What is Vision Therapy?

Common Visual Dysfunctions:

• Binocular Dysfunction – Difficulty using the two eyes together as a team
• Convergence Insufficiency – An eye teaming problem where the eyes tend to drift outwards when doing close work
• Ocular Motor Dysfunction – The ability of the eyes to simultaneously and smoothly follow words on a page or follow moving objects in space
• Amblyopia – ‘Lazy Eye’ lowered visual acuity that can not be corrected with glasses or contact lenses
• Strabismus -A visual impairment where the two eyes point in different directions (in, out, up, or down)
• Visual Processing Delays/Cognitive Development – Visual memory, discrimination, spatial organization, visual-motor integration, directionality, visual capture, and visualization

Common Signs and Symptoms of Visual Deficiencies:

• Blurred or double vision when reading
• Skipping or repeating lines/words while reading
• One eye turning in or out
• Reading below expected grade level
• Difficulty copying from the chalkboard
• Headaches or dizziness after near activities
• Head tilting, closing or blocking one eye
• Poor hand-eye coordination
• Difficulty with handwriting
• Poor/inconsistent performance in sports
• Performing below potential in school

Take the quiz below to see if you need to schedule an exam.

We treat the whole person, rather than just the eyes.

The doctors and therapists at EyeCare Specialties have studied with multiple top researchers and practitioners in the field of vision therapy. Because of this, they have been able to put together a quality vision therapy program utilizing the best of what these professionals have to offer.

At ECS Vision Therapy, we conduct one-on-one therapy sessions to meet the unique needs of all the clients in our programs.  In addition, our program is monitored with timely progress evaluations by the doctors. All of our Vision Therapists at ECS Vision Therapy are board-certified or are in the process of becoming certified. This means the therapists have gone through extensive testing to show that they are extremely knowledgeable in all areas of vision therapy. ECS Vision Therapy is one of the largest vision therapy facilities in the country with two convenient locations in Wexford & Fox Chapel and state-of-the-art equipment. ​Unlike many vision therapy programs.

We have found the key to good results in vision therapy is the timely use of visual-motor activities, peripheral awareness and expansion, and the integration of visual processing activities, which teach the patient how to use their visual system in the most efficient and effective way possible. ECS Vision Therapy is proud to be one of the few vision therapy offices in the world that offers Integrated Visual Learning (IVL). IVL is a program developed over 15 years by a behavioral/developmental optometrist, a psychologist, and an educator. IVL is vision therapy with a cognitive finish. Instead of simply giving the clients the visual abilities to learn, we train them how to use their visual systems to learn.

Our Evaluation Process

After over 30 years of experience treating patients with visual issues that impact learning, we have created a more affordable evaluation that takes less time and gives you answers you are looking for on the same day. This evaluation probes multiple areas of visual development to determine if the patient is suffering from visual deficits that are likely to impact performance in academics, particularly attention, efficiency in reading and writing as well as creative thinking.

The assessment is broken down in to three areas.

1. Eyesight and eye health: This is a standard exam that determines if lenses can improve your sight as well as documenting eye health.
2. Visual efficiency: This exam evaluates binocular vision skills, focusing skills, and tracking skills. We also do testing to asses visual stamina which can impact attention and concentration.
3. Visual processing abilities: Here we look at visual memory, visual capture, eye-hand coordination and reversal tendencies. When compared to grade or age norms, we can determine if a lag in development in this area is present and create a treatment plan individually designed to help stimulate development.

All of the testing described can be done in one visit and the results will be explained to you in a way that will help you understand how visual development can impact learning ability. A treatment plan and a report of findings will be produced for your records and for other professionals as requested.

Please plan on being here for a total of 75-90 minutes. This will give us enough time to perform the testing in a relaxed and professional manner, answer your questions and review an individualized treatment plan.

The cost is $199

Call us today to arrange a time for your child to receive this valuable service.

There is more to healthy vision than meets the eye. Most people believe that good vision means simply having 20/20 acuity, or seeing clearly in the distance. However, vision is the brain and eyes working together. Vision has a tremendous impact on the learning process for both children and adults. ​80% of what we perceive, comprehend, and remember depends on the efficiency of our visual system. EyeCare Specialties’ Vision Therapy department is dedicated to helping children and adults take in information efficiently, process it accurately, and react appropriately.

Meet Your Vision Therapists

Our world-class team is based at ECS Pediatric & Adult Vision

COVT

What do the letters after your therapist’s name mean?

When you see the letters COVT after your therapist’s name, they mean he or she is a Board Certified Optometric Vision Therapist by the College of Optometry in Vision Development (COVD).

Board Certified Optometric Vision Therapists are a distinguished group of professionals that have undergone additional training and demonstrated advanced competency in the areas of vision development, visual information processing, binocular vision, vision therapy and vision rehabilitation. Additionally, COVT’s complete a number of continuing education hours annually in order to maintain certification. Ultimately, your therapist cares about delivering high quality healthcare.

What does the certification process entail?