A developmental/sensorimotor eye exam delves deep into visual efficiency and visual information processing skills. Visual efficiency skills include accommodation (eye focusing), vergence (eye teaming), ocular motility (eye tracking). Visual processing skills include identification and discrimination, spatial awareness, visual memory, and visual motor integration.
A regular eye exam generally focuses on eyesight and ocular health. Eyesight (i.e. 20/20 or 20/30) is a measurement of the smallest letters you can see 20 feet away. Eyesight can be corrected with glasses or contacts. Ocular health exams check for any ocular diseases that might threaten sight (i.e. glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, corneal abrasions, etc). It is very important to have your yearly eye exams!
It is also important to note that while your eyesight and ocular health can be “normal,” you can still have a visual efficiency or visual information processing issue that is causing your visual symptoms.
To determine if your eye doctor assesses or screens for visual efficiency or visual information processing issues, ask them the following questions:
Do you screen for issues with accommodation, vergence, and ocular motility?
What types of symptoms do you look for in a patient that might warrant a vision therapy evaluation?
