Boca Raton - Total Family Eyecare

Vision Therapy

Vision therapy is also known as vision training, visual training, visual therapy, eye training, behavioral optometry or orthoptic therapy.

It can be described as physical therapy for the visual system which includes the brain and eyes. Through a series of progressive therapeutic procedures (eye exercises), patients develop or recover normal visual skills. Vision therapy is remarkably successful in rehabilitating all types of binocular vision impairments including, convergence insufficiency, amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus, esotropia, exotropia, hyperphoria, or loss of binocular fusion due to hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness) or astigmatism in one eye. In regards to the development or recovery of binocular vision, vision therapy is much more successful than surgery or glasses alone.

Who Can Benefit From Vision Therapy?
Patients of all ages can benefit from vision therapy. The nature of the therapy program varies with the condition treated. For example, a three year-old child with amblyopia, or "lazy eye", might have the better eye patched for a short period of time. An eight year old with strabismus "crossed eye", may require therapy for a period of a year to gain BOTH cosmetic and visual benefits (the two eyes will appear straight AND will be used as a binocular team for normal vision). A 30 year-old computer programmer may require three to six months to solve a visual problem causing significant eye strain. A 30 year-old with strabismus who had two or more unsuccessful surgeries as a child might require two or more years of therapy. For information on patients with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and other conditions related to visual perception and information processing, schedule a visit for a consultation with Dr. Lampert.

Vision therapy can improve visual skills such as stereopsis, binocular coordination, binocular fusion, eye teaming skills, convergence, visual acuity, focusing skills, stereoscopic vision, depth perception, eye tracking, fixation skills, visual form discrimination, visual memory, hyperopia, and visual motor integration (balance, body coordination, hand-eye coordination).

Is Vision Therapy New?
Although Vision Therapy is currently an Optometric specialty, it is actually an outgrowth of orthoptics. Orthoptics, which literally means "straightening of the eyes", was introduced to this country by physicians in the late 1800's. As physicians became more focused on eyeglasses, medication, and surgery, the benefits of orthoptics were taught to fewer and fewer practitioners. However, optometrists in the mid 1900's took the best that orthoptics had to offer, and pioneered the development of vision therapy.

What's Involved In A Vision Therapy Program?
Patients typically come to the office twice weekly for 30 - 60 minutes each visit. In addition, homework is sometimes given to be done at home as reinforcement of what is learned during the office therapy sessions. Commitment to the therapy program, and maintaining a schedule of weekly visits, is important in the success of the program.

Can't my child just do the therapy at home?
Vision therapy programs are individualized for the patient, and careful guidance and frequent monitoring is required for success. When attempted by patients without guidance, poor visual habits may actually be reinforced. In addition, in-office vision therapy programs make use of specialty computer programs, regulated medical devices (such as lenses and prisms) and other tools which are not available for use in the home.

PLEASE NOTE: Vision therapy is NOT the Bates Method. The Bates Method was invented by W. H. Bates, an ophthalmologist who wrote "Perfect Sight Without Glasses" (New York, 1920). The eye procedures (eye exercises) employed in Vision Therapy are different from those of the Bates Method. Vision therapy involves a medically supervised program of therapeutic procedures (eye exercises). The techniques and technologies of vision therapy have been reviewed and developed throughout this century by doctors of optometry. In some cases, regulated medical devices (such as lenses and prisms) are used.

Will My Insurance Cover Vision Therapy?
Some of the better health insurance policies cover vision therapy. The answer to this question has absolutely no relationship to whether or not your insurance covers eye examinations, eyeglasses, or contact lenses. If and when it is covered, vision therapy would be viewed and paid more like physical therapy or occupational therapy. Managed care companies have been limiting payment on all types of licensed medical therapies. It is recommended that parents not allow insurance companies to make arbitrary decisions which prevent children from receiving necessary care. Note that vision therapy is very inexpensive and cost-effective when compared to surgical treatments.

