How Long Does Vision Therapy Take?

Vision therapy is an incredible tool that has been used for decades to help adult and child patients with a multitude of visual disorders. It also helps improve learning, memory, thinking, executive functions, and attention.

Vision therapy is well-researched and the brain science helping us understand how it works keeps getting better and better. The length of time a vision therapy program takes to achieve an individual patient’s goals depends on several factors, but it’s typically measured in months.

Specialty Eye is elated to be home to several innovative doctors who specialize in vision therapy.

Our Approach to Vision Therapy

Our doctors stay on the cutting edge with the latest international research and education and bring that research and knowledge back to our practice and local community where they teach and instruct other doctors. 

Specialty Eye is proud to partner with The Mind’s Eye Center. The Mind’s Eye Center is made up of trained vision therapists who work with doctors from Specialty Eye to create a customized treatment plan for each patient. 

A Vision Therapy Program Is Typically Measured in Months

While some diagnoses can be similar between 2 patients, the way each patient uses their eyes is different, so individualized treatment plans are necessary to maximize the effect of therapy and impact the patient where they need it most. 

The amount of time that it takes for a patient to get their full treatment is very patient-driven. The timeline for treatment will depend on: 

  • The patient’s (or their parent’s) goals
  • The patient’s diagnosis
  • The patient’s attitude towards therapy 
  • The team effort made by the therapist–patient team

Therapy can also take a bit longer if it is frequently interrupted by vacations or breaks from therapy. 

How to Get the Best Results from Vision Therapy

Our therapy has been shown to work best when all participants (doctor, therapist, patient, parent) go into therapy with a growth mindset. That is, the belief that change can happen. 

When a patient can come to therapy with an eye for wonder and an excitement for learning and advancing, we see their progress advance more quickly. 

Different Diagnoses, Different Timeline

For a diagnosis that focuses on the movement of the eyes, therapy may only take a few months.

In more advanced cases of a head injury, or advanced amblyopia (lazy eye), therapy may take upwards of a year. 

That being said, there are continued advancements that our therapist–doctor teams are making through innovation that help therapy to go quicker. For example, we incorporate at-home virtual reality games. This type of at-home addition to in-office exercises has been shown to help therapy be more effective and it helps many patients to progress in their therapy more rapidly. 

Vision Therapy at Specialty Eye

During a vision therapy consultation, our doctors will uncover what each patient is struggling with and what goals they have for their vision, and measure and assess the areas that the patient needs support with.

Your doctor will explain what to expect from vision therapy, including an estimated amount of time that therapy will take, and how it all works. 

If you or your child is struggling with vision, learning, or attention issues, please book a consultation with us today.