According to the American Optometric Association, approximately 80% of what a child learns in school is acquired through vision, and […]
We so often take, quite literally, the little things in our modern-day lives for granted- the characters on our smartphones, newspaper print, the ball we’re supposed to catch in the gym. Although most of us have memorized button placement, the general gist of what we’re reading, or how to position our hands to catch, we still need our eyes to converge, or team, in order for us to be able to clearly see what’s before us. This concept is known as convergence sufficiency and it is critical to our ability to clearly and accurately see what’s around us. When our eyes are unable to maintain that binocular focus, however, we need to be assessed for convergence insufficiency.
Convergence insufficiency is the inability of our eyes to work together while looking at things that are close up or far away. For many, one eye may turn outward while the other turns inward. This deficiency causes vision to become blurry, inexact, and generally unclear.
Vision therapy is the most effective way to treat convergence insufficiency. This therapeutic intervention helps those with convergence insufficiency by training the patient’s eyes to converge and focus the way they should. Various tasks and exercises are assigned to patients both in-office and at home in order to enhance their neuroplastic development and help the mechanisms of their eyes work properly.
In order to test the efficacy of vision therapy as a means to treating convergence insufficiency, the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial, known as the CITT was conducted, The CITT was a gold standard, double-blind treatment trial in which the National Eye Institute evaluated the results of patients who were administered vision therapy in-office, were given eye exercises to perform at home, and were put in a placebo group. After years of study statistical analysis proved that in-office vision therapy treatment was the most effective, long-lasting treatment for convergence insufficiency.
Even if your vision is 20/20, you may struggle to see things clearly and strain-free. For some people, the eyes know what to do but can’t do them effectively. For others, the eyes need a little help functioning the best they can. Vision therapy for convergence insufficiency is a well-researched, evidence-based practice that can improve what you see, how you see, and your ability to appreciate what you see. Patients with functional vision issues visit our clinic from all over Washington, and we are proud to be a leading provider of functional vision services for patients from Olympia, Lakewood, Tacoma, and Lacey.
Such a nice optician. My grandson is only 4 and needs glasses. We were so sad, but he explained the issues, and we will follow up as he suggested.
I had such a good experience with the clinic. Very friendly staff and doctor, did not have to wait for long to be called, and was treated respectfully. Thanks, American Family.
Dr. Zurcher has gone above and beyond what any other eye doctor has ever done to figure out what is going on with my eyes. Very happy with American Family Vision.
Family Vision Clinic changed our lives! My daughter was frequently car sick, and she was getting headaches every day, often painful enough that they brought her to tears. We saw a string of doctors and therapists, but we made no progress. Finally, we found Dr. Levi Zurcher and his eye therapist Rain. After ten weeks of eye therapy my daughter no longer gets headaches, and she no longer gets car sick. Daily tears are a thing of the past. I really can’t say enough about this clinic. It was fascinating to watch Dr. Zurcher work. For the first time, someone who knew what they were doing was intently studying my daughter, really trying to figure out all of her eye issues, and his therapist Rain is one of the most patient and lovely people that I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. We’re finished with eye therapy—yay!—and I have switched to American Family Vision Clinic for all of my family’s other eye health needs.
Very professional, yet kind and helpful. They do what they can to make the appointment comfortable. I was running a bit late, I made sure ti call. They were able to switch me with a patient who was already there, they treated me with respect, and helped my son have confidence by getting him the eye care he needed that day. Thank you so much! Would recommend to anyone. It's a blessing that they care enough to work with people who have all different types of insurance from work to state coverage.
The staff is friendly. The Doc is very knowledgeable. The office is family friendly and everyone is so patient with the little ones.
According to the American Optometric Association, approximately 80% of what a child learns in school is acquired through vision, and […]
Bloodshot eyes can be alarming, but they are not always a cause for concern. In this blog, we will discuss […]
Rosacea is a skin condition that affects many people. While it is commonly found on the face, rosacea can also […]
Monday-Thursday
8:30AM-5:00PM
Friday
8:30AM-3:00PM
Saturday-Sunday
Closed