How Long Does Vision Therapy Last?
When the program is complete, the benefits of vision therapy will last for a lifetime. Accurate focusing and the use of both eyes together efficiently is a reflex which, when conditioned, should operate effortlessly. Self-monitoring activities are prescribed at the end of each therapy program. Non-medical vision therapy, as related to visual perception, prepares children for a lifelong learning, and fills in gaps for many adults who have lost visual skills and abilities.

While Vision Therapy has been extremely effective for many individuals, no guarantee as to the effectiveness in any specific case can be made. Patient outcomes can vary widely from individual to individual, but our ultimate goal is to dramatically improve your daily life by training your eyes to once again work together as a team.

Why Is Vision Therapy a Well-kept Secret?
If the media would bring in the cameras more often, it might be a different story. Most of us have seen dramatic camera footage of a physical therapy patient learning to walk again after a traumatic event. In comparison, it's much more difficult to present a dramatic picture of a child learning to see. In the case of visual improvements, most of the action is happening inside the child's own brain and can't be picked up by the eye of a camera.

Vision Therapy is practiced by some optometrists and pediatric ophthalmologists, but - depending on the doctor you consult - you or your family may never be told about Vision Therapy. There are many reasons for this, such as:

1. The majority of pediatric ophthalmologists do not offer Vision Therapy. Pediatric ophthalmologists are trained to be surgeons, not therapists. Their practices concentrate on the use of drugs and surgery to treat eye disease and trauma. This can lead to the patient not being referred elsewhere for the most effective treatment method.

2. The majority of optometrists, also, do not maintain active therapy practices. Optometrists who provide Vision Therapy are professional specialists called Behavioral Optometrists or Developmental Optometrists, like Dr. Lampert.

Is This an Eye Problem or a Brain Problem?
The visual system includes the brain as well as the eyes. The eyes are actual physical extensions of the brain. According to eye doctors, some binocular vision disabilities also involve problems with how the brain processes the visual information coming in through the eyes. Even so, many people with strabismus are offered only surgery to straighten the muscles of the eye. Surgery might make a deviating eye appear straight to others, but it often does very little to change the way the patient's brain processes incoming visual information. Often, the deviating eye returns to its misaligned position(s) after surgery. In other words, surgery does not always restore binocular vision.

Vision therapy is a very effective type of physical therapy for the brain and the eyes. Children with binocular vision impairments can often learn to see normally by undergoing this type of rehabilitative therapy.

Consider the tremendous advances that have been made in the last forty years in the fields of occupational therapy and physical therapy. In these areas of therapy, health care professionals understand that the human brain is capable of tremendous change, recovery and development. Today, patients who suffer strokes or other traumatic injuries to the brain and nervous system receive extensive rehabilitation. Therapeutic procedures (exercises) teach them how to coordinate movement--how to breathe, speak, and/or walk.

What is Depth Perception and Why Do We Need It?
Depth Perception: an important aspect of normal, healthy vision; a result of good stereoscopic vision; the ability to visually perceive depth and three dimensional space; the ability to visually judge relative distances between objects; a perceptual skill that aids accurate movement in three-dimensional space.

You need depth perception because . . .
The web site of the American Academy of Ophthalmology stated in August, 1996: "many occupations are not open to people who have good vision in one eye only (that means no stereo vision, no binocular depth perception)"

Here are a few examples of occupations that depend heavily on stereo vision:
* Professional Baseball player
* Professional Tennis Professional
* Race Care Driver
* Architect
* Surgeon
* Dentist

The loss of binocular depth perception robs a person of more than just the possibility of being a professional baseball player or dentist. Total Family Eyecare maintains that the lack of binocular vision is a serious vision impairment that deserves more attention. Loss of binocular vision decreases quality of life as well as life choices. Parents and patients need to be informed about early detection of these conditions as well as the full range of treatment options.

