Vision screenings test how well a child can see letters on an eye chart at distance, and many typical routine eye exams test eyesight and eye health. A developmental or functional vision evaluation also looks at this, as well as all of the functional visual skills needed for reading, writing, sports, work on screens, and hobbies. In addition to providing comprehensive eye care and evaluating eye health and any prescription needs, we also look deeper at how the eyes coordinate, track, move, and focus as well as visual perception. If your child passed a vision screening at school or the pediatrician's office, or even if they've had a typical routine eye exam and been told that they have "perfect vision", but they are skipping words or lines when reading, rubbing their eyes with near work, closing or covering an eye, or just not meeting what you know is their full potential, a functional/developmental vision evaluation can detect vision problems that are interfering with learning, eye-hand coordination, attention, and more, even if the child has 20/20 eyesight. Our vision evaluations take on a holistic and integrative approach to vision care. We collaborate with other developmental and integrative professionals (OTs, PTs, SLPs, pediatricians) who share similar care philosophies to tap into the unlimited potential of children and adults alike.

We are a vision office made for those of all abilities, with providers here to support your visual goals. Our doctors and vision therapists are patient, kind, and absolutely love seeing kids of all ages and abilities, and adults with all levels of performance, symptoms, and life stages. We offer a thorough, comprehensive, and integrative approach to vision. We understand that "20/20" eyesight is just the beginning of a well-functioning visual system and we evaluate functional visual skills such as eye teaming, tracking, focusing, and visual-perception that are not checked in screenings and even in many routine eye exams. We provide highly individualized vision care and we make the time to do so with expanded visit times. Our doctors spend 60-75 minutes with each new patient, ensuring that we are able to spend the time it takes to fully understand and evaluate every child and adult we see.

Alderwood Vision Therapy and Development collects payment at the time of service and does not directly bill your insurance company. However, we will provide you with a complete superbill with the necessary codes to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have. For services such as vision therapy, it is dependent on your individual private health insurance plan whether there is any reimbursement/benefit for vision therapy services or if it is an excluded service. The amount of the coverage and reimbursement also varies by insurance plan. Please contact your insurance company to understand your personal benefits. Our view is that insurance companies are first and foremost a business whose primary objective is to control costs. We believe that goal does not always translate into doing what is best for your child's or your health or vision. We are committed to doing what is best for our patients and their visual systems, and we remain out-of-network with insurance plans and vision discount plans so that we can fulfill this commitment.

Vision therapy is a comprehensive and evidence-based set of procedures that goes beyond traditional eye exercises. It is a drug-free and effective approach to correcting and enhancing the skills necessary for proper vision, under the supervision of a developmental optometrist.