How does everyone feel about Vision Therapy?

[Schroder79]

I recently learned about Orthoptics and found it interesting that ophthalmalogists actually did believe in vision therapy after 12 or so years of graduate school. I learned what VT was my freshman year and more my sophmore year when I enrolled in it. I also learned that VT was contested not only by ophthalmalogists, but even by some optometrists. So I know it doesn't work for everyone but it worked for me. It is said that it doesn't have a large audience but there is good profits met there. Does the education involving VT alter between schools? I'm quite certain it does!
Will it die out in the future? Will it grow? What do you think?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[bournehall]

I had better keep my mouth shut on this one. Merrill might beat me up and spit me out.

I recently learned about Orthoptics and found it interesting that ophthalmalogists actually did believe in vision therapy after 12 or so years of graduate school. I learned what VT was my freshman year and more my sophmore year when I enrolled in it. I also learned that VT was contested not only by ophthalmalogists, but even by some optometrists. So I know it doesn't work for everyone but it worked for me. It is said that it doesn't have a large audience but there is good profits met there. Does the education involving VT alter between schools? I'm quite certain it does!
Will it die out in the future? Will it grow? What do you think?

 

[r_salis]

If you are interested in VT, SUNY has a very strong program. There is a strong emphasis on VT during OD school, and they also offer a very popular 4th year externship (combined with peds) and a residency program.

 

[Schroder79]

Does Paul Harris teach there or give any guest lectures? That is one smart and talented man!

If you are interested in VT, SUNY has a very strong program. There is a strong emphasis on VT during OD school, and they also offer a very popular 4th year externship (combined with peds) and a residency program.

 

[r_salis]

Does Paul Harris teach there or give any guest lectures? That is one smart and talented man!

I don't recognize the name, sorry.

 

[Optometress2011]

The Optometrist i worked with had a big VT program and even did research and published a paper on the topic. His VT program is so big he even opened up his office an extra day to handle all the clients. I'm a big advocate for VT and have every intention on incorporating it in my practice in the future.

 

[KHE]

I recently learned about Orthoptics and found it interesting that ophthalmalogists actually did believe in vision therapy after 12 or so years of graduate school. I learned what VT was my freshman year and more my sophmore year when I enrolled in it. I also learned that VT was contested not only by ophthalmalogists, but even by some optometrists. So I know it doesn't work for everyone but it worked for me. It is said that it doesn't have a large audience but there is good profits met there. Does the education involving VT alter between schools? I'm quite certain it does!
Will it die out in the future? Will it grow? What do you think?

I think the area of VT has historically been devided into two parts.

The so called "skills therapy" commonly conducted to improve eye alignment, treat amblyopia and reduce symptoms of eye strain and headaches associated with abnormal binocluar vision has long been recognized as "legitmate" by the vast majority of optometrists AND ophthalmologists.

The so called "behavioral optometry" aspect of vision therapy is the part that most ophthalmologists and many ODs take issue with. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that much of behavioral optometry has a legitimate scientific basis and has a role in patient care, though some of the claims made by the more "hard core" practitioners of behavioral optometry are dubious at best.

This aspect of optometry is similar to many other areas of health care. Chiropractic may be a legitmate clinical modality but most practitioners don't stand behind the chiropractors who claim that they will cure your cancer by manipulating your spine. Such is the case with behavioral optometry.

This is all just my opinion of course.

 

[DrEyeBall]

I think of two groups in the field of VT. Those who believe it actually works and those who do it because of the bottom line.

There is so little evidence that holds up to scientific scrutiny to uphold the belief in VT. I know, people will start listing all of the papers in journals. I would urge you to actually read these before you list them.

Most people who believe in VT believe in it because somebody in school gave a lecture on it and it was used in the clinic. You need to critically think about it for YOURSELF and not just follow it because some guy at the end of a lecture hall told you it works. You owe it to your patients to have a sound foundation for what you do for them.