Here are a few examples of general actions that depend heavily on depth perception:
* Throwing, catching or hitting a ball
* Driving and parking a car
* Planning/building a three-dimensional object
* Threading a needle and sewing
* Reaching out to shake another person's hand
* Pouring into a container
* Stepping off a curb or step

Some Success Stories:
A Happy Boca Parent - "Our daughter came for therapy with no depth perception and blinking visions in one eye. Her other eye didn't have good vision either. After eye therapy she has no more problem in any of these areas. Her grades are excellent now. Honor roll. We are very happy we found Dr. Lampert and the therapy he gave our daughter. It truly changed her life! Thank you so much!"

Another Happy Parent - Our son had been to a few optometrists. Each one told me something different: he needs glasses, he doesn't need glasses, strong prescription, weak, many different stories. He did not wear the glasses and there was no change in his eyesight or abilities.
After being referred to Dr. Lampert by an education specialist I cannot say enough about the outcome of our son's therapy with him. Dr. Lampert's testing showed problems which required yolk prisms (which many specialist optometrists don't even prescribe), that within only one month's time improved his depth perception.

He went from bottom of the batting order in baseball to the top plus definite differences in many ways: schoolwork, confidence, etc... I am confident that a developmental optometrist could be the answer to your prayers. Too bad more people don't know the difference between an optometrist and a Developmental Optometrist.

One More - "My daughter came to Dr. Lampert last November after struggling through the first month of 1st grade. I knew something was wrong but I could not figure it out. Dr. Lampert found that she needed Vision Therapy. After 9 months of Vision Therapy she can now read, catch a ball easily and is catching up with her class. There is no doubt in my mind that my daughter has greatly benefited by Dr. Lampert's Vision Therapy and I feel that she would be disadvantaged without it. I am so grateful that I was informed about Vision Therapy and feel more people should be aware of it."

Very Happy Mother - Our son is doing so much better since Vision Therapy. He now plays basketball. He used to be afraid of the ball because he wasn't seeing for sure where it was. Now he sees the ball clearly and even has no trouble dribbling. His coordination is great, his headaches are gone and his teacher has remarked how much progress he is making and his reading has improved. I would highly recommend Vision Therapy.

A Local Boca Raton Resident - "Dear Dr. Lampert, I have long meant to write this note, but have procrastinated. I am most grateful to you and the patient therapists who did so much to improve my vision. I can drive with less strain and more ease now. Thank you for helping me."

Cynthia and Steve Howe's Daughter (Steve of the NY Yankees) - "My daughter Chelsie has improved tremendously once she started doing eye therapy. We noticed a big difference in her ability to hit a baseball and her grades have improved. I have also noticed a calmness in her behavior that I think is a result of the confidence she now has as a result of vision therapy. I appreciate tremendously Dr. Lampert and his staff. They are wonderful."

A Local Tennis and Golf Player - "I have found the experience of vision therapy extremely rewarding. I have been able to improve both my depth perception for distance and reading concentration. I am a tennis player and vastly improved my game as a result of seeing the ball earlier and more clearly."
"It is remarkable how my ability to see into the distance has improved. Before therapy I could not follow the flight of a golf ball after every shot, now I can see where my ball lands in the rough. Thanks to everyone at Dr. Lampert's office for all your kindness and help."

Doug Jennings, Professional Baseball Player - Dr. Lampert: Thanks for the knowledge and service you provided me. The visit to your office became a virtual wealth of knowledge; in that, being a professional baseball player, I learned how to train my eyes to do things that improve my overall performance. I have always worked on the physical side of my game, but vision was just expected. After I improved my tracking and control of my eyes in just a few short sessions, I realized I had been overlooking one of the most important parts of athletic training: VISION. My training has continued and my depth perception has improved as well as many other technical vision terms. I know my vision has improved because my performance on the baseball field has improved. Thanks again.

7035 Beracasa Way - Suite 101 (Powerline and Palmetto) Boca Raton, FL. 33433
E-mail: totalfamilyeyecare@comcast.net