VISUAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT
A Visual Skills Assessment is a specialty exam done by Dr. Lee that assesses the function of the two eyes. A regular eye exam, which is covered by OHIP for kids, is a check of the ocular health of the eyes to look for disease, and a check of the refractive status of the eyes, which determines if there is a need for lens correction. A Visual Skills Assessment goes beyond a regular exam and is more centered on the function of the eyes (and it is not covered by OHIP). Many patients have good eyesight (20/20 or better) but poor vision because of inefficient visual skills, which include:
- eye teaming – which is how well the two eyes are working together. This is necessary for accurate depth perception
- accommodation abilities – aka the focusing skills of the eyes, and how well they can change focus for different distances and tasks
- eye movement control – how the eyes are actually moving both independently or as a team
HOW DOES IT FEEL IF YOU HAVE A DEFICIT IN THESE SKILLS?
- Headaches, dizziness, nausea with reading or near work
- Seeing double, words appear to move on the page
- Loss of place when reading, skipping lines, re-reading words
- Blurry vision at near or distance
- Closing or covering one eyes is more comfortable
- Difficulty remembering what you read
- Homework takes much longer than it should
Based on the results, Dr. Lee will be able to get the whole picture as to how the eyes are functioning and make recommendations based on these results. These may include prescription lenses, prismatic glasses, and/or vision therapy. A report will be completed with the results of this assessment, which you can share with teachers and other support professionals to optimize the working environment at home and school.
