Research and Links
DOES RESEARCH SUPPORT VISION THERAPY? YES!
Hundreds of peer-reviewed articles support the use of vision therapy to remediate many visual conditions.
Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT) is a randomized controlled study to examine treatment options for convergence insufficiency, a common eye teaming problem. They found that the most effective form of therapy is in-office vision therapy in conjunction with home activities. Read the article abstract here
A review of the literature by Cooper (Summary of Research on the Efficacy of Vision Therapy for Specific Visual Dysfunctions) found that vision therapy has the highest success rate for remediation of vision problems. Vision therapy relieves headaches and eyestrain caused by vision problems, and improves reading ability. Vision therapy has a higher success rate than strabismus surgery in treating some types of eye turns.
Stereo Sue proves that vision therapy is for adults too! A neurobiologist named Sue Barry is an international sensation since she published a book Stereo Sue about her experience regaining stereo vision after 48 years without it. She writes about the science behind vision therapy in a way that is easy and fun to read!
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) has excellent resources for parents and patients regarding vision therapy research.
Vision Therapy has been around for hundreds of years. Ophthalmologists used to be trained in the art of what was then called ‘orthoptics’, but as they become more specialized to perform surgery, they no longer study orthoptics. Optometry is the only profession that is instructed in the techniques and science of vision therapy.
What vision therapy is NOT
You may have heard of some alternative methods for improving your vision, such as the See Clearly Method or the Bates Method. These and other similar methods are not included in the umbrella of vision therapy and are not supported by the literature. We do not use these methods at Denver Vision Therapy.