A variety of tools are used to
conduct the therapy based on the
patient’s individual needs:
• Therapeutic lenses
• Prisms
• Filters
• Occluders or patches
• Electronic targets with timing
mechanisms
• Balance boards
Patients are also given homework
which may include practice sheets
and activities to continue their inclassroom therapy off-site.
The ECP is in constant
communication with parents to
ensure benchmarks are being met.
The goal of the program is not
to make it feel like school for children
but to help them feel comfortable
with their vision health and proud of
their achievements.
“We try to make it as fun as
possible,” said Peddle adding when
kids see their picture on the board
of graduates it empowers them to
continue to stay focused on improving
their eye health.
“I worked with a young boy,
age 8, who was on the autism spectrum
(high functioning). He was referred by
an occupational therapist who noted
that he would consistently close an
eye when working at his desk,” she
said. “After a full binocular vision
evaluation, it was found that he had
a severe convergence insufficiency
and deficiency of saccades (poor eye
tracking). His eyes weren’t teaming
together, resulting in double vision
at near.”
She said to avoid this confusion,
the young boy would close an eye
at near, thus eliminating the double
image. They began a 20-week program
of in-office vision therapy. Within
eight weeks his symptoms were
reducing and his reading level was
at grade level. By the end of 20
weeks, he had perfect depth
perception, eye teaming, and eye
tracking for his age.
“He was comfortable reading and
writing, and no longer saw double at
any distance. His mother remarked
-with tears in her eyes- that his
reading skills were now above grade
level and that he was actually asking
her for more books,” she said.
Peddle says the eyecare industry
is slowly beginning to take Vision
Therapy more serious and ECPs are
adopting it as part of their practice.
“People are starting to see the
benefits,” she said adding schools
of Optometry within Canada are
beginning to integrate vision therapy
for children into the curriculum.
In addition social media has
also begun to play a role in parental
education and support.
Several boards now exist on
Facebook offering parents advice and
resources including one by Vaughan
Family Vision Therapy.
Here the latest news and
resources are posted for parents to
access. It’s also a place where Peddle
and her team share the successes of
their students and tokens of gratitude
including cards from graduates.
“The feedback is fantastic. Many
children have gone from a grade
one level to grade five in as little as
20 weeks,” she said. “You see their
confidence soar.” •
To learn more about Vision Therapy visit:
www.covd.org www.oepf.org www.eyeseeeyelearn.ca
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