As a parent, you might be puzzled when you hear the unusual questions Dr. Rick Graebe asks about your child during an eye exam. It’s perfectly natural to wonder, “Isn’t this an optometry office?”
Yes, Dr. Graebe’s practice in Versailles is indeed an optometry office, but it’s much more than your typical one. As a behavioral optometrist, Dr. Graebe specializes in Vision Therapy, a form of physical therapy that integrates the eyes, brain, and body. His approach is holistic, focusing on much more than just vision correction.
Beyond the Eye Chart
Dr. Graebe ensures that his young patients see well and have good eye health—this is the standard part of the exam. But then come the unexpected questions:
- How is your child doing in school?
- Is your child involved in sports? How do they perform?
- Can your child ride a bike?
- How is their handwriting?
These questions might seem unrelated to vision, but they offer critical insights. Parents often ask, “What do these things have to do with eyesight?” Dr. Graebe welcomes these questions because they lead to the bigger picture: vision is about much more than clarity. There are two parts to vision—focal and ambient.
Focal vision is what most people associate with eyesight—reading an eye chart, for example. But ambient vision, which helps us understand where we are in space and how we relate to other objects, is just as important. This involves integrating all the senses, not just sight. Poor development of ambient vision can manifest in surprising ways, such as:
- Sloppy handwriting
- Trouble riding a bike
- Difficulty playing sports
- Struggles with balance and coordination
The Signs of Vision Development Issues
If a child has problems with ambient vision, you might notice it in their ability to balance, walk heel to toe on an imaginary line, or even in their inability to stand on one foot with their eyes closed. These struggles are often linked to poor integration between the eyes, brain, and body, which affects everyday activities like reading and sports.
Children with vision development issues might also struggle with eye tracking. If the eyes don’t work together smoothly, following words on a page becomes difficult, leading to poor academic performance.
Vision Therapy: The Path to Healing
Vision Therapy offers a solution to these developmental issues. Dr. Graebe’s office provides fun, non-academic exercises that improve eye coordination and tracking. The exercises go beyond vision, helping integrate the senses so that a child might not only improve their reading but also become less clumsy in physical activities.
“We see lives transformed every week,” Dr. Graebe says. “This is our opportunity to make a real difference.”
Schedule a Pediatric Eye Exam Near Lexington Today
If your child is struggling with coordination, balance, or academic performance, it may be more than just a lack of focus—it could be a vision issue. Vision Therapy at Neuro-Visual Performance Institute could be the answer.
With two locations, in Versailles serving the greater Lexington area, and in Somerset, we offer specialized pediatric eye care for families across Central and Southern Kentucky. To learn more about how we can help your child reach their full potential, call us today at 859-879-0089 to schedule an appointment.
Credit:
This blog is based on information from Dr. Rick Graebe as compiled and written by John Lynch.