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Vision Therapy in Western Australia

Could Your Child Benefit with Vision Therapy?

Is you child not reading at grade level?
Is your child not performing to their potential at school?

Does your child have any attention difficulties or dislikes homework?

Undetected visual problems may be keeping your child from performing well in school

Request A Vision Test

Home » Eye Care Services » Vision Therapy

What Is Vision Therapy?

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20/20 vision is but ONE of over 17 important visual skills required to function efficiently to perform well in school or sports.

Children with reduced vision skills may work harder than their peers, yet be unable to achieve the results they seek. Their poor vision skills may also cause them to struggle to concentrate throughout the day.

Vision therapy is an evidence-based program to effectively strengthen the specific vision skills impacting your child and has been clinically proven to increase reading levels, enhance comprehension, maintain longer attention spans and even improve sports performance.

See a difference in your child’s school performance!

If your child has been diagnosed with a reading or learning difficulty or just not reaching their potential at school, or on the sports field, schedule an appointment with our optometric team for a functional eye exam. Over 17 visual skills will be assessed, including eye tracking, reading fluency, focusing and depth perception.

Don’t let your child suffer in silence.

Vision therapy might just be the solution you have been seeking. Talk to us! We’ll help your child maximise their visual skills and resolve any underlying visual problems impacting your child.

Read More about Improving Your Child's Reading

How To Know If Your Child Needs Vision Therapy

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If your child has any of the following, vision therapy can significantly change his or her life for the better.

  • Skipping words or lines while reading
  • Still not reading at grade level
  • Confusing the letters b, d, p and q
  • Rubbing eyes or closing one eye when reading or doing near work
  • Holding books too closely or tilting head when reading
  • Eyestrain or headaches with schoolwork or computer use
  • Difficulty with reading comprehension
  • Blurred or double vision when reading
  • Avoiding homework
  • Poor attention span
  • Fidgeting and squirming in the chair

Help Your Child Reach Their Potential With Vision Therapy

At The Focal Point Optometrist we use a holistic approach to vision care. In addition to the usual eye exam, we also test the entire visual system (functional vision exam) to check that it has the developmental maturity, strength, and stamina to function optimally throughout the visual tasks performed on a daily basis.

Once we identify any vulnerable areas within the visual system that could interfere with reading and learning, we develop an effective vision therapy regimen made of individually-tailored eye exercises made to improve visual functions and retrain the brain to interpret visual input more accurately.

Contact The Focal Point Optometrist today for a functional eye exam, or visit us with your concerns regarding your child’s vision, and we’ll be sure to find the best way to treat his or her visual problems.

What is a Behavioural Optometrist?

A Behavioural or Developmental optometrist looks at many different areas of vision in adults and children. Vision is more than just sight. Vision has to coordinate with the rest of the body for balance, movement, reading and writing and is influenced by such things as nutrition, stress levels, medication, health issues and is impacted by the activities that you use your eyes for.

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A Behavioural Optometrist will assess the health of the eye and the ability of the eyes to see to the bottom line of the letter chart. They will also assess the mechanical actions of the eyes such as the focus (accommodation), the eye movements (vergence) and the teaming of the eyes (binocular vision). These parts of the eye’s inner workings must have accuracy, stamina and flexibility and be able to work easily and efficiently through a school or work day. If too much effort is going into just using the eyes to keep the picture clear and single then it can detract from a person’s ability to get things done. If vision isn’t working easily and efficiently it can lead to a lack of attention, poor concentration, headaches, fatigue, frustration, and avoidance behaviours.

A Behavioural Optometrist can also test Vision Processing. This is the ability of the brain to interpret the pictures that are being sent through from the eyes. Vision connects through to a large number of areas within the brain that are used for movement and making sense of the world. Because of these brain connections, vision links in with many other parts of the body such as the ears for balance and the body and hands for the visual motor control needed for reading and writing development.

Behavioural Optometrists also study how vision develops throughout childhood to assess if a child is visually ready to learn to read and write at school. This knowledge is also vital to ensure that those with learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADD, developmental delays, autism, or Asperger’s Syndrome are able to reach their full visual potential and are not hindered further by an undiagnosed visual problem.

Why Choose a Behavioural Optometrist:

  • explores how someone’s eyes work in the distance but also how they work when reading or using various types of technology
  • ensures that the focus, movements and teaming of the eyes are working efficiently and have the stamina for everything that you need them to do
  • manages amblyopia and strabismus (turned eyes)
  • assesses vision processing skills
  • provides vision therapy services
  • ensures vision development in children is progressing as it should and is not impacting their ability to learn
  • works with children and adults with learning difficulties, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Parkinsons and those with special needs or who are developmentally delayed and those who have had a stroke or head injury
  • takes a holistic approach and uses information from teachers and other professionals to understand everything that is of concern to the person
  • understands the health of the eye and how your body health impacts eyes

Vision Therapy May Be What Your Child Always Needed | FAQ

Improve your child’s confidence levels with vision therapy!

