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Competitive soccer players know that it takes practice and conditioning to move to the next level. Highly skilled players dedicate themselves to game preparation, but they also have something that average players lack - superior vision skills combined with excellent motor timing and ability. Today we are going to talk about how soccer players use their vision when playing the world's most popular game.

In Part 1 of this blog series we discussed vision therapy – a great treatment option for children and adults who have struggled through a life of eye tracking, teaming, focusing or visual perceptual, processing and working memory deficits. In Part 2 of this blog series we are going to discuss Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation – a treatment that often serves as the foundation for someone's entire rehabilitative process after an acquired brain injury.

Amblyopia is a common childhood vision condition that you have likely heard of but just didn't know it. Amblyopia is a bit of a tongue twister (and we are not even selling seashells on the seashore) which is why many people know it as 'lazy eye'. Well before you start judging the work ethic of your eyes, let us talk about amblyopia – a common childhood vision condition that prevents kids from seeing 20/20 if left untreated.

Do you get headaches when you read or use the computer? Does your child cover or close an eye while they read? Do your eyes hurt at the end of the work day? Is homework time with your child a constant battle against avoidance behaviors? Do words move on the page when you are trying to read? These are all symptoms of convergence insufficiency – a very common, and very treatable, vision condition that affects people of all ages.

Competitive athletes need more than basic eye exams. Think about it, what is the goal of an eye exam? To see 20/20 and make sure your eyes are healthy. Well for athletes, 20/20 is blurry. They need to see better than 20/20 when they compete. They also need excellent visual skills to catch the ball, track the puck and make split second decisions. These visual skills are not assessed during an eye exam. This is why athletes need to work with a sports vision eye doctor who performs Athlete Vision Assessments.

Convergence insufficiency is an eye teaming deficit that affects approximately 8% of people (that is 4 times more prevalent than glaucoma or an eye turn). You do not outgrow convergence insufficiency, which is why it can have lifelong impacts on your vision. Convergence insufficiency can also be caused by a traumatic brain injury (even a concussion). Here is what you need to know about this vision condition that causes headaches, double vision and reading difficulties.

The eyes have been called the 'window to the soul'. They are also a window into the brain and are being used to help diagnose concussions. Doctors and trainers are currently using eye tracking skills to help assess for the presence of a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Research is also under way to determine how eye tests can help athletes, military personnel, and anyone else who takes an unfortunate fall or is involved in a motor vehicle accident.

Is your child inattentive? Impulsive? Hyperactive? If you answered 'yes' to any of those, we have established that you have a child. Every kid will be a kid, and every kid has their moments (whether sugar-induced or otherwise). Well when these behaviors are present at clinically-significant levels, it may lead to the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) – sometimes called ADD or ADHD. Unfortunately, diagnosis of AD/HD often relies heavily on subjective surveys rather than objective measures. Fortunately, researchers are using eye movements to help objectively identify AD/HD.