Visual Perception is in the Eye of the Beholder

Every day our visual perception shapes the way we interact with the world.  This cute meme is a funny example.0683166001564587060.jpgWhen we see objects, it's up to our brains to make sense out of them.  If you think of the black lines under the face in proportion with the rest of the picture, of course it's a tie.  If we perceive the picture as more of a cartoon, yes, those could be stick arms and legs below that face.  Visual perception can be no laughing matter, however, depending on the circumstance.  For the student struggling to differentiate a lower case 'b' from the lowercase 'd' as they learn the very important skill of reading, erroneous visual perception can make all the difference in the course of their education. When we navigate stairs or curbs, our perception of depth allows us to step safely and avoid falls.  For the driver or cyclist, their accurate perception of the distance to the stop sign or the speed other vehicles are traveling could mean the difference between life and death.  For patients struggling with visual issues after a concussion, walking in a straight line may be an impossible task.

Our very existence relies on our ability to interpret what we see.  Visual perception is present in every action we take.  Understanding the world as we see it is a learned process beginning even before we are born, as our visual systems develop in utero.  Infants and children need to touch objects and interact with them to gain experience about the world so that later, they can make accurate judgments about objects they see, without having to touch them.  We know when we look at ice, it will feel cold, we no longer need to touch it to reassure ourselves. We need to be able to judge depth, distance, and form to interact properly with our surroundings.

One of the most misunderstood things about vision is that it is a learned process, and the process of correct visual perception can be taught.  When a person's visual system has set itself up in an inefficient fashion, all kinds of issues can occur:  eye turns (strabismus), amblyopia (lazy eye), head tilts (torticollis), problems with coordination, reading difficulties, and general confusion that slows us down.  Optometric vision therapy is the process of using lenses, prisms, filters, and other tools to help patients learn how to use their vision to properly see the world and make sense of it.  It isn't just about straightening eyes so they look normal to others, proper vision therapy is about teaching the patient to use their eyes so everything else looks normal to them.

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Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

11:00 am-7:00 pm

Wednesday:

2:00 pm-6:00 pm

Thursday:

11:00 am-7:00 pm

Friday:

9:30 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

9:00 am-12:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Dr. Jennifer Ceonzo, Visionary Optometry of Long Island, 150 Broadhollow Road, Suite 104, Melville, NY 11747 (631)791-5155