Vision is motor!
When thinking about optometry, most think about general eye health. This is also how I thought prior to my experience working at Ho Vision Group. My background in Biochemistry and Neuroscience taught me a lot about neurophysiology and structural visual pathways, but never demonstrated the importance of movement in relation to visual development.
In the last few months I have quickly learned that motor and vision are intricately related. During pediatric interactions, I have learned the importance of being active, exploring one’s surroundings, and looking farther than an electronic screen.
As a child develops, movement influences eye movements (oculomotor skills) and vision influences quality of movements. Dr. Ho describes it to her patients as: “what vision teaches the body, then what the body teaches vision.” These interactions help connect vision and vestibular and the body to establish visual orientation to space and sensory grounding. Knowing where you are in space or feeling grounded allows you to properly interact with that space and objects. This constant pruning and fine-tuning process is crucial in visual development and learning.
It has been amazing to see how children open up visually and improve eye teaming with the support of therapy exercises. Sometimes her advice can be as simple as correcting seated posture. Using activities as simple as jumping on a trampoline or spinning on an astronaut board can drive eye movements, rehabilitate a visual system, and push visual development. This has been a great tool in working with cases of strabismus (eye turns).
The quality of eye movement can reveal development gaps, signs of a concussion, or reflect other complex neurological problems.
I have learned that although ocular health is still a primary concern, it is important to analyze the links between structure, movement, and development. This is not only something Dr. Ho emphasizes, but something truly demonstrates to patients and staff within her practice.
The following was written by our current technician Allison.