Binocular vision assessment
During our Binocular Vision Assessment, not only do we assess visual acuity, but we go further by assessing our patient’s visual skills and visual performance. Undiagnosed vision problems can make it difficult for children to succeed in school (reading and learning difficulties) or to allow adults to utilise their eyes comfortably and efficiently when at work or at home. The information gathered during the Binocular Vision Assessment helps us to develop a customised treatment plan to help redevelop and enhance the way our visual system functions. Treatment includes the use of spectacles, prisms, filters, and vision therapy.
Vision is a complex process that serves as our dominant sense. Researchers have suggested that up to 80% of what we learn in life comes through our visual system. Although being able to see 20/20 is important, it only makes up a small portion of our visual system. An efficient visual system requires different visual skills that need to work together as a team, to sustain clear, comfortable, and single vision while scanning and interpreting the visual environment around us. It has been estimated that 1 in 4 children have a vision problem significant enough to affect their academic performance.
It is important to remember that not all children will complain about visual performance difficulties/symptoms, because many of them will think that how they see is 'normal'. Parents and teachers should look for the signs of an underlying vision problems.
Poor visual skills will affect one's visual performance. These poor visual skills include:
- Eye-Focusing Difficulties (Accommodation Dysfunction)
- Eye-Teaming Difficulties (Vergence Dysfunction – including Strabismus, Convergence Insufficiency)
- Eye-Tracking Difficulties (Oculomotor Dysfunction)
- Difficulties with Visual Perceptual and Processing skills
Symptoms of visual difficulties can vary greatly between children but can include some of the following symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Eye – strain, discomfort, pain
- Headaches
- Visual fatigue
- Reading difficulties – losing your place when reading, words moving or floating on a page, dyslexia
- Concentration difficulties – ADHD
If you notice any of the following signs, it is important to take your child for a Binocular Vision Assessment:
- Poor posture during near tasks – turning/tilting the head, leaning very close to the page, head in hand or lying on their arm etc
- Avoiding near work, such as with reading or writing – would rather have someone read to them or complete their written work
- Covering/closing one eye when reading or writing
- Struggling to complete their visual tasks in the allotted time – classwork, homework, exams, and tests
- Better performance with verbal tasks than visual tasks
- Frequent/excessive blinking
- Skipping/rereading words or sentences of text
- Using a finger to guide their eyes when reading