Behavioural Optometry: The Evidence Behind This Approach
What is Behavioural Optometry?
Behavioural Optometry is a specialised field that examines how vision interacts with and impacts human behaviour, learning, and overall quality of life. Rather than just focusing on the mechanics of vision, behavioural optometrists take a holistic approach that considers the deeper connections between our eyes, our brains, and our day-to-day experiences.
Children’s visual systems are still developing, and disruptions in this process can have far-reaching impacts on their ability to learn and thrive. Many children struggling with reading, writing, attention, or coordination may have underlying vision problems that are often overlooked in standard eye exams.
Visual Skills Linked To Development Abilities
Behavioural optometrists evaluate and address a comprehensive range of visual skills, such as eye teaming, focus, and visual processing.
Behavioural optometry can make a profound difference for children with learning difficulties by identifying and treating these functional vision issues. Improved visual abilities have been shown to enhance reading fluency, writing mechanics, sports performance, and overall academic confidence.
In short, behavioural optometry provides a critical window into how a child’s visual system supports or hinders their educational and developmental progress. With the right interventions, these children can overcome their challenges and unlock their full potential.
Behavioural Optometrist Studies
Through extensive research and clinical studies, behavioural optometrists have uncovered compelling evidence for the benefits of their approach.
By addressing a wide range of visual skills and functions, they are able to help patients overcome challenges like:
- Poor reading comprehension
- Difficulty with hand-eye coordination
- Frequent headaches or eye strain
- Symptoms of learning-related vision problems
To help you learn more about the science behind behavioural optometry, we’ve compiled a selection of key research papers and studies you can access directly:
Behavioural Optometry Research And Case Studies
- Visual Dysfunctions which May Affect Literacy – Download PDF here
This comprehensive 1994 review highlights how various visual conditions impact literacy and shows how they are successfully treated with behavioural optometric intervention. - Autism Spectrum Disorder and Vision – Download PDF here
This paper reviews the relationship between autism spectrum disorders and vision anomalies. - Research and Evidence for Accommodation and Convergence Problems – Download PDF here
This 2016 literature review examines the evidence behind binocular vision disorders and treatment. - Low Plus Prescriptions – Summary of Evidence – Download PDF here
Published in 2016, this paper reviews the effectiveness of low plus prescription in treating a range of binocular vision disorders. - The Efficacy of Vision Therapy for Convergence Insufficiency – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3207171/
This 2011 literature review examines multiple studies demonstrating the effectiveness of vision therapy in treating convergence insufficiency, a common binocular vision disorder. - Improvement in academic behaviours after successful treatment of convergence insufficiency – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22080400/
This comprehensive 1987 review highlights the scientific evidence for using optometric vision therapy to address a range of binocular vision disorders, from strabismus to amblyopia. - The relationships between video game experience and cognitive abilities in adolescents – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6514119/
Published in 2019, this study explores the impact of video game use on various visual and cognitive skills functions in young adults. - Research and Evidence for Yoked Prisms – Download PDF here
This paper, written in 2016, reviews several applications in which yoked prisms have effectively been used to treat various complex conditions.
These are just a few examples of the extensive research supporting the behavioural optometry approach. We encourage you to explore these links and other resources to learn more about how this field is transforming vision care. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. Alternatively, there is a lot of supporting information on The Australasian College of Behavioural Optometrist website.
