1. stress
   
   
2. inadequate sensorimotor development
   
   
3. in some cases, contributing hereditary factors (i.e., crossed-eyes, wandering eyes, eye turns)
   
   
4. trauma to the nervous system (i.e., birth injury, brain trauma, closed head trauma, etc.)

1. Visual Perceptual Therapy
   For individuals who lack the necessary visual skills for effective reading, such as motor control, eye-hand activity and visual memory skills
   
   
2. Therapy for General Binocular Dysfunction
   For individuals who lack normal binocular (two-eyed) vision. When the two eyes fail to work together as an effective team, performance in many areas can suffer (reading, sports, eye contact, etc.).
   
   
3. Strabismus and Amblyopia Therapy
   Vision therapy programs offer much higher cure rates for Lazy eye (Amblyopia) and/or turned eyes or crossed eyes (Strabismus) when compared to eye surgery, glasses and/or patching without therapy. The earlier the patient receives vision therapy the better, however, our office successfully treats patients well past 21 years of age. See the next question for more information.
   

   If you would like to learn more about vision therapy and strabismus (crossed eye) or amblyopia (lazy eye), visit the many pages of www.strabismus.org or www.children-special-needs.org.

4. Therapy for Visual Consequences of Brain Injuries
   Alderwood Vision Therapy Center is uniquely qualified to treat the visual consequences of traumatic brain injury (birth trauma, closed head trauma, etc.).

   

Is Vision Therapy Only for Children?
Vision therapy is not only for children. Many adults find that vision therapy effects an improvement or recovery of their vision impairment; even in cases in which visual problems have been previously pronounced uncurable or hopeless by other vision care professionals.

Most visual conditions which can be treated in a child can be treated in an adult as well. For example, many cases of lazy eye (amblyopia) can be successfully treated with vision therapy at any age. For many years, it was thought that amblyopia (lazy eye) was only amenable to treatment during the "critical period". This is the period up to age seven or eight years. Current research has conclusively demonstrated that effective treatment can take place at any age, but the length of the treatment period increases dramatically the longer the condition has existed prior to treatment.

   

Correcting these deficits allows affected children and adults to benefit from academic remediation and to achieve their full potential in the classroom.BR> To learn more, visit these web pages on vision therapy and learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and tracking or reading problems.

   

   

How many people are affected by learning related vision disorders?
Approximately 20% of school-aged children may be affected to some degree by learning related vision disorders. This percentage dramatically increases within the special education, learning disabled and remedial reading populations, where as many as 70% of the students have a significant visual component to their learning problems.

   

   

   

Is there more than one type of vision therapy?
Yes. Not all vision therapy programs are the same. Differences in the approach to vision therapy can be as diverse as the doctors who provide it. Make sure you understand what you can expect from the program and how goals will be achieved.

   

Are computers used in vision therapy?
Yes. Computerization has produced major advancements in the administration of vision therapy. State-of-the-art technology and software allows vision therapists to offer patients challenging programs for the enhancement of eye teaming, focusing, binocularity, fusional and convergence skills, and perceptual-cognitive skills, etc.

   

Can a vision problem affect a person's self esteem?
Yes. Individuals with vision problems often have a history of underachievement and frustration. They often conclude that the reason for their low achievement is that they are not as "smart" as others. Low self esteem and a lack of confidence are often the result of this conclusion. Correcting the vision problems which have been interfering with normal performance can have dramatic effects on both performance and self esteem.

   

How long does vision therapy take to correct learning related vision disorders?
Vision therapy programs are individually designed for each patient based on factors, such as:

• the severity of the conditions being treated
  
  
• the patient's motivation and readiness
  
  
• the number of therapy sessions per week the patient can attend.

Therapy programs might range in duration from 3 months to 2 years. However -- to use some common terminology -- vision therapy is "short-term therapy" or "goal-oriented therapy." Unlike some other forms of therapy, you will not hear of an individual being in therapy for years without goals being met.