Vision Therapy
For more information on Vision Therapy, please visit the Vision Therapy Academy website. Vision Therapy Academy is located in the La Crosse Family Vision Center offices.

What is Vision Therapy?
Vision Therapy is an individualized, supervised, treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. Vision Therapy sessions include procedures designed to enhance the brain's ability to control:

• eye alignment
• eye teaming
• eye focusing abilities
• eye movements
• visual processing

Visual-motor skills and endurance are developed through the use of specialized computer and optical devices, including therapeutic lenses, prisms, and filters. During the final stages of therapy, the patient's newly acquired visual skills are reinforced and made automatic through repetition and by integration with motor and cognitive skills.

Who Benefits from Vision Therapy?
Children and adults alike with visual challenges, such as learning-related vision problems, will benefit from vision therapy.

• Vision Therapy can help those individuals who lack the necessary visual skills for effective reading, writing, and learning (i.e., eye movement, focusing and teaming skills, eye-hand coordination and visual processing.) The following is a small list of behavioral symptoms are usually related to vision problems. Vision Therapy reduces or eliminates the majority of these symptoms:
  • losing place frequently during reading
  • needs finger or marker to keep place
  • rereads or skips lines unknowingly
  • short attention span when reading or copying
  • burning or itching eyes after desk work
  • words move or "swim" on page
  • double vision
  • blurry vision
  • squints, closes, or covers one eye
  • tilts head while reading or writing
  • odd working posture at desk activities
  • quickly loses interest in reading
  • reverses letters and/or words in writing or copying
  • squints to see chalkboard
  • rubs eyes during or after short periods of visual activity

Poor Binocular Coordination
Vision Therapy helps individuals develop normal coordination and teamwork of the two eyes (binocular vision). When the two eyes fail to work together as an effective team, performance in many areas can suffer (reading, sports, depth perception, eye contact, etc.).

Strabismus and Amblyopia
Vision Therapy programs offer much higher cure rates for turned eyes and/or lazy eye when compared to eye surgery, glasses, and/or patching, without therapy. Research demonstrates that in cases where surgery is indicated, Vision Therapy should be done pre and post surgery for the greatest functional cure. The earlier the patient receives Vision Therapy the better, however, our office has successfully treated patients well past 21 years of age.

Stress-induced Visual Difficulties
21st century lifestyles demand more from our vision than ever before. Children and adults in our technological society constantly use their near vision at work and at home. C.V.S. (Computer Vision Syndrome) is one of the fastest growing health concerns in the workplace today. Environmental stresses on the visual system (including excessive computer use or close work) can induce eyestrain, headaches, and/or visual difficulties which can be effectively treated with corrective lenses and/or Vision Therapy.

Visual Rehabilitation for Special Populations
Vision can be compromised as a result of neurological disorders or trauma to the nervous system (such as, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, whiplash, developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, etc.). Vision Therapy can effectively treat some of the visual consequences of trauma (including double vision) and result in improved visual functioning and quality of life.

Sports Vision Improvement
Strong visual skills are critical to sports success. Not much happens in sports until your eyes instruct your hands and body as to what to do! Accurate vision and athletic visual skills can be measured, developed, and enhanced through Vision Therapy. We measure and successfully improve eye-hand coordination, visual reaction time, peripheral awareness, eye teaming, focusing, tracking, and visualization skills (to mention just a few). Some famous atheletes have been through Vision Therapy including Sammy Sosa, Mark McQuire, Cordell Stewart, Raghib Ishmail, and many other pro and olympic greats. Any athelete of any age and level wishing to "improve their game" will benefit from this type of therapy.