“One in four children is estimated to have a vision problem that interferes with learning,” said Dr. Denise Smith, founder of The Center for Vision Development in Westlake. “Parents are getting a false sense of security from pediatrician screenings and school vision screenings, which can miss up to 50% of the visual problems we diagnose and treat.”
Dr. Smith herself developed vision problems at age 8 after being struck by a car. She received immediate medical attention and passed screenings with 20/20 visual acuity, but her doctors failed to detect resulting visual disorders that dramatically impacted her ability to read and study.
Basic vision screenings check for visual acuity and can rule out obvious eye misalignments. They don’t assess the roughly two-dozen functional visual skills, including visual focusing, accurate eye movements, eye-hand coordination and visual processing, that develop from birth and can fall behind. As such, even a child with 20/20 visual acuity can have underlying vision problems that negatively impact learning.
Hidden problems become more apparent by elementary school, manifesting as reading delays and other learning difficulties. These struggles can be both puzzling and frustrating for parents and teachers who can’t understand why the child is confusing certain letters, not retaining information or skipping lines of text. Resulting academic and social challenges create a snowball effect, often leading to behavioral issues, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and a slew of misdiagnoses.
A unique visual paradigm
By specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of functional vision disorders, The Center for Vision Development ensures patients’ visual skills develop to age-appropriate levels and is proud to celebrate 20 years of transforming lives through vision, service and love.
Unlike primary care optometrists and ophthalmologists who tend to focus exclusively on structural aspects of the eye and vision, Dr. Smith and her colleague Dr. Olivia Browne are residency trained specifically in vision development, visual rehabilitation and pediatric eye care and therefore approach vision as a malleable set of skills.
“Our specialty is more related to neurology, so it’s all about eye-brain communication,” Dr. Smith said. “[If] skills are deficient, let's retrain the brain how to communicate with the eyes so that the skills will be fully developed.”
After identifying underlying vision problems, they customize a treatment plan to resolve detected deficits. Treatments may include vision therapy, specialty lenses, nutrition and integrated therapies. Although parents are sometimes skeptical, the idea of adaptable visual skillsets makes perfect sense when thinking about neuroplasticity and early brain development.
“Because vision is learned, it can be developed and improved,” Dr. Smith said. “Whenever babies are born, they don’t just see like we’re seeing now.”
Babies’ visual skills develop alongside other skills, like rolling over, walking and talking. As the brain’s visual processing skills improve, vision overtakes touch as the dominant sensory input. Unfortunately, more time spent watching screens and less time spent in visually dynamic and outdoor environments hinder the development of many visual skills.
Evaluations, programs and services
Genetics play a significant role in vision development, and early diagnosis of visual deficiencies can save years of struggling. The Center for Vision Development provides vision exams for patients six months and older and participates in the InfantSEE Program, which offers free eye exams to infants 12 months and under.
In addition to routine eye and vision checks, The Center for Vision Development provides an extensive three-hour evaluation assessing a wide range of visual skills, and the center’s non-invasive treatment plans might even spare patients the need for certain eye surgeries. The team even treats patients with mildly deficient skills, like competitive athletes seeking to unlock higher performance levels.
When it comes to sports injuries and traumatic brain injuries, Dr. Smith and Dr. Browne’s team coordinates with other healthcare professionals, like occupational, physical and speech therapists, to develop integrated treatment plans.
Dr. Smith hopes by spreading awareness, people can better appreciate the importance of vision and that while they may not have control over all their visual abilities, there are ways to improve vision without relying entirely on corrective lenses and surgeries.
To learn more about The Center for Vision Development and schedule an appointment, visit the website or call 512-329-8900.
The above story was produced by Community Impact's Multi Platform Journalist Jacquelyn Chorush with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
