Guest post from Loreta Dahl, COVT

The vision therapy room looks a lot different than it did ten years ago when I started working as a vision therapist.  With the current wave of video games and virtual reality has come many more interactive and high-tech pieces of in-office and home therapy equipment that I’m excited to outline for you below.

VTS-4

For a number of years now we have had great success with a computer orthoptics program called the VTS-4.  It has 3-dimensional graphics and targets to help train eye teaming and depth perception. This program works particularly well to rebuild these skills post-concussion.  Another interactive touch screen program called the Sanet Vision Integrator works to enhance many visual abilities including eye-tracking, eye-hand coordination and visual reaction time.  This program also incorporates anti-suppression with red/blue filters, charts, games and tools customizable for each patient.

Vivid Vision

Recently we have added a virtual reality program to our office that has been a hit with kids and adults alike.  Vivid Vision works exceptionally well for those who possess a “lazy eye” (termed amblyopia or strabismus). Wearing a VR headset, you are taken into a virtual world that splits the scene into two images – one for the weak eye and one for the strong eye.  The games are fun and challenging and work to break visual suppression while building eye teaming skills and depth perception. This particular program can be used while in-office or at home.

Binovi Touch

The Binovi touch is one of our favourite programs for sports vision enhancement training. The touch screen wall panel –  consisting of 49 multi-coloured LED lights – enhances peripheral vision, reaction time and eye-hand coordination. The many challenging games and settings keep even the best of athletes on their toes while working to sharpen all areas of their vision.

NeuroVisual Trainer

As a team, we always emphasize the importance of home therapy in addition to in-office therapy and finally have a program that makes this process fun while keeping patients accountable.  The Neurovisual Trainer program is given to each of our patients and can be easily accessed from home on nearly any device. Within the software, you’ll find interactive games, worksheets, tools, and instructional videos.  If you aren’t able to make it into the office, this program also allows us to offer successful remote online training – a definite game-changer for our clinic!

While all these awesome tools and programs keep therapy interesting, fun and interactive, we still very much rely on the longstanding VT training tools of prisms, lenses, charts and free space activities in order to enhance your visual skills.  The combination of all of the above has taken our therapy sessions to another level!

Until next month,

Loreta Dahl, COVT