A basic eye exam is the first step in understanding a student’s relationship between vision and learning. The eye exam evaluates three areas:
- visual acuity (20/20 vision) or how well the child can see a distance object
- the health of the front and the back of eye and
- basic two-eye coordination
Following the basic eye exam, the next step to determine candidacy for the Foundations for Learning Centre is a 2-hour dedicated evaluation of learning-related visual domains. Once all of this data has been collected and analyzed, it is presented to the parents.
Depending on the severity of the skills, vision training is scheduled over a 3, 41/2 or a 6-month time period. Patients interact with the vision therapist twice a week during their designated time slot. Supportive home training using specific software programs and custom eye-exercises is essential for success and is completed at least 5-times per week (usually 30 to 60 minutes per day).
The program is structured to take into account the patient’s individual needs and abilities to optimize the results.