Vision therapy is a non-surgical treatment program that is typically compared to physical_therapy, but for the eyes and brain. Vision therapy uses exercises, lenses, specific instruments, and occlusions to enhance visual function.

All vision therapy programs are customised and can result in significant lasting improvements within a relatively short period of time. To learn more, contact us today and discover how we can help your child improve their performances both in school and on the sports field.

medical-plus medical-plus Isn't 20/20 Vision Enough?

If a child has been told that they have ‘20/20 sight’, it means that they can clearly see the letters on the chart 20 feet away. The child may excel in reading the letters on the vision charts on the wall, yet lack the necessary visual skills needed for reading, writing, and learning —  all of which can adversely impact their performance in school and in sports.  

Keep in mind that school screenings, and even some regular eye exams, generally evaluate sight (visual acuity) only and most do not assess the essential vision skills required for sports, extensive computer use, reading and learning. Furthermore, it is common to not need glasses and still have poor visual skills. Therefore, a functional vision exam will determine whether a child has poor visual skills, and if so, a tailor-made vision therapy program will be put in place to help the patient succeed and reach their potential. 

medical-plus medical-plus What Are Some Major Benefits of Vision Therapy?

Developing visual skills can lead children to become better learners and students. In fact, vision therapy can be a key component in preparing a child for higher education, as increased success can lead to a rise in self esteem and greater confidence in one's abilities. This newfound confidence will inevitably trickle into other areas, positively impacting the youngster's quality of life and achievements. 

medical-plus medical-plus How Long Does It Take to See Results?

Results depend on the child's active participation and compliance with the program. Over time, the more one trains their brain, the easier and more automated the exercises will become. Gains can be experienced from as little as a few weeks to six months.

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Request A Vision Test

  • Who is a Candidate for Vision Therapy Thumbnail.jpg
    Having good visual skills is the key to being able to read, play sports, and perform many other tasks, but even people with excellent eyesight may lack vision skills. That’s where vision therapy can help.
  • Third Cranial Nerve Palsy Thumbnail.jpg
    When the third cranial nerve is damaged it can affect how your eye functions, leaving your eye unable to control specific actions. Learn about third cranial nerve palsy and how it can be treated.
  • Woman Blond Closeup 1280×853 1.jpg
    Nystagmus is a complex optical condition that causes involuntary eye movements and blurred vision. Fortunately, vision therapy can help.
  • Retained Primitive Reflexes and Vision Thumbnail.jpg
    Primitive reflexes are essential for the brain to develop. They start in utero and continue to develop as a child grows. However, retained primitive reflexes can result either from a problem at birth or during the first initial months of life. Vision therapy can help resolve retained primitive reflexes.
  • Vision Therapy for Anisometropia Thumbnail.jpg
    People with anisometropia experience blurred vision because each of their eyes refracts a different amount of light. Left unaddressed, one eye becomes significantly weaker than the other, potentially leading to permanent vision loss. Vision therapy addresses anisometropia and strengthens the weaker eye.
  • Vision Therapy For Menieres Disease Thumbnail.jpg
    Meniere’s disease, a vestibular problem, can be exacerbated by issues related to the visual system. Vision therapy can help reduce dizziness related to visual dysfunction and offer some relief to patients suffering from Meniere’s disease.
  • Prism Lenses Thumbnail.jpg
    Prism eyeglasses are worn to correct double vision. Prisms also are used in vision therapy, which is made up of a series of eye exercises to help the eyes and brain communicate more efficiently to alleviate double vision and other conditions.
  • content vision training text 2
    A Vision Therapy Programme assists a person with the vision or vision processing skills that they find challenging so that those vision skills can become automatic.   We want the use of your vision to be automatic so that energy can go into other aspects of doing and learning.
  • Vision Therapy for Amblyopia Thumbnail.jpg
    Amblyopia or “lazy eye” is a neuro-developmental vision condition that begins in early childhood.
  • Vision Therapy for Kids Thumbnail.jpg
    Studies show that children with vision problems are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADD or ADHD as compared to their peers. Learn how vision therapy can help maximise your child's visual skills to reach their full potential.
  • Vision Therapy Can Improve Reading Skills In Children Thumbnail.jpg
    By training the eyes and brain to seamlessly work together, vision therapy effectively treats visual dysfunctions that interfere with a child’s reading and learning abilities.
  • strabismus Thumbnail.jpg
    Strabismus, also known as an “eye turn” or “cross-eye”, is a condition characterised by the improper alignment of the eyes. Vision therapy effectively treats this condition by teaching the brain and eyes to work together to correct the eye misalignment and thus achieve clear and comfortable vision.
  • Convergence Insufficiency Thumbnail.jpg
    Children often struggle with learning and sports as a result of undiagnosed vision problems — most commonly Convergence Insufficiency (CI). CI has been shown to affect a child’s reading ability, attention and overall school performance. Learn how vision therapy can treat this condition thereby leading to more success in school, work and in sports.
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