Position Statement on Optometric Vision Therapy

By the American Optometric Association (AOA)

[Excerpts relevant to vision therapy and learning disabilities, learning disabled children or learning disabled adults (including cases of possible or diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), dyslexia)]

The American Optometric Association (AOA) affirms its long-standing position that optometric vision therapy is effective in the treatment of physiological neuromuscular and perceptual dysfunctions of the vision system.

The ability to learn in school, achieve on the job, and enjoy sports and recreation depends upon efficient vision. Optometric vision therapy assists individuals in developing visual abilities and efficiency most suited to their needs and enables those individuals to achieve maximal levels of visual performance. Optometric vision therapy can help individuals achieve and maintain good vision throughout life.

Vision and Learning

Many children who experience academic difficulty may have a treatable visual dysfunction in addition to their primary reading or learning dysfunction.  Vision problems can interfere with the ability to perform in the classroom or can impair the ability to read with comfort and efficiency. These treatable conditions include focusing deficiencies, eye muscle imbalances, motor fusion deficiencies and refractive errors. Although optometrists do not teach reading, optometric vision therapy programs are used to treat contributory vision problems thus enabling the individual to take better advantage of his/her educational opportunities.

Management of the learning disabled and/or dyslexic child or adult should be multidisciplinary. Since it is important to deal with any defect or problem that may be causal or contributory, evaluation of a learning disabled individual should include a thorough optometric analysis of the vision system. Interdisciplinary communication and involvement are essential in helping an individual overcome a learning problem.

Optometric Education

Doctors of optometry (optometrists) are uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat vision problems as a result of their seven or more years of college level education and clinical training. Their undergraduate education provides a foundation in the basic sciences, while the four year graduate professional optometric degree program emphasizes the biological, behavioral and visual sciences, and their clinical application. New developments and research within the optometric profession, residency programs and postgraduate education enhance today's optometrist's ability to provide quality vision care for their patients.

Research

Extensive research related to strabismus and amblyopia, accommodative and non-strabismic binocular dysfunction, vision development and learning-related vision problems is conducted at the schools and colleges of optometry and other clinical and research settings. These scientific studies support the effectiveness and value of optometric vision therapy in the treatment of vision dysfunctions.

Summary

Evaluation of individuals with learning difficulties (i.e.: attention deficit disorder, ad/hd, dyslexia, etc.) should include a thorough optometric analysis as part of a multidisciplinary approach.

The American Optometric Association continues to support quality optometric care, education and research in the area of vision therapy.

Resources available from the American Optometric Association

This Parents' Checklist is designed to assist parents who are investigating possible causes for their child's problems with Attention Deficit Disorder (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), attention span, hyperactivity, behavior, learning and/or reading. Parents are advised to be aware that the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) cannot be made by teachers or school administrators alone. A determination of the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can only be made by a team of education and health professionals. As Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological diagnosis, a neurologist should be a member of the team. The evaluation process should also include comprehensive examination of the child's visual and auditory skills in order to rule out any problems with visual processing, auditory processing, or sensory motor integration.

A Parent's Checklist
Look for these signs and symptoms.

If You observe the following behavior in your child:

• one eye drifts or aims in a different direction than the other (look carefully -- this can be subtle). This is significant even if it only occurs when the child is tired or stressed.
• turns or tilts head to see
• head is frequently tilted to one side or one shoulder is noticeably higher
• squinting or closing or covering of one eye
• excessive blinking or squinting
• short attention span
• daydreaming in class
• poor handwriting
• poor visual/motor skills (often called "hand-eye coordination")
• problems moving in space, frequently bumps into things or drops things
• clumsiness on playground or at home

While reading or doing close work your child:

• holds the book or object unusually close
• closes one eye or covers eye with hand
• twists or tilts head toward book or object so as to favor one eye
• frequently loses place and fatigues easily
• uses finger to read
• rubs eyes during or after short periods of reading
• reversals when reading (i.e., "was" for "saw", "on" for "no", etc.)
• reversals when writing (b for d, p for q, etc.)
• omitting small words
• confusing small words
• transposition of letters and numbers (12 for 21, etc.)
• loss of place when reading, line to line and word to word.
• child's ability to learn verbally surpasses his ability to learn visually.

Your child frequently complains of:

• only being able to read for short periods of time
• headaches or eyestrain
• nausea or dizziness
• motion sickness
• DOUBLE VISION!

Say no more. If your child reports seeing double, please take your child for a binocular vision evaluation immediately.