Does Vision Therapy Do Any Good?

The link between learning-related visual skills and juvenile delinquency has been explored in article after article by the American Optometric Association and the Optometric Extension Program since the sixties. In 2000, Stan Kaseno, OD., reported on the results of the San Bernadino Juvenile Hall Vision Clinic after it had been involved in providing vision care and vision therapy to juvenile delinquents for twelve years.* 93% of the juvenile deliquents initially were unable to pass a developmental test of their visual skills. The average recidivism rate for these offenders is 70% but the ones who received 24 sessions of vision therapy had a recidivism rate of just 15%. The youth also made measurable gains in their reading levels and IQ scores. In addition, they began to set goals for their lives. Unfortunately, the San Bernadino Juvenile Hall Vision Clinic closed in 2000 due to a lack of state funds. However, if this is the potential for improvement after just three months of vision therapy, doesn't it make sense to get every struggling student evaluated to see if their academic challenges could be rooted in a learning-related visual issue? Use the links on the blog to locate a developmental optometrist in your area and schedule your child's eye exam today.

*Dr. Kaseno's article is in Volume 41/Number 3 of Behavioral Aspects of Vision Care, c. 2000. Optometric Extension Program Foundation Inc., Santa Ana, CA.