Mar 22

Unlocking Clearer Vision: A Peek into how Vision Therapy works

Updated: Oct 18

Vision Therapy is a specialised field within optometry used to treat conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and problems with eye teaming, tracking, and focusing.

Vision Therapy is a personalised program designed to enhance and correct visual abilities through a series of exercises and activities. Unlike prescribing glasses or contact lenses, vision therapy targets the root causes of vision problems.

Under the guidance of the vision therapist, patients engage in these activities regularly, gradually building and refining their visual skills over time. Learn more about Vision Therapy applications here. Check out a simple Snow Angel Vision Therapy exercise you can do!

Eddie, our Vision Therapy STAR!

Edward, our STAR Vision Therapy patient | Panoptic Vision — You're a Vision Therapy STAR, Eddie! Way to go!

Today we take you into the amazing and rewarding world of Vision Therapy at Panoptic Vision with one of our incredible patients, Eddie, who is an absolute STAR with how he is working through his Vision Therapy program. We are so proud of his progress!

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Stereo or 3D Training

Here Julie Currie, our Vision Therapist, is working with Eddie on stereo or 3D training to get the two eyes working together. This is done with polaroid glasses and our stereograms and light box. If the two eyes are working well together, the patient will see the image either coming closer to them or getting further away.

Binocular Training

Another activity we use the red/green glasses for is Binocular training – this means the two eyes are working together as a team and one eye is not suppressing (switching off). Eddie likes to use the special computer program that we have to help train some aspects of his eye control especially his convergence (looking close) and divergence (looking far) skills.

Bunt Ball Visual Attention

Eddie is working hard to maintain his gentle tapping of the ball with alternate hands while keeping the letters on the ball clear and integrating his hand and feet movements with the metronome beat!!

Brockstring Training

Eddie is getting excellent feedback as to what his two eyes are seeing as he looks along the string at each bead in turn.

Anti-suppression

Eddie is having fun with anti-suppression activities. These activities allow patients to notice if they are suppressing (turning off) one eye at times. We can increase the intensity of the activity with other skills i.e. eye aiming, tracking, bi-lateral integration etc. to further load the demand. When using red/green glasses and red/green targets, each eye only sees one target, therefore both eyes are needed to see the complete picture.

Vision Therapy is a proactive and holistic approach to vision care, which promotes long-lasting visual health and wellness. We are always ready to celebrate the progress of our clients and seeing the joy they feel at making a difference to their visual skills is something beautiful to witness. Read about another one of our client's incredible progress in Vision Therapy here.

Vision Therapy is available at our Lake Cathie practice. Click on the images below to get to know our Vision Therapists, Julie Currie and Bronwyn Mison.