Vision Therapy for Convergence Insufficiency

Here's a news article that came up from the AOA news.


New Jersey's Courier Post (11/24, Callahan) reports that "convergence insufficiency" is "a condition that prevents the eyes from focusing on a subject...without difficulty and strain," and may affect "about five percent of the nation's children." The National Eye Institute recently "launched a study to compare two commonly prescribed approaches" to treat the condition. That four-year study, which was "conducted in part" by Michael Gallaway, O.D., FCOVD, associate professor of optometry at Pennsylvania College of Optometry, found that children "fared better
when given office-based vision therapy along with at-home reinforcement." Specifically, "nearly 75 percent of" the 221 "youngsters who had office-based vision therapy with at-home reinforcement achieved normal vision or had significantly fewer symptoms" after "12 weeks of
treatment." Dr. Gallaway explained that vision-therapy programs "employ various devices, including prescription lenses, prisms, optical filters, and eye patches," and are tailored to individual patients' needs.