Functional Vision Exam
The only way to ensure that all the essential visual skills are working correctly is by having a Functional Vision Exam.
We provide a professional eye and vision examination, one that includes a comprehensive assessment of visual information processing, binocular function and other visual skills.
In adults and children, a Functional Vision Exam is necessary whenever symptoms of vision problems are exhibited.
To be proactive, the exam should be performed in the following increments:
What is Functional Vision?
Functional vision is how your entire visual system — the eyes, the brain, the visual pathways — work together to help you interact with your environment.
Functional vision includes the following visual skill areas:
Eye Teaming
Occurs when the eyes align to focus on the same point on an object and work together in a coordinated and precise way. Good eye teaming allows efficient, single, comfortable vision and depth perception.
If the two eyes are not both aligned at the same point, the brain won’t be able to correctly combine the image from each eye. When this happens, a person will experience double vision and lose 3D depth perception. Poor eye teaming may also lead to eyestrain and fatigue.
Eye Focusing
This encompasses your ability to see an object clearly, and your ability to shift focus between objects at different distances.
For example, a person may have difficulty keeping reading material in focus and may experience intermittent or constant blur. Or a student may be able to see the text in a book clearly but have difficulty shifting focus from the book to the board and back.
Eye Movement
This includes your eyes’ ability to maintain fixation on a moving object through space, move fixation from one object to another, or sustain fixation on a stationary object.
Following a fly ball into your glove and moving your eyes across this line of text both require accurate and efficient eye movements. Maintaining eye contact when listening is an example of sustaining fixation on a stationary object.
Why don’t schools or other optometrists perform a Functional Vision Exam?
A large percentage of students don’t have vision problems and conducting these tests on every child would be costly. Vision screenings are less costly but limited in scope. Many of these screenings involve little more than reading letters on a distance eye chart, a test that cannot determine if a child has the visual skills necessary for effective reading and learning.
Doesn’t my regular optometrist test for Functional Vision problems?
Not all optometrists have the advanced training or equipment required to perform a Functional Vision Exam, which is why many refer their patients to us.
What is included in a Functional Vision Exam?
A Functional Vision Exam generally takes 60 – 90 minutes and includes a series of tests based on the patient’s individual needs. The optometrist will first review the patient’s health and eye history, with emphasis on any visual problems and symptoms. This information is used to tailor the Functional Vision Exam, which includes tests on a wide range of visual skills.
These tests are for the typical learning-related vision problems. Different tests may be required for other types of patients (developmental delay, brain injury, sports vision).
In some cases, an additional Perceptual Test may be required.
Pre-Test Assessment:
Examination Assessment:
Perceptual Testing Assessment, if required:
Will my child need vision therapy if he or she gets a Functional Vision Exam?
No. The Functional Vision Exam is conducted to determine if you or your child even has a vision problem. It’s not uncommon for us to find that only a change in a glasses prescription is needed. But the testing is critical to get to the root cause of a child’s learning issues.