Welcome to Sunflower Vision Care
In addition to providing routine pediatric and adult vision care, we also provide specialized holistic vision care that is focused on functional vision, visual development, and visual rehabilitation for patients of all ages. We help people who have eye turns or lazy eye without surgery or patching, who struggle with reading, and those with visual sensory integration difficulties. We also provide rehabilitative services for those who are suffering with vision disorders that occurred as a result of a concussion or other brain injury.
We serve the entire Columbia River Gorge including The Dalles, Hood River, White Salmon, and Goldendale.
Eye Exams and Glasses
Comprehensive eye exams by a doctor of optometry are an important way of caring for your eyes, vision, and overall health. Only a doctor of optometry or ophthalmologist can conduct a comprehensive eye and vision examination.
Regular eye examinations are an important part of preventive health care. Many eye and vision problems have no obvious signs or symptoms, so you might not know a problem exists. Early diagnosis and treatment of eye and vision problems can help prevent vision loss. We provide eye exams and glasses for patients of any age.
Pediatric Eye Exams
Vision develops along with gross motor, fine motor, speech, and many other things, from birth throughout childhood. Many parents do not realize that vision problems can impact overall development, including posture, movement, balance and behavior, as well as drawing, reading and learning. At Sunflower Vision Care, the whole child and their overall visual development will be considered during their eye exam.
The American Optometric Association recommends children receive comprehensive eye exams on a regular schedule that begins in infancy:
A comprehensive baseline eye exam between the ages of 6 months and 12 months
At least one comprehensive eye exam between the ages of 3 and 5 to check for any conditions that could have long-term effects
An annual, comprehensive eye exam starting before first grade
Vision Therapy
Similar to Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy, there is vision therapy which is therapy for the eyes and vision. Vision Therapy can include therapeutic glasses, contact lenses or in-office treatment one on one with a vision therapist. Prior to starting vision therapy, it is vital to determine the depth of the problem and best treatment options. The first step is a Vision Therapy Evaluation and a Visual Information Processing Evaluation (if indicated).
As a developmental or functional optometrist, Dr. Hartman provides a variety of special therapeutic lenses designed to improve overall visual function. When these special therapeutic lenses are not enough to correct the vision disorder, an in-office program of Optometric Vision Therapy may be prescribed. Optometric Vision Therapy includes activities and techniques customized in a specific sequence by a qualified optometrist to address specific vision problems.
Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation
Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is an individualized treatment regimen for patients with visual deficits as a direct result of physical disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and other neurological insults. Neuro-optometric therapy is a process for the rehabilitation of visual / perceptual / motor disorders. It includes, but is not limited to, acquired strabismus, diplopia, binocular dysfunction, convergence and/or accommodation paresis/paralysis, oculomotor dysfunction, visual-spatial dysfunction, visual perceptual and cognitive deficits, and traumatic visual acuity loss.
Visual problems are often overlooked during initial treatment of a brain injury and a regular eye exam often does not reveal the extent that the visual process has been affected. Individuals who have experienced some sort of neurological insult or injury, and who are experiencing visual symptoms, can benefit from a vision assessment from a Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Optometrist, an eye care professional who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of neurological conditions adversely affecting the visual system. (source: noravisionrehab.org)