How does vision therapy help?

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Vision therapy can help people with autism by improving how their brain processes visual information, which can positively affect learning, behavior, and daily functioning. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience visual processing challenges, even if their eyes are healthy. These challenges can include difficulties with eye contact, tracking, focusing, depth perception, and integrating vision with other senses.

 

Here's how vision therapy can help:

 

Improving Eye Coordination

Many autistic individuals have trouble coordinating their eye movements, which affects reading, writing, and interacting with the environment. Vision therapy can train the eyes to work together more smoothly, improving:

• Reading fluency

• Copying from a board or paper

• Visual attention and focus

 

Enhancing Visual Processing Skills

People with autism might see the world in fragmented or overwhelming ways. Vision therapy can help train the brain to:

• Better interpret visual input

• Reduce sensory overload

• Improve spatial awareness

 

Supporting Sensory Integration

Vision is a key part of how we integrate sensory information. For those with autism, mismatches between visual input and other senses can lead to discomfort or behavioral issues. Vision therapy can:

• Help coordinate vision with movement (hand-eye coordination)

• Improve body awareness

• Support smoother interaction with the environment

 

Increasing Social Engagement

Difficulties with eye contact and facial recognition are common in autism. While not a cure, vision therapy may support better control of eye movements and reduce visual stress, making it easier for some individuals to:

• Make more comfortable eye contact

• Read facial expressions

• Engage in social situations

 

Reducing Visual Stimming or Avoidance

Some people with autism engage in repetitive visual behaviors (like staring at lights or spinning objects) or avoid visual input altogether. Therapy can help make visual experiences more comfortable and less confusing, potentially reducing these behaviors.

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What are yoked prism glasses?

Yoked prism glasses are special glasses that gently shift how a person sees the world. They don’t correct vision like regular glasses — instead, they help the brain and body work better together.

For someone with autism, yoked prisms can help by:

• Improving body awareness – They help the brain understand where the body is in space.

• Making movement easier – They can improve balance, walking, and coordination.

• Helping with focus – Some people feel calmer and more focused when wearing them.

• Supporting eye contact – They may make it easier or more comfortable to look at faces.

These glasses are often used as part of a therapy plan, and an eye doctor who understands autism should guide their use.

 

Important things to keep in mind

• Individualized Approach: Vision therapy should be tailored to the person’s specific visual needs and coordinated with other therapies (like occupational or behavioral therapy).

• Evidence Base: While many families and some clinicians report positive outcomes, scientific research on vision therapy for autism is still developing. Some eye care professionals specialize in neuro-developmental or behavioral optometry and can provide comprehensive evaluations.