Behavioral Optometry at KITES: Enhancing Vision, Cognitive Function and Learning

At KITES, we understand that vision is not just about seeing clearly—it’s also about how the brain processes and uses visual information. Our Behavioral Optometry services are designed to address the functional aspects of vision that affect a child’s ability to learn, interact socially, and succeed in everyday life. Using a holistic, evidence-based approach, we focus not just on eye health, but on how visual and cognitive processes work together to impact learning and behavior. By enhancing visual skills, improving cognitive function, and supporting sensory integration, we provide children with the tools they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

What is Behavioral Optometry?

Behavioral Optometry goes beyond basic vision correction. Unlike traditional optometry, which typically focuses on diagnosing and treating eye diseases or prescribing glasses for nearsightedness or farsightedness, behavioral optometry looks at how well the eyes and brain work together. This includes addressing visual skills such as eye movement, focusing ability, and depth perception, as well as how the brain processes visual information.

Through vision therapy, sensory integration exercises, and cognitive training, we help children who have trouble with reading, attention, motor coordination, and other learning-related challenges that are often linked to visual processing dysfunctions.

Our Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach to Behavioral Optometry

1. Visual-Motor Integration: Enhancing Coordination between Eyes and Hands

Visual-motor integration is the ability to coordinate eye movements with hand movements, a skill crucial for tasks such as writing, drawing, catching a ball, and even performing basic self-care routines like brushing teeth. Children who struggle with visual-motor integration may have difficulty in academic and everyday tasks that require hand-eye coordination.

• Focus Areas:
  • Improving Hand-Eye Coordination: We design exercises that help children improve their ability to use their eyes and hands together.
  • Strengthening Fine Motor Skills: Activities such as drawing, cutting with scissors, or assembling puzzles help reinforce visual-motor connections.
  • Supporting Functional Skills: Tasks like typing on a keyboard, using a smartphone, or feeding themselves require strong visual-motor integration.
• Impact: Research has shown that visual-motor integration directly impacts reading, handwriting, and overall academic performance. By improving these skills, we help children with dysgraphia, ADHD, and other learning challenges excel in daily life (Frostig, 1964).

2. Eye Tracking and Focusing: Key to Reading and Attention

Eye tracking is the ability to follow a moving object or read text smoothly, while focusing refers to the ability to maintain visual clarity at different distances. Difficulties with eye tracking and focusing can lead to reading problems, poor attention, and difficulty completing tasks. Behavioral optometrists use specialized exercises to help children improve their eye tracking and focusing abilities, essential skills for reading, learning, and attention in the classroom.

• Focus Areas:
  • Fixation and Tracking: Training children to track words across a page or follow moving objects smoothly with their eyes.
  • Convergence and Divergence: Strengthening the ability of both eyes to work together to focus on objects at different distances, critical for reading and classroom tasks.
  • Focusing Flexibility: Enhancing the ability to shift focus from near to far objects, ensuring children can quickly adjust their vision between objects in the classroom or during play.
• Impact: Studies show that improving eye tracking and focusing can reduce symptoms of dyslexia, improve reading fluency, and help children with attention disorders focus better during academic tasks (Lloyd, 2007).

3. Visual Perception Therapy: Improving the Brain’s Interpretation of Visual Information

Visual perception refers to how the brain interprets and makes sense of what the eyes see. It involves recognizing shapes, sizes, and distances, and understanding spatial relationships between objects. Poor visual perception can cause difficulties with reading, math, and navigating the environment. Visual perception therapy is designed to enhance a child’s ability to process and organize visual stimuli, improving their cognitive and academic abilities.

• Focus Areas:
  • Pattern Recognition: Helping children identify shapes, letters, and numbers, which is essential for reading and math.
  • Spatial Awareness: Teaching children how to judge distances and the relative positions of objects in space.
  • Visual Memory: Enhancing the ability to remember visual information, a critical skill for reading comprehension and math problem-solving.
• Impact: Improving visual perception helps children excel in reading, math, and daily activities, enabling them to better understand and remember visual information (Rosenblum, 2010).

4. Visual Field Awareness and Peripheral Vision: Enhancing Attention and Movement

Visual field awareness refers to the ability to perceive information from the peripheral (side) vision, not just the central visual focus. This is crucial for tasks like reading, sports, and navigation. Peripheral vision allows children to be aware of their surroundings and stay alert in environments with distractions.

• Focus Areas:
  • Peripheral Vision: Exercises to increase the child’s awareness of what’s happening around them, without needing to turn their head or focus directly.
  • Attention and Awareness: Activities that help children improve their ability to focus on tasks while staying aware of other stimuli in their environment.
  • Reaction Time: Improving the child’s ability to respond quickly to stimuli, which is important for safety and motor tasks like playing sports.
• Impact: Research shows that strengthening visual field awareness can enhance focus, reaction time, and coordination, leading to better performance in both academic and social settings (Schor, 2014).

5. Vision Therapy for Strabismus and Amblyopia: Correcting Eye Alignment and Visual Function

Strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye) are common conditions that can impair visual function and cause learning difficulties. Vision therapy uses structured exercises to help realign the eyes and improve visual clarity and processing.

• Focus Areas:
  • Eye Alignment: Exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles and promote proper alignment.
  • Focus and Fixation: Techniques to help the eyes work together to focus on a single object or text.
  • Binocular Vision: Enhancing the ability to use both eyes together for depth perception and 3D vision.
• Impact: Vision therapy can correct strabismus and amblyopia, leading to improved vision and reduced learning difficulties. It has been shown to improve visual acuity, reduce eye strain, and boost overall reading and learning ability (Scheiman & Wick, 2014).