The hands follow the eyes.
Handwriting, copying, coordination and daily tasks all depend on how well the eyes team, focus, track and guide the hands. We evaluate and treat those visual skills in children, so the kids on your caseload can get more out of the therapy you're already providing.
Visual-motor skills start with the visual system.
You build fine motor control, motor planning, sensory regulation and the functional use of visual-perceptual skills. All of that depends on the eyes delivering accurate, stable information: teaming together, holding focus up close and moving precisely from point to point.
A child can pass a school vision screening and still have trouble with these skills. When they do, handwriting and copying stay effortful, coordination lags and progress can plateau even with excellent therapy.
Signs you may notice in sessions
- Poor spacing, uneven letter size or writing off the lines
- Slow or inaccurate copying from the board or a model
- Loses place or skips lines when reading or copying
- Avoids puzzles, mazes or other near visual tasks
- Tilts head, covers one eye or works very close to the page
- Clumsiness, bumping into things or trouble catching a ball
- Fatigue, eye rubbing or headaches during tabletop work
How we complement your services
Our work overlaps in visual perception and visual-motor skills, and that's a strength. You train these skills through function and movement. We make sure the visual system underneath them is working efficiently.
What you address
- Fine motor control and handwriting
- Sensory processing and regulation
- Motor planning (praxis) and coordination
- Activities of daily living
- Functional use of visual-perceptual and visual-motor skills
What we address
- Eye teaming (binocular vision) and convergence
- Focusing (accommodation) stamina at near
- Eye tracking (saccades and pursuits)
- Standardized visual-perceptual and visual-motor testing
- Visual-perceptual training with a Vision Therapist
Where co-managing can help.
Handwriting and school readiness
Students whose fine motor skills are improving but whose handwriting, spacing or copying still lag behind.
Developmental and sensory needs
Children with developmental delays or sensory processing challenges who avoid visual tasks or tire quickly during tabletop work.
Classroom and learning
Students who lose their place when reading, struggle to copy from the board or fall behind on worksheets despite strong effort.
Coordination and sports
Children with poor eye-hand coordination or ball skills, and student athletes whose visual skills may be holding back performance.
Simple for you and your client.
We contact the family
Our Patient Care Coordinator reaches out to answer questions and schedule a Binocular Vision Evaluation.
Evaluation
A 90-minute evaluation of eye alignment, teaming, tracking, focusing and visual processing. A Visual Information Processing Evaluation may be recommended for perceptual or academic concerns.
Findings shared with you
With the family's permission, we send you our findings and recommendations so we can work toward the same goals.
"When the visual system is working efficiently, clients can get more out of the therapy they're already receiving."
Questions from OTs
Isn't visual perception something OTs already treat?
Yes, and that overlap is a strength. OTs train visual-perceptual and visual-motor skills through function and movement. We evaluate and treat the visual system underneath those skills: eye teaming, focusing and tracking. When both are addressed, progress is often easier.
Does vision therapy replace occupational therapy?
No. We work alongside OTs, SLPs, tutors and reading specialists. Our role is the visual part of the picture.
How do I co-manage a client with you?
Use our referral form, or ask the family to submit an Evaluation Request. Our Patient Care Coordinator will contact the family to schedule a Binocular Vision Evaluation.
Will you send me the results?
With the family's permission, we're happy to share our findings and recommendations with you so you can coordinate goals.
My client already passed a vision screening. Should I still send them?
Possibly. Most school screenings check how clearly a child sees letters on a chart at distance. They usually don't test eye teaming, focusing or tracking up close, which is where many vision problems affecting handwriting and tabletop work show up.
What ages do you see?
We focus on children and teens, from early learners through student athletes. Call us to talk through whether a vision evaluation makes sense for your client.
Do you take insurance or FES-UA funds?
We're fee-for-service and don't bill insurance. We're an approved provider for the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA) through Step Up For Students.
Have a client in mind?
Send us your client, or call to talk through whether a vision evaluation makes sense. We're glad to be part of your client's team.