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Vision Therapy in Calgary

Vision Therapy by a Board-Certified Developmental Optometrist is a specialty service that is provided by a few clinics in Canada. Vision Therapy comprises of a series of eye exercises with the use of therapeutic lenses, prisms, occluders/patches, colored filters and visual perceptual tasks to train the eye-to-brain connection to perform more effectively and efficiently. These exercises help an individual develop and/or improve upon certain fundamental visual skills in order to obtain clear, comfortable, and efficient vision at all distances. It also trains the visual system to change how it processes and interprets visual information. The sequence and extent of therapy procedures is customized for each individual based on the condition(s) being treated.

Vision Therapy in Calgary is typically divided into 3 phases. Phase 1 works on normalizing the individual’s eye tracking ability, phase 2 works on normalizing the individual’s eye focusing ability, and phase 3 works on normalizing the individual’s eye teaming ability. The exercises begin by training each eye individually to equalize performance by each eye, then slowly incorporates binocular training where both eyes are trained to work effectively as a team. This step-by-step approach yields excellent results in creating a well-functioning visual system and eye-to-brain connections, in turn enhancing school performance and general visual performance.

Myopia Control

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a growing epidemic in North America. Myopia is characterized by blurry vision at distance that is correctly by eyeglasses and contact lenses. Myopia progression (i.e. increase in eyeglass prescription) from year to year is of deep concern to many individuals and parents as it not only results in an increased prescription but can also cause serious eye diseases in the future such as retinal detachment and glaucoma. Vision Therapy, along with specialty contact lenses and eyeglass lenses can be successfully performed to control the progression of myopia in children.

Studies have shown that 1 in 4 school-aged children have a vision problem. Children often do not complain if they have a vision problem, as they do not know what is normal. Annual eye exams are recommended for all children starting at 6 months. Annual eye exams for children are covered by Alberta Health until the age of 19 years.

To learn more about Vision Therapy and the scientific research showing the effectiveness of Vision Therapy, visit www.covd.org

What's Included

FAQ

Can visual problems sometimes be misdiagnosed as dyslexia or behavioral problems such as ADHD?

Absolutely! If a child is unable to obtain clear and comfortable vision for a prolonged period of time, this will lead into them associating reading and near work with discomfort. This in turn leads to poor concentration and poor comprehension when reading even though they can “see” and is often misdiagnosed as a behavioral dysfunction, when it is in fact a visual dysfunction that can be treated.

If my child has good vision, why would they need vision therapy?

A child can have perfectly good vision at distance and near, but if they have an eye focussing or eye teaming disorder, then they are unable to maintain that clear vision for longer than a few minutes. This in turn leads to symptoms such as eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and difficulty with reading comprehension. If they have an eye tracking disorder, then even though they can see everything that is on the page, they struggle with reading because they lose their place when reading or skip words or lines and have difficulty remembering what they have read. These conditions are effectively treated by Vision Therapy.

How do I find out if my child needs vision therapy?

The best way to find out if a child needs vision therapy is to get their eyes examined every year, even if they are not complaining of any blurry vision. An eye exam a far more than a vision test, and screens for functional vision conditions and assesses ocular health.

Can vision therapy be used to enhance sports performance?

Definitely! Vision Therapy is often performed for individuals who have a “normal” functioning visual system, but want to enhance it to improve their eye tracking abilities, depth perception and eye-to-brain connections to improve reaction times, in turn improving sports performance. Ask our doctors about Sports Therapy!

If I think my child might need Vision Therapy, what are the next steps?

Call our clinic and ask to be booked for a “Vision Therapy Assessment”. This is a 25-40 minute appointment that includes a series of tests to examine an individual’s eye tracking, focussing and teaming abilities as well as the eye to brain interactions. These tests are different from those performed during the child’s routine annual eye exam and are performed by our Developmental Optometrist.

What is the procedure in vision therapy in Calgary?

