills required for treatment of a broad range of problems. Using therapeutic games and exercises that adapt to each patient’s specific needs, Amblyoplay can assist in vision therapy for conditions like lazy eye, strabismus, convergence insufficiency, double vision, or other binocular problems. It is highly recommended that Amblyoplay be used in conjunction with an in-person vision therapy program. Amblyoplay also uses:

• An advanced self-learning algorithm that adapts the therapy to you.
• Game-based exercises that improve your visual skills.
• Allows for the coordination of in-office and home vision therapy activities.
• Motivates and engages patients with a rewarding system.
• Analyzes and tracks your progress.

FitLight

FitLight is a training system fully customizable for any sport. Using a mobile app and 8 wireless, motion-sensitive lights that can be positioned anywhere, FitLight trains the connections between what the eyes see, what the brain processes, and how the body reacts. FitLight helps train the body and brain to work together to improve:

• reaction time
• mental accuracy
• sensory processing
• other neurocognitive attributes

FitLight also provides after-training data to provide users, trainers, and professionals with comprehensive data that will allow them to locate where specific areas of improvement are needed and make necessary adjustments.

Lumosity

Lumosity is a web based program/app that presents daily exercises for the mind, eyes, and brain. Lumosity takes scientifically-validated tasks and turns them into fun games, actionable feedback, and rich insights into your cognition. Activities sharpen the skills you use every day:

• Memory
• Attention
• Flexibility
• Processing speed
• Problem Solving