Visual Efficiency/Perception Testing

The Kearney Eye Institute is proud to offer Visual Efficiency/Perception Testing with Dr. Jerry Vaughan.  The goal of this series of tests is to determine when learning difficulties may be caused by visual complications and, if so, how these problems can be alleviated. 

While learning occurs through many complex and interrelated processes, vision and visual perception play a very key role.  Many learning problems (attention deficit hyper activity disorder, dyslexia, reversals, etc.) have very similar symptoms to the learning problems caused by vision disorders.  This is why a comprehensive vision exam must be part of the interdisciplinary evaluation of all children who are failing to succeed in school!

Many of these vision problems will not be detected during a school vision screening or any limited vision assessment as part of a school physical.  They will also not likely be detected in a routine pediatric health evaluation or even in a “routine” eye exam.  Only very specific visual efficiency/perception evaluations combined with a comprehensive school history (supplied to the eye doctor from the school) are able to correctly test, diagnose, and treat these serious learning problems.  There’s rarely a quick fix to such problems but THEY CAN BE TREATED.  Treatment may include specific spectacle lenses, home visual therapy, eye exercises, patching, and perceptual and reversal training.   Visual Efficiency/Perception Testing involves some of the following assessments:

• Ability to turn the eyes in and out
• Eyes focusing ability and accuracy—is reading clear?
• Tracking and pursuits; motility (essential for reading and learning)
• Ocular health
• Refractive error—the need for corrective eyewear or contact lenses for clear vision in school
• Visual processing—do the student’s actions indicate he/she is correctly receiving information sent to the brain from the eyes?  Does the student perceive and act accordingly to the visual stimuli sent from each eye?  Does he/she learn efficiently from the information sent from the eyes?

Following these tests, Dr. Vaughan will work with the student, identify, and offer therapies for these deficiencies, and communicate these findings to the student’s classroom teachers and special education personnel.