Vision can affect balance, attention and the way we interact with the environment. Addressing visual problems early can improve outcomes for many patients.

Vision rehabilitation therapy works differently from eyeglasses or contacts lenses in that it retrains the eye-brain system to function normally. Occupational therapists who specialize in visual rehabilitation therapy can teach strategies, techniques, and equipment that will help manage impairments associated with these impairments.

Visual Acuity

Vision rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary approach to treating eye issues caused by disease, injury or aging. This involves training the eyes and brain to work in unison correctly by changing reflexive behaviors to create permanent cures that enhance visual perception and other related functions – ultimately increasing quality of life and independence while decreasing effects associated with low vision.

Visual rehabilitation therapy offers more than eyeglasses and contact lenses; it can also assist those who have lost their sight due to illness or trauma. Both state agencies and private organizations offer such services; usually teams of specialists work closely with each patient – such as occupational therapists with expertise in visual rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation counselors, low vision therapists, orientation mobility specialists.

Visual Acuity (VA) is the primary method used to evaluate vision. VA is usually reported in fractions starting with “20,” followed by a slash and another number (such as 20/40), for instance. A person with normal eyesight should be able to read any line on a standard Snellen test chart from at least 20 feet (6 meters).

An eye doctor may utilize various means to assess VA, such as the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) VA test charts, HOTV charts and other standard tests. An optometrist may prescribe eyeglasses to address eye conditions that reduce VA. A recent retrospective study concluded that refractive correction had the greatest positive effect on VA levels among most of its recipients.

Orthoptics is another form of vision rehabilitation which aims to improve eye alignment and coordination. This therapy typically targets conditions like strabismus wherein both eyes fail to function as intended. Orthoptics has even proven more successful than surgery in some instances.

Neuroscience studies indicate that when properly designed and administered programs of vision therapy are implemented correctly, it may produce neurological changes which help resolve visual deficits. This so-called neuroplasticity holds particular promise for those suffering from strabismus, amblyopia (“lazy eye”) or other binocular vision conditions.

Visual Perception

Visual perceptual skills can help those living with vision loss regain independence in daily activities. Form constancy refers to understanding that an object’s shape and appearance remain constant even as its size or position change; other important visual perceptual skills include visual closure – the ability to detect that an object is visible – and visual memory, which allows a person to instantly recall stored images from memory.

Perceptions are vitally important to reading, writing, navigating the environment safely, engaging in self-care (such as grooming and cooking) as well as engaging in self-responsible behaviors like grooming. Impairments to visual perceptual abilities may result from brain injuries such as stroke or age-related blindness or simply due to growing older.

People experiencing these difficulties may find it challenging to focus, absorb and remember visual information, or switch from task to task. Furthermore, impairment in attention may also be related to hearing or mobility loss issues as well. Unfortunately, healthcare providers tend to overlook such impairments, misdiagnosing them as ADHD or dyslexia instead.

Vision Rehabilitation Therapy can often be found within community programs for people with disabilities. These government-run services may include occupational therapists trained in vision rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation counselors, low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, psychologists and assistive technology computer specialists if required.

Visual rehabilitation therapy requires vision loss of 20/70 or worse in both eyes for eligibility, with program participants receiving access to housing and employment resources including housing assistance and job retraining assistance from state services or federal assistance depending on severity of vision loss. If an individual cannot afford vision rehabilitation therapy services themselves they can seek grants or charitable organizations that offer these services as options for payment.

Visual Motor Integration

Visual motor integration involves the coordination of hand movements based on visual information received from the brain. This complex process may be compromised by vision issues like eye-hand coordination deficits, ocular motor dysfunction, binocular vision disorders, accommodative and convergence dysfunction, visual perceptual problems and learning-related vision disabilities; stroke or traumatic brain injuries could also have an adverse impact.

Disruptions to visual information flow can affect other functions such as balance, coordination and body posture. Visual difficulties are prevalent after stroke and can impact people of all ages; basic eye exams often show normal results while symptoms might not always be apparent. Occupational therapy can assist with diagnosing and treating any hidden vision problems that impede function.

Neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation is an individualized treatment regimen to develop, improve and enhance visual function. Provided by optometrists who specialize in visual rehab, this form of therapy consists of both medication and therapeutic techniques such as prisms and filters – offering beneficial solutions to those experiencing ocular motor and binocular dysfunctions, convergence/accommodative dysfunctions, learning-related vision difficulties or visual perception problems as well as those suffering traumatic brain injuries or concussions.

One study demonstrated that preschool children participating in occupational therapy experienced significant improvements in their pre-Beery Visual Motor Integration (VMI) score and two additional VMI tests compared to a control group. This indicates that occupational therapists were successful in creating new neural pathways between eyes and hands that led to improvement of VMI scores.

Studies using Myro, a responsive surface that facilitates movement-based rehabilitation using real objects and interactive games to teach everyday movements, found that children who participated had an average increase of 2 raw points on their Beery VMI score – this provides clinicians an indication of potential improvement via this type of intervention.

Physical therapists also address balance and coordination issues related to vision through vestibular and proprioceptive therapies, while speech-language pathologists utilize VMI strategies when developing nonverbal communication skills, while psychologists and behavioral therapists employ visual strategies in an effort to enhance social-emotional behaviors.

Visual Attention

Visual attention refers to our ability to select, focus and process information from retinal images. This includes the ability to detect objects and spatial locations as well as direct eye or hand movement in response to various stimuli. However, this resource is finite; research reveals it as a complex mechanism which selects visual information based on stimulus-driven and goal-driven factors in response.

Neurologically-based visual rehabilitation therapy aims to hone brain’s visual processing skills for improved functional vision outcomes, drawing from latest neuroscience and behavioral science research. A multidisciplinary approach must also involve close cooperation among all healthcare providers involved.

Visual systems are complex networks. A person’s cognitive abilities, emotional state and physical health all play a role in how well their visual system operates; injuries to this system may cause symptoms ranging from difficulty telling time or reading to loss of balance or coordination.

Visual rehabilitation therapists possess the training and expertise needed to evaluate these deficits, as well as develop and implement vision rehabilitation techniques into daily living activities. This may involve teaching compensatory strategies for impaired visual performance or altering environments and tasks to enhance an individual’s quality of life.

Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRT) are licensed healthcare professionals who specialize in working with people who have visual impairments, typically Masters-level professionals certified through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP). CVRTs assist patients who are blind or have low vision with maintaining functional independence through mobility, home management and leisure activities.