The vision therapy in Calgary at Urban Eyecare comprises in-office visits once every week (unless stated otherwise) where the individual being treated performs a series of designated exercises and activities with the vision therapist for half-hour. The individual is then given homework exercises that they perform once a day at home for the remaining days of the week. Several progress checks are done over the course of the therapy to assess the rate and amount of improvement of the individual’s visual skills. The length of the program varies for each individual based on factors such as age and the type and severity of the condition.

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Reviews & Ratings

Urban Eyecare - Sunridge Mall

4.5

Rod Robideau

23:38 20 Jul 18

What a great experience. My first eye exam in years and the staff were all very helpful, polite, professional and super friendly. All options were explained and answered as well as all the questions I had. They have a great selection of frames at reasonable prices. I’d recommend Urban Eyecare to any and all!!!read more

Chinazor Okafor

17:38 23 Jun 18

It was an awesome experience. Never knew what I was getting myself into until I came to the clinic, Dr Arora and her team of staff were very kind, patient and well grounded in the eye business. They made me felt at home, gave a thorogh examination of my eyes and now I can see better. The cost is also awesome, well affordable in comparison with others and the quality of care rendered.read more

Shama Gagnon

23:01 16 Jun 18

The doctor was very knowledgable and kind. I felt that my exam was very thorough and she explained why I was experiencing issues with my sight. The staff at the front were so nice and helped me pick out my first pair of glasses. They looked up my coverage for me and took care of the direct billing.My glasses seemed pricey but I have no idea what is normal. I would recommend this place for the service!!read more

ANNE BERGER

22:13 08 Nov 17

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! I work close to Urban Eyewear so decided to check them out. Eye exam was VERY comparably priced to Costco and others. Eye dilation is covered under Alberta health care (Which I know my mom was just charged extra at her optometrist for the dilation) Roxana and Dr Marsh are awesome. Roxana was very helpful in helping me find the right pair and such a sweet heart she is!!!!!! I will keep my business at URBAN EYEWEAR FOR SURE!read more

Tyler Flaro

15:26 15 Oct 17

I will definitely be coming back Roxana was very informative and help me pick out the perfect pair glasses for work an home. This store has the best quality but what out shines the stores unique designer brands is the sales persons who helped me and had the knowledge an understanding of the product. 10/10 told all my work buddys to stop in :)read more

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Urban Eyecare - Chaparral

4.8

Jordan Grimard

13:11 21 Nov 18

I brought back a pair of very expensive Maui Jim’s because I had scratched them and then the scratch had turned into a crack. They recommended that I send them back to the factory to see if it was a manufacturer defect. A few weeks later, I got the call and picked up what I think was a brand new pair. Although it cost me 15 dollars for shipping, it was definitely worth it! The service was great, and I would definitely go here again for all my eye care needs.read more

Jenn Mckenna

21:27 20 Aug 18

Hands down the best eyecare specialist I have been to. The staff is beyond helpful and very friendly. Huge thanks to Nicole for going above and beyond with helping me out. The staff and optometrists are knowledgable and go far beyond to make sure every customer is taken care of. Thanks gals for everything you do it's very much always appreciated .read more

Krista Finlayson

18:50 22 Jun 18

So this is a local shop for me and I love it! They are so friendly, helpful and kind. I went in to look for Maui Jim Sunglasses. They didn't have the color I liked so they sat me down and went on the computer and customized sunglasses for me! This was on a Tuesday and by Thursday they had called and they were in! Went and picked them up in a pretty bag with a full size glass cleaner! I'm definately going to be using them for my kids and my eye checkups! Great service and Great people!!read more

MexicanBatmanGAMES

20:06 07 Jun 18

I came in to look for a new pair of sunglasses at an affordable price. The ladies at the front were very helpful and gave me honest opinions on the glasses I was trying on. They made the experience very enjoyable and I ended up leaving with a pair of Gucci sunglasses that were at an extremely affordable price!read more

Michelle Dufoe

00:09 29 May 18

Very inviting atmosphere, the ladies that work there are awesome, very friendly and nice to work with. Great selection of glasses and contact lenses. They helped me get fitted with a new set of contacts that will better fit my lifestyle. I’ll definitely be going back for glasses and will be referring family and friends. Highly recommend Urban Eyecare!read more

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