Frequently Asked Questions

What is Vision Therapy?

Vision Therapy is a treatment plan used to correct and/or improve specific dysfunctions of the visual system. It includes, but is not limited to, the treatment of Strabismus, Amblyopia, and Visual-Perceptual-Motor abilities which can adversely affect learning, attention and behavior.

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Why haven’t I ever heard of Vision Therapy?

Unfortunately, vision therapy has been an undervalued specialty in most of the United States. It was begun in its earliest form over 100 years ago, and has evolved in the last 30-40 years into the revolutionary therapy program it is today.  It is more mainstream in Canada and Europe where managed care insurance plans do not exist.

Will a standard eye exam or school screening catch these problems?

Vision problems including eye teaming, focusing, tracking and visual processing are not part of standard eye exams or school screenings. For a thorough analysis of your child’s vision, including tests that evaluate vision skills needed for efficient reading, schedule a comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist who specializes in binocular vision, vision therapy and/or vision development.

What is the first step in a vision therapy program?

A comprehensive vision exam is necessary before starting therapy. This involves testing of the eyes themselves as well as perceptual, motor and tracking tests to name a few.  Following the exam, your eye care provider can determine whether or not this type of therapy is the recommended treatment for your vision problems.

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What is the purpose of the vision exercises?

Vision exercises are designed to help patients improve basic visual skills that connect the eyes with the brain. These exercises can improve visual efficiency by changing how a patient interprets images. This helps them see and understand images correctly.

Can a vision problem affect a child’s self-esteem?

YES. Children 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 other children.  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 do the results of vision therapy last?

Most healthy vision therapy patients enjoy long term resolution of their visual problems. Generalizing the newly acquired visual abilities to the activities of daily life allows these new visual skills to become self-reinforcing. Efficient vision becomes a habit, as hard to break any other habit!

How much does Vision Therapy cost?

Like orthodontics or some tutoring programs, Vision Therapy is an investment in your child’s lifelong potential. Our therapy program costs are determined by the recommended duration of treatment once diagnoses are made through evaluation. Due to the nature of insurance coverage for Vision Therapy at this time, we provide several cost-reducing payment options and encourage our patients to file for reimbursement if their insurance plan allows, but NVDC is not an in-network provider.

Most insurance companies exclude Vision Therapy services deeming them as “educationally related.” If part of a vision therapy program is covered, it falls under major medical, not vision insurance.  If requested we can provide you with a receipt containing the information you will need in order to file with insurance. If a company requires a “letter of medical necessity,” we can provide you with that as well.

Many employers are offering Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options to employees. Vision Therapy may qualify as a medically necessary service for FSAs or Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).  Check with the benefits administrator at your work to see if you are eligible for this program. FSAs or HSAs can typically be used to offset out-of-pocket costs on your behalf.

Are vision problems and behavioral problems related?

SOMETIMES.  According to a recent survey, 39% of parents don’t realize that behavioral problems can be an indication that a child has a vision problem. A child with undetected vision problems may get frustrated or bored in school because he or she can’t see the board, the teacher or read a book easily. Therefore, students with problems seeing sometimes act out.

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Am I too old to improve?

NO. While it was once believed that neurological changes could only occur in a set critical period, more recent research has proved this to be false. If the brain was only capable of learning and changing when we were children, why would we continue education through high school or college? How would we learn the skills for a new job? Why would we remain curious throughout life? As we emerge from the dated thinking that improvement has an expiration date, we begin to realize that whether you are 7 or 70, your visual system can improve.

How long does Vision Therapy take?

Our average program takes 6-12 months to complete. We have found one therapy session per week, combined with at home activities, to be our most successful option.

Will Vision Therapy help my child in school?

Vision Therapy does not teach students to perform better in school, but rather it removes the roadblocks to learning that may manifest as inattention, hyperactivity, deficits in orthographic/phonemic processing, poor reading/spelling/math/handwriting, fine/gross motor control, coordination, anxiety, low self-esteem or depression.

But, my child sees 20/20 and their eyes are healthy. Can their difficulties still be vision related? Being able to correctly read letters on a chart at 20 feet does not guarantee efficient learning related vision skills. In fact, those most handicapped by vision or sensorimotor deficits often have 20/20 acuity and healthy eyes. Deficits in eye alignment, focus, visual endurance and other visual function skills which can negatively affect learning are easily missed in school screenings and conventional eye exams which do NOT evaluate the 17 different visual skills needed to succeed in life.