Services
Services for the Adult Patient
Adults consult us for a wide range of vision enhancement advice. Here are a few recent examples:
"I want an optometrist who listens to me and spends time to understand my needs."
"My eyes get tired when I'm on the computer - even with my new glasses."
"I repeatedly have to re-read sentences, so I get fed up reading."
“My physiotherapist advised seeing you to see help to overcome my dizziness.”
"My right eye has always 'been lazy'; can I learn to control it?" (See 'lazy eye')
"I have difficulty parking the car or driving new journeys!"
"I have been repeatedly tired and confused ever since suffering a stroke."
"I would like to have the best possible vision with my new glasses."
We drive more, we spend longer on the computer, we are bombarded with advertising, with noise and with movement.
We have much higher demands on our vision than ever before. A brain-eye system that works well will protect us from the stress and strain of these new challenges. Efficient vision will give us more energy and interest and help us meet our new goals in life.
Vision testing for Adults
Our vision testing includes all the usual tests of sight and eye health (e.g. glaucoma tests and retinal health assessment) plus dynamic tests of how your eyes work together to give strong awareness, energy and coordination. We expect to spend 45 minutes on each consultation, but if you suspect you may need longer do speak to the reception team.
Owen Leigh recommends all adults be tested every two years even if they have no sight difficulty or family history of eye disease.
Services for the Child Patient
Vision Development is Child Development, children learn to use their eyes. They can easily develop bad habits which restrict their view and their interests. Many of these bad habits can be overcome with carefully designed practice.
We prefer both parents to be involved, so if at all possible make an appointment that both can attend (extra safe COVID restrictions pending).
The appointment/assessment type will be carefully advised when you contact reception team.
For a simple yet effective symptom checklist, try http://www.childrensvision.com/symptoms.htm
Additional information is available on:
Students
Checklist for students
Does your mind wander when you are writing?
Do you find it hard to find the right words when you are writing but can express yourself well in conversation?
Do you think you should be able to read faster?
Is it an effort to maintain your concentration when reading?
Do words appear to float or move while reading?
Does the page sometimes appear too bright or some of the letters seem to fade into the whiteness of the page?
Do your eyes feel tired or do you ever experience headaches after reading?
Are you aware of any tendency to turn or tilt the book or bring it closer to or further way from you while you are reading?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions you may wish to consult us.
Teenagers are invited to complete the standardised QUOL checklist which is available here. Parents may wish to support them when filling out this form.
The techniques we use include stress reduction glasses (sometimes but not always coloured lenses), attention exercises, visualisation training, brain integration therapy. We also advise upon computer usage and study habits.
The demands of higher education
As we progress through education, increasing demands are placed on our information processing.
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Reading, listening, watching, feeling.
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Learning is recognising the patterns and seeing similarities.
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Using insight and visual concepts in the head...
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Even when using words in the head.
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With good vision there is less to learn, we can question everything that doesn't match, and we truly understand.
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With good vision we can plan our reasoning and use less words to mean more.
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Strong vision is the key to successful memory.
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We want students of all ages to learn how to use the visual areas of their brains to fully support learning. This means developing better habits of seeing more, better eye movements when reading, and better attention when 'writing'. This frequently means 'opening up' the mind to allow more information to flow.
Lazy Eyes and Squints
Here's a real chance to change perception and to find your hidden self!
Strabismus (squint) and Amblyopia (lazy eye) result from visual development that has come off track.
These visual adaptations are extremely complex and may meet the child’s immediate needs. However, these adaptations do restrict flexibility and limit achievement.
Strabismus only rarely causes a learning difficulty. Strabismus develops to simplify spatial judgements and avoid visual confusion.
Our challenge in treating Strabismus is to produce a visual process (and perception) that is more reliable that the current adaptation. Then the individual will begin to use this in preference even if it does take more effort initially.
Because of these challenges very few clinics provide the intensive therapy required for the treatment of the common types of strabismus. Even here at Owen Leigh we usually aim for improved spatial and eye-hand abilities rather than perfect binocular integration since those skills will have a stronger impact upon life skills than the tough additional step of excellent stereopsis.
Because of these challenges very few clinics provide the intensive therapy required for the treatment of the common types of strabismus. Even here at Owen Leigh we usually aim for improved spatial and eye-hand abilities rather than perfect binocular integration since those skills will have a stronger impact upon life skills than the tough additional step of excellent stereopsis.
Aims of treatment:
- Clear perception of space and distance.
- Strong eye-hand skills (ball skills, sports, driving).
- Extending stereo vision (3D) if evident at one position of view.
- Avoiding reliance on strong glasses.
- Treating Amblyopia with shorter periods of patching.
- And occasionally, teaching the adult/child to aligne the eyes at all distances.
Sports vision
Do you want the very best or just more fun?
We have worked one-to-one with athletes in a wide range of sports to help them enhance their visual awareness and their visual control.
Improved vision might be the edge that makes the difference between success and failure on the sports field.
Short-sightedness
Don't let myopia restrict your thinking!
Myopia causes blurred sight at distance, so that lenses are needed in order to drive or to read from the board.
However, myopia is also a brain adaptation to develop strong powers of concentration. Myopes are clever at shutting out unwanted information and ignoring stress and fatigue. In fact, myopes are pretty clever at most things and as a group achieve very well in school.
On the downside, myopes can become over-stressed, can have difficulties with eye-hand skills and with spatial judgements. It is these aspects that we at Owen Leigh Optometry focus on.
It may be helpful to wear lower-powered glasses for part of the day. Performance glasses allow one to have a heightened discernment over a larger viewing field. But most of all, they help a patient gain awareness, comprehension, and insight*.
Vision Therapy might be chosen to improve eye-hand coordination, reduce stress or sometimes to reduce the need for glasses. www.visiontherapystories.com
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