What Is Behavioral Vision Care?

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What is the difference between a comprehensive eye exam and a behavioral eye exam?

A comprehensive eye exam includes a full battery of assessment, but it’s less comprehensive regarding visual skills and the functional component of vision.

A behavioral exam includes a comprehensive eye exam, however in addition, the visual function of the patient is evaluated. This means the behavioral optometrist will test how you respond to the visual demands of day to day life, such as reading, using the computer, and physical performance, just to name a few. Behavioral vision care includes more than checking how well you can see the eye chart. It ensures that all of your visual skills are functioning in an ideal way so that both eyes are in sync with each other and communicating properly with the brain.

Do you suffer from

Eye strain?
Headaches?
Double or blurry vision?
Poor depth perception?
Have poor color contrast?
Poor eye hand coordination?
Difficulty with sports performance?
Challenges with reading or doing activities up close?

If you answered yes to any of these or you experience a vast range of other symptoms which may or may not seem to be related to your eyes, you can consult with a behavioral optometrist. The first appointment is anyways an evaluation in the form of a special eye exam and this assesses whether you can benefit from behavioral vision care.

What is behavioral vision care helpful for?

The goal of behavioral vision care is to help strengthen visual skills which are necessary to thrive with the visual demands of everyday life. This means that there are many advantages which are useful for strengthening and treating so many various conditions and skills, including:

Eye hand coordination
Focus
Eye tracking
Depth perception
Reading and learning
Lazy eye or crossed eyes
Digital eye strain
Sports performance
Brain injury rehabilitation
Self confidence

What are treatment options for behavioral optometry?

A behavioral optometrist will customize a treatment plan for your specific visual needs. After a complete assessment, it becomes clear which visual aspects and skills require strengthening and training. This can be achieved using:

Optical corrections such as glasses or contact lenses
Prisms which are special lenses that bend the light in different directions
Filters are used as different colors can provide various benefits
Vision therapy which is a discipline that uses exercises and various activities involving your eyes to train and strengthen different visual skills

Many treatment plans involve more than one method, depending on the needs of the patient.

Summary

Behavioral Vision Care is more than an eye exam, it is a systematic assessment of all the visual processes that are necessary for daily visual demands.