Vision is our most important source of sensory information. Consisting of a sophisticated, complex system, the visual process is often disrupted after a traumatic brain injury. Vision affects many activities of daily living such as reading, writing, driving, mobility, dressing, eating, locating objects, shopping, cooking, grooming and managing finances. Often, visual problems resulting from a traumatic brain injury are overlooked during the initial treatment phase. Frequently, these problems are hidden and neglected, lengthening and impairing overall rehabilitation. Symptoms that you may need a vision evaluation include:

• Blurred vision

• Sensitivity to light

• Reading difficulties

• Words appear to move

• Comprehension difficulty

• Memory difficulty

• Double vision

• Aching eyes

• Headaches with visual tasks

• Loss of visual fields

 

A vision evaluation will be completed by an Optometrist and our occupational therapist. If vision therapy is recommended, the occupational therapist will collaborate with the optometrist to appropriately treat the visual deficit. The optometrist will focus on proper lenses or prism glasses. The Lighthouse occupational therapist will work together with a multidisciplinary team under the guidance of an optometrist providing treatment interventions to address problems with:

• Tracking

• Fixation

• Focus change

• Depth perception

• Peripheral vision

• Visual acuity

• Vision perception

• Maintaining attention

• Binocularity