Difficulties with eye muscle coordination occur when the eyes do not align or focus together as a team. This improper control of the eye muscles can result in crossed-eyes, poor focussing ability, or simply discomfort and headache from the extra effort required.
Common remedies are vision training, prisms, therapeutic spectacles and multifocal lenses.
Eye Movement Skills
The eyes need to be able to fixate, track, and jump from object to object efficiently characterising good eye movement skills. In the classroom, normal eye movements allow rapid and accurate shifting of the eyes along a line of print while reading or from book to desk to blackboard. Individuals with poor eye movement skills tend to be poor readers. In sports, efficient eye movements contribute to eye-hand coordination, visual reaction time, and accurate tracking. Recent research has shown that poor eye movement skills influence scores on the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Research has also shown that eye movements can be improved!
Eye Focusing Skills
The eyes need to be able to change focus to maintain clear vision at varying distances. Rapid, automatic eye focus adjustment is critical to learning, reading, writing, and sports, as well as driving and flying. Deficiencies can cause visual fatigue, reduced reading comprehension, and/or avoidance of close work or other activities.
Eye Teaming/Binocular Vision Skills
Two eyes need to be able to aim, move, and work as a coordinated team. Weakness in binocular (two-eyed) vision can cause numerous difficulties, including poor depth perception, postural deviations, headaches, and reading and learning problems.
The areas mentioned above are very important and MAY NOT be assessed by every vision professional. We also assess the health of your eyes, inside and out, to carefully evaluate for medical problems as cataracts, glaucoma, hypertension, and diabetes.