What Really Happens in Vision Therapy and Why It Works

June 26, 2025

What Really Happens in Vision Therapy and Why It Works

If you've ever searched “what is done in vision therapy” or “does eye therapy actually work,” you're not alone. Many patients experience visual issues that aren’t solved by glasses or contacts—even if they have 20/20 vision. At Miami Vision Therapy, we often hear from people who have “perfect” eyesight but still struggle with reading, focus, or eye strain.

What Is Vision Therapy?

Vision therapy is a doctor-supervised, non-surgical treatment program designed to improve how the eyes function and work together. Unlike corrective lenses that compensate for conditions like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism, vision therapy trains the visual system to correct itself. It’s highly effective for treating conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye), convergence insufficiency, and visual processing disorders.

At Miami Vision Therapy, Dr. Chow creates individualized therapy plans tailored to each patient’s specific visual challenges. These may include lenses, prisms, computerized training, and visual-motor exercises (see pictures).  Many patients who search for a 'binocular vision optometrist near me' or the 'best optometrist Miami' has to offer find their way to our clinic seeking thoughtful, evidence-based care.

What Skills Are Trained in Vision Therapy?

When you visit a behavioral optometrist like Dr. Chow, your visual system is assessed in a holistic way. These are some of the key areas that might be trained:

• Oculomotor Skills: Fine control over eye movements—crucial for reading and tracking moving objects.
   

• Accommodative Skills: The ability to change and maintain clear focus at different distances. (This is tested during an accommodation eye test.)
   

• Binocular Skills: Training both eyes to team together, avoiding issues like double vision or suppression.
   

• Contrast Sensitivity: Enhancing clarity in low-light or high-glare situations.
   

• Stereoacuity: Improving depth perception—key for sports, driving, and coordination.
   

• Suppression Patterns: Reducing the brain's tendency to "shut off" one eye’s input, often seen in amblyopia.
   

• Spatial Localization: Understanding where objects are in space.
   

• Motion Perception: Tracking and reacting to dynamic environments.
   

• Eye-Hand Coordination: Strengthening visual-motor integration.
   

• Temporal Processing: Speeding up how quickly visual information is interpreted.
   

Does Vision Therapy Actually Work?

Yes—but only when it’s properly targeted. At Miami Vision Therapy, we start with a functional vision evaluation to determine your unique needs. Vision is a learned process, shaped by both genetics and experience. While early childhood is a key developmental period, it's a myth that amblyopia treatment is only for kids. Adults can and do benefit from therapy, especially under the care of a skilled amblyopia specialist like Dr. Chow and his team. 

Dr. Sue Barry, neurobiologist and author of Fixing My Gaze, famously retrained her vision in adulthood, proving that the brain’s plasticity allows for real change—well beyond age 8.

What Happens in a Vision Therapy Session?

Vision therapy is more than generic eye exercises—it’s strategic, skill-specific brain training for your eyes. Vision therapy sessions at 9655 South Dixie Hwy, home of Miami Vision Therapy involve:

• Brock String activities for depth perception and convergence.
   

• Red/green anti-suppression charts to get both eyes working together.
   

• Marsden balls and balance boards to improve eye-hand coordination.
   

• Aperture rules and flipper lenses to boost focusing skills.
   

Additionally, we use cutting-edge tools like the Bernell-o-scope, space fixators, and Sports Vision Integration systems just to name a few tools in our toolbox. Each session is tailored, progress-tracked, and updated based on your response. This customized care is what sets apart Dr. Chow, a leading binocular vision doctor in Miami, Florida.

What Does a Vision Therapy Program Involve?

Your journey begins with a comprehensive functional vision evaluation. From there, we create a plan that includes 1–2 in-office sessions per week, with 10 minutes of home exercises daily. After 12 sessions, we conduct a progress check to fine-tune your plan.

The goal is simple: train your brain to control your eyes more efficiently. The result? Better reading, sports performance, visual comfort—and increased confidence in daily activities.

Why Choose Miami Vision Therapy?

Whether you’re searching for “vision therapy near me” or looking for the best optometrist Miami has to offer, Dr. Chow and our team are here to help. If you’re not local, we offer free 15-minute consults to see if digital or virtual options might work for you.

📍 Miami Vision Therapy
9655 South Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL
📞 Call: 786-558-7295

Don’t let 20/20 fool you—vision is about so much more than clarity. For personalized care from a top vision therapy Miami specialist, contact us today or visit COVD’s Doctor Locator to find a provider near you.