Many people don’t realize there is more to vision than how clearly you see. In addition to acuities, the vision system includes gross ocular skills (how the eyes move and work together) and visual perceptual skills. These components of vision are often impacted by an acquired brain injury and other neurological deficits.

Symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

• Headaches
• Light Sensitivity
• Dizziness
• Seeing Double
• Blurred Vision
• Eye strain or aching eyes
• Difficulty reading (fatigue, poor comprehension, difficulty keeping place)
• Feeling overwhelmed visually or difficulty scanning
• Poor tolerance or attention for visual tasks

Similar to other systems in your body, the visual system can be trained and rehabilitated. Our Occupational Therapists have special training and over 15 years of experience in vision therapy and they address visual skills as part of their Occupational Therapy program in collaboration with local optometrists who are knowledgeable in vision rehabilitation

Print out our hand out on Rehabilitation of Visual Skills

For more information visit the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) website

dressing, bathing, eating, toileting

household management, preparing meals, taking medications, shopping, using the telephone, managing home, lifestyle and fatigue management

Hemiplegia is a condition caused by brain damage or spinal cord injury that leads to paralysis on one side of the body. It causes weakness, problems with muscle control, and muscle stiffness. The degree of hemiplegia symptoms vary depending on the location and extent of the injury.

Healthline- hemiplegia

Ataxia describes a lack of muscle control or coordination of voluntary movements, such as walking or picking up objects. A sign of an underlying condition, ataxia can affect various movements and create difficulties with speech, eye movement and swallowing.

Persistent ataxia usually results from damage to the part of your brain that controls muscle coordination (cerebellum). Many conditions can cause ataxia, including alcohol misuse, certain medication, stroke, tumor, cerebral palsy, brain degeneration and multiple sclerosis. Inherited defective genes also can cause the condition.

Treatment for ataxia depends on the cause. Adaptive devices, such as walkers or canes, might help you maintain your independence. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and regular aerobic exercise also might help.

Mayo Clinic web page regarding Ataxia

Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into responses. For those with Sensory Processing Disorder, sensory information goes into the brain but does not get organized into appropriate responses. Those with SPD perceive and/or respond to sensory information differently than most other people. Unlike people who have impaired sight or hearing, those with Sensory Processing Disorder do detect the sensory information; however, the sensory information gets “mixed up” in their brain and therefore the responses are inappropriate in the context in which they find themselves.

Pre driving skills include:

• Reaction time, needed for stopping fast enough to avoid a crash;
• Basic visual acuity, or sharpness of vision; and
• Decision making, judgment, and planning (e.g., needed for making left turns).