Your Vision Therapy Eye Doctor In [CITY NAME]
We love helping our patients enjoy the beauty of life by improving their vision. Through vision therapy, we treat a variety of vision problems by retraining the eyes with special exercises and activities. These patients leave our program with dramatic vision improvement, heightened school performance, and positive self esteem.
What is vision therapy?
While eyeglasses and contact lenses are effective treatments for refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia, there are other vision conditions which corrective lenses cannot fix.
Vision therapy, often referred to as “physical therapy for the eyes and brain,” is a treatment program that consists of a series of “eye exercises” or activities that are prescribed and monitored by a trained optometrist, and are used to retrain the visual system to function more efficiently. The therapy program is customized towards the visual needs of each patient, and is adjusted throughout the process to encourage further visual improvements. The human brain is remarkable in its ability to adapt to new information with remarkable speed and success. This is known as neuroplasticity, and it is the guiding concept behind vision therapy’s success.
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Who can benefit from vision therapy?
Healthy people with good visual acuity can still suffer from vision problems that affect their quality of life. Vision therapy has shown to be an effective method of treatment for patients of all ages and for many conditions that affect the visual system, including, but not limited to:
- Oculomotor dysfunction (eye movement disorders)
- Accommodative disorders (eye focusing disorders)
- Non-strabismic binocular disorders (eye teaming disorders)
- Strabismus (crossed eyes)
- Amblyopia (lazy eye)
- Visual sequelae of acquired brain injury (stroke or concussion)
- Visual information processing disorders
These vision problems are treatable and often overlooked at visual screenings. At Sheridan Optometric Centre, we help people overcome these challenges by addressing the underlying vision problem.
Our Vision Therapy Doctor
Dr. Joana C. Pantoja is a graduate of Northeastern State University College of Optometry in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Dr. Joana, as her patients call her, attended the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
She is a member of the American Optometric Association, Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians, and College of Optometrists in Vision Development. Dr. Joana specializes in pediatric optometry with an emphasis on vision therapy and myopia management.
Her interests also include diagnosing and treating patients with diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and dry eye syndrome. Dr. Pantoja continues to be up to date with new advancements and therapies, enabling her to provide patients with the best possible eyecare.
Dr. Joana has a passion for pediatric eye care and has made it her goal to administer quality eyecare for all children. She was highly involved with her Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) and participated in numerous mission trips to Roatan, Honduras to provide eye care and eyeglasses to those in need.
Dr. Pantoja was born and raised in Oklahoma City. In her free time, Dr. Pantoja loves spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys taking care of her plants, cooking, and trying new restaurants.
Lisa joined our practice in 2004 with an extensive background in special education, reading, and learning disabilities. She received her Masters of Education in both Reading and Learning Disabilities.
Lisa is a certified Visual Impairment Teacher with special training in Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injury. Special certification includes; Therapeutic Listening, Certified Irlen Screener, Structured Language Basics, and Ready Bodies, Learning Minds.
With several years of experience in the education field, and her vision therapy knowledge, Lisa is able to integrate her expertise in developing individualized therapy programs for patients that attend our vision therapy program. The therapy program is a comprehensive program to develop the visual system which in turn improves academic success.
As Director of the Oliphant Center of Integrative Vision Therapy, Lisa also collaborates with schools from across the state, discussing visual-related learning issues with teachers.
Dr. Samuel C. Oliphant, or Dr. Sam as he is known to his younger patients, heads a team of professionals dedicated to the treatment of learning-related visual difficulties in children and adults. Dr. Oliphant is a 1975 graduate of Southern College of Optometry where he participated in an intensified pediatric vision internship under the tutelage of Dr. John Streff, the former Vision Director of Yale University Geselle Institute for Child Development. He is one of a limited number of Developmental Doctors of Optometry.
Dr. Oliphant works extensively with the educational and health care communities providing educational workshops, free developmental vision exams and much more. Dr. Oliphant maintains an active lecturing schedule devoted to vision and its effects on learning, as well as authoring numerous published articles on the subject.
Dr. Oliphant is a member of the Oklahoma and American Optometric Associations, the Optometric Extension Program and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. In addition, he has earned the prestigious honor as a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.
How can I enroll in vision therapy?
A comprehensive eye examination is required to determine if vision therapy is an appropriate treatment option for you and your condition. Contact our office to book an appointment and learn more about vision therapy.
How long can treatment take with vision therapy?
Effective therapy requires visual skills to be developed until they are integrated with other systems and become automatic, enabling patients to achieve their full potential. The length of treatment varies between patients depending on the complexity of their condition and the specific needs of the patient. This may take as little as 10 sessions, or it may take longer.
Success with vision therapy
Vision therapy results can vary depending on each condition and circumstance. Successful vision therapy requires active engagement from the prescribing doctor, vision therapist, patient, and parents of any children enrolled in the program. With time, consistency, and hard work, patients can experience significant improvements in symptoms and efficiency in school or work-related tasks. Many school-aged patients often report increased reading speed, reading comprehension, and performance in school overall.
