In a recent study, 75% of patients with a functional vision condition were able to achieve normal or significantly improved vision with office-based vision therapy.
Vision therapy can be beneficial for children of all ages, professional athletes who are trying to improve their performance, and people who have sustained traumatic brain injuries.
If your child is exhibiting symptoms of a vision problem take our visual skills assessment.
What are the benefits of “Bubbles” in vision therapy?
Our vision therapist and functional optometrist use bubbles for vision therapy when training a child to localize space correctly. In this activity, bubbles are blown around a room and kids go around popping the bubbles using only one finger or a pencil instead of their hand.
The purpose of bubble popping in vision therapy is that when a child repeatedly locates the bubbles in space, their depth perception skills are improved. Additionally, tracking the bubbles in the air improves their eye tracking skills.
Basically, the child's feedback system requires them to use both eyes. Their eyes communicate with their brain and their brain communicates with the hands, and that feedback system tells them where the bubbles are and where the child is in space. When those two things coincide, they are able to pop the bubble with their finger.
Popping bubbles with a pencil
Once your child becomes comfortable popping bubbles with their fingers, the vision therapist or functional optometrist may recommend using pencil tips, chopsticks, or other sticks to pop the bubbles. Popping the bubble now requires more fine motor control since they are now controlling something other than their body to do it. Make sure your child holds one pencil in each hand and alternately uses both hands.
Schedule a functional eye exam or developmental eye exam for vision therapy
When vision problems keep affecting your life, work, or school, despite your best efforts to work with your eye doctor, you should consider vision therapy. As opposed to standard eye exams, vision therapy exams, also known as functional, behavioral or developmental eye exams, look at the complete picture of visual function and development. During a functional or developmental eye exam your optometrist will look at binocular vision skills, eye tracking, convergence, eye focusing, hand eye coordination and much more.
