If you have a vision problem in your life, it’s only natural to go and get glasses fitted or have other eye tests. However, there are some cases where a more complex vision test than the traditional tests is needed, this is a functional eye test.
When learning to read and write, there may be visual problems which can be detected and assessed by this type of vision test. Unfortunately, if the developmental deficiencies of the different sub-skills are not addressed in a timely and appropriate manner, learning difficulties are exacerbated. Poor visual processes can lead to reading problems, such as dyslexia, where people have problems recognising and writing letters, words and numbers, and often switch letters or read in the opposite direction. This is precisely why children with dyslexia are much slower to process visual information. In cases such as these, it is not enough to ask whether the child needs glasses, but to go much further.
Whereas general eye examinations look at the anatomical and physical condition of the eye and how well the patient can see at a distance, functional vision testing takes a completely different approach to identifying problems. This comprehensive mapping, which can be referred to as a special education examination, highlights the links between learning disabilities and vision, screens critical sub-skills and provides a picture of the accuracy, adaptability and optimal functioning of the visual system. It reveals how areas of the visual system that are poorly functioning cause noticeable and measurable problems and symptoms that lead to learning difficulties.
A functional eye test is very similar to a traditional eye test, but it is completely different. The first step is to discuss the symptoms you are experiencing in detail. The child’s visual performance and visual functions are then analysed, according to his or her age, mobility, level of development and abilities. This is in fact an observation phase, focusing on spatial vision, eye-hand coordination, cognitive abilities, laterality – i.e. whether the child prefers to use his or her right or left hand – and basic muscle tone and movement.
This is followed by various tests of visual experience, including colour vision, contrast vision, visual acuity, light sensitivity, joint functioning of the two eyes and imaging speed. In this part, objective, instrumental tests are carried out. The results are then evaluated and, depending on the results, recommendations for improvement are made. If necessary, an optical instrument test will also be carried out at the end of the examination.
In addition to the learning difficulties described above, there are a number of symptoms that can be noticed so that you can get a functional eye test in time. These include reduced visual acuity, narrowing of the field of vision, and also constriction of the eye. It is also a tell-tale sign when we see a delay in a child’s visual development in perceptual, motor or communication areas. If a visual clumsiness or visual attention deficit is making your child’s day more difficult – for example, if he or she falls down too often, reaches for the side or tires too quickly – it is also worth seeking professional help.
It is also the right thing to do when, despite a negative eye test, the child’s visual behaviour changes, i.e. sometimes he sees perfectly, sometimes he bumps into everything, or he sees colours well but not shapes, for example. These symptoms may indicate a visual impairment of cerebral origin, which can also be addressed by functional vision testing.
I deal with a lot of people who have suffered some kind of brain injury. It could be surgical, traumatic brain injury, brain tumour, or even stroke. My vocation is to make their lives better and easier through neuro-optometric rehabilitation or visual therapy.
Vision therapy provides solutions to vision problems caused by neurological disorders. Depending on the results previously assessed and tested, it provides a complex treatment taking into account the abnormalities and symptoms.
A fundus examination is part of every eye examination. It is used to assess the condition of not only the eyeball, but all its protective organs – the eye muscles, the eye socket and the eyelid.
The pachymetry, i.e. the measurement of the thickness of the cornea, is always quick and completely painless, and is essential in the case of glaucoma. It can provide essential information for the ophthalmologist.
A CFF test to check the conduction of the optic nerve can detect several problems. These include optic nerve damage, which in most cases is caused by glaucoma.
OCT – Optical Coherence Tomography – allows us to screen the nerve membrane of the eye, as well as the optic nerve and macula, and their diseases.