SOUTH KENT VISION CENTER
R.A. Hohendorf O.D.
4364 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids, MI 49548, (616) 534-4091/4393 fax 9790
OUT-OFFICE VISUAL TRAINING PROGRAM
For: ______
VISUAL TRAINING DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN - IT HAS TO BE PLANNED AND ORGANIZED.
When you begin your program of visual training you will need to establish certain definite times for home training that you will adhere to without interruption.
Your Out-Office V.T. Program is: -______minutes daily in the evenings.
.
It is important - VERY IMPORTANT - to remember that:
SEEING IS LEARNED
It is a skill that we start to learn at birth and continue to learn all our lives.
1. Visual training is a process of teaching you to see properly.
2. You are doing the learning not US.
3. A visual problem is not a disease problem; it can only be cured by LEARNING the proper visual habits.
4. We cannot learn for YOU; we can only guide you in the proper direction of learning. YOU
MUST DO THE LEARNING.
5. The success of your case depends on you.
6. The two most important factors for learning are:
A. MOTIVATION - You must have a driving desire to learn.
B. PRACTICE EFFECT - You must practice your visual learning over and over again. Inadequate or careless practice will hamper your visual progress.
7. The purpose of your visual training program is to:
A. ______
B. ______
Sincerely,
Robert A. Hohendorf, O.D.
Doctor of Optometry
GUIDELINES FOR HOME ASSISTANTS OF OPTOMETRIC VISION THERAPY PATIENTS
1. It is very important that the patient be prepared in advance before introducing any of the home procedures. The perceptual set (attitude) of the patient must be such that they answer the demands of the task in a way that the experience is both pleasurable and meaningful. In this way the patient’s learning will be enhanced.
a. The way one uses their eyes is 100% correct for the way they know how, the patient/therapist will be teaching/learning a different way.
2. The following steps will help accomplish this goal:
a. The home procedure must not be approached on a right or wrong, good or bad basis. Keep the
b. Don’t tell the patient how they did on each procedure. Let the patient tell the therapist. In other words, the patient should be allowed to assess his or her own performance.
c. Discuss with the patient how much progress they have made each time and let them figure out what they must do differently the next time, if they are to move towards the desired goal of . the particular procedure
d. Don’t emphasize the unaccomplished phase of the performance. Instead, stress the part they
did accomplish. Being 75% right is better than being 25% wrong.
e. Speech is an important aspect of vision development. The patient should be talking. The therapist should be asking questions. Don’t supply the patient with too many answers. Learn to ask the right questions so that they can come up with the answers themselves.
f. It is not always necessary to work on a given procedure for the length of time stated on the
instructions. If it is obvious that the patient is tiring, stop short of failure and try again the
next time. By the same token, if they are experiencing success on a given procedure and wish
to continue with it a while longer, encourage them to do so. Challenge, but do not frustrate.
Don’t let things get so easy that they get bored either. Keep their motivation up.
g. 3/4 rule - If the patient is asked to do a procedure 4 times and they can do it properly 3 out of
the 4 times they are in the motivational area. It is not so easy that they are perfect or so hard
that they are frustrated. They will be practicing being successful more than unsuccessful, that’s motivational.
3. Some general considerations are:
a. Learning is always easier in a pleasant atmosphere; therefore, if the patient is over tired or cross, skip the home therapy that day.
b. If the patient is not feeling well do not work with training that day.
c. Home training procedures are done best without an audience. If others are around, retire
to a separate room with the patient and close the door. When training can be done with an
audience, an improved level of performance is indicated. In the TV room with the TV on is
the most difficult level. We want to teach selective visual attention.
d. The patient is the one who has the problem. Therefore they must approach the home
procedures as one means to allow them to solve their vision problem. The therapist should not have to nag them to do this. If this is a problem in this area, please let us know immediately.
e.Do all procedures in as relaxed a manner as possible.
HOME THERAPY RECORDING SHEET
Will you please fill out the requested information each day. When you run out of room on this sheet, please use regular notebook paper divided into three columns.
PATIENT:RECORDED BY:
PROCEDURES / DATE / COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONSNAMEVISUAL TRAINING GOAL
DATE
VT PRESCRIPTION
1.DATE / 3.DATE2.DATE / 4.DATE
5.DATE
hvt-sch.doc 3/26/98