If you want to use it because it makes alot of money ... fine but at least admit that too.

 

[KHE]

I think of two groups in the field of VT. Those who believe it actually works and those who do it because of the bottom line.

There is so little evidence that holds up to scientific scrutiny to uphold the belief in VT. I know, people will start listing all of the papers in journals. I would urge you to actually read these before you list them.

Most people who believe in VT believe in it because somebody in school gave a lecture on it and it was used in the clinic. You need to critically think about it for YOURSELF and not just follow it because some guy at the end of a lecture hall told you it works. You owe it to your patients to have a sound foundation for what you do for them.

If you want to use it because it makes alot of money ... fine but at least admit that too.

Ophthalmologists should also critically evalute the literature for themselves because most of my experience dealing with anti-VT ophthalmologists has shown me that most of them dismiss VT because some attending somewhere once told them it was hooey. They have zero experience actually working in a clinic where it is done to see how and WHY it is done, and the positive outcomes that occur.

I practice VT on my patients who need it because it works for them, and the treatments that I provide are based on sound protocols tailored to the patients complaints. The outcome and the course of the therapy is usually very predictable. In my experience, VT makes little money.

 

[Schroder79]

I think of two groups in the field of VT. Those who believe it actually works and those who do it because of the bottom line.

There is so little evidence that holds up to scientific scrutiny to uphold the belief in VT. I know, people will start listing all of the papers in journals. I would urge you to actually read these before you list them.

Most people who believe in VT believe in it because somebody in school gave a lecture on it and it was used in the clinic. You need to critically think about it for YOURSELF and not just follow it because some guy at the end of a lecture hall told you it works. You owe it to your patients to have a sound foundation for what you do for them.

If you want to use it because it makes alot of money ... fine but at least admit that too.

There really is a lot of scrutiny out there and a lot of people in my class think it was a waste of time to learn about. If I didn't have a personal experience with it I would have to agree. It really did help me out though. I guess some may consider it small but to me its a miracle I can see those magic eye pictures now. I haven't tried baseball or any high speed sports like that recently but I think I would do better than I used to do.

One thing about VT is you have to consider that you are helping the patient. It wouldn't really make sense for a chef to get sports vision VT unless he planned on doing something with it, or chose to do it himself. I understand that. I think it definately has a place for school children though, especially with very treatable problems like CI.

As far as sciectific evidence and journals, its hard for me to accept that optometry is doing an adequate job with research in this area. I haven't looked it up and I know its been around for awhile, but how many optometry related journals can you name dealing with Vision therapy? I can only think of two. Do you know roughly how many clinicians are involved in research? I wonder.....

KHE had a great comment also about explaining the different types and what ophthalmalogists feel comfortable with. I noticed that there is a specialty known as orthoptics, which really seems to me to be an overtrained ophthalmalogist trying to do an optometrists job. Dr. Scott Cooper teaches our behavioral optometry here at PUCO and in my opinion does a very good job.

 

[Ben Chudner]

If you want to use it because it makes alot of money ... fine but at least admit that too.

If you want to use it because it makes a lot of money ... fine but at least get ready to go hungry.

 

[Schroder79]

I don't recognize the name, sorry.

Paul Harris owns a VT in Baltimore and provides a rotation site for my school for one semester. He has written a ton of developmental optometry articles and has a lot of titles. He is really quite friendly and approachable too. I was working on a thesis involving music (why are there so many musician optometrists?) and it didn't work out but I plan to work on it after graduation. Maybe it will help me get into FAAO. We'll see.

http://www.babousa.org/vitae.html

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

my 2 year old son (optic nerve atrophy, retinal pigment atrophy, nystagmus, myopia) has benefitted from VT. i think maybe you all are referring to something else? It's helped him with mobility, colors, shapes, using his lower fields, looking more closely, hand-eye skills etc. His vision therapist is a teacher from a local school for the blind. We love her. Much more than his opthomologist 👍