Vision Therapy First, Games Second!

In this blog, we want to talk about our vision therapy and discuss our observations about vision therapy process, related to engagement and motivation. Furthermore, we provide you with handy tips to boost motivation in children and consequently increase compliance.

Engaging Vision Therapy – But Is It Enough?

AmblyoPlay is a vision therapy solution that engages children and motivates them to do with vision therapy through playing games. Sometimes, it’s hard to motivate children to continue with eye exercises, especially with younger one’s. They don’t understand why they need to do vision therapy and don’t see the benefits regular eye exercises bring for their vision.

The initial goal and mission was to provide a therapy in a format that will engage and motivate kids to perform their vision therapy. Compliance was observed as one of the key obstacles to the success of home-based vision therapy, so it needed to be done in such a way that is familiar and attractive to kids. While the kids are performing vision therapy, they are doing so by playing games, collecting gems and upgrading their characters. Key is in the gamification.

”Tackling compliance is one of the key goals of AmblyoPlay.”

Feedback from Parents

Yet, we often get feedback from parents that children get bored because there is not enough variety of games or that they are all too boring for them. We would like to emphasize that this is still vision therapy and not a PlayStation or any other video game console, where you can just give it to the children, leave them alone, and they will easily get distracted by themselves. Children still need your support. Give them an explanation why they need to perform vision therapy and try to stimulate the interest.

Furthermore, parents still need to be involved in the process, and just buying AmblyoPlay and expecting vision will be solved is not an appropriate approach. AmblyoPlay gave their best to make it as fun as possible, but at the end of the day, it’s a medical product that needs to be treated as such.

Such solutions will never be able to compete for your child’s attention as successfully as console games with budgets oftentimes exceeding 10 or even 100 million dollars. However, when you put AmblyoPlay side to side with other vision therapy solutions, its benefits are immediately clear!

Handy Tips for Increasing Compliance in Vision Therapy

To increase compliance, we prepared a few tips for motivating your children.

1. Schedule regular time slots to maintain routine

Firstly, schedule regular time slots intended for vision therapy. You know your child best. Find time in a day when they have the most attention. Furthermore, setting routine means they know what to expect and will be more motivated to finish it. Having a predictable routine will make it easier for them to remember and participate in therapy.

2. Quite place

In addition, find a place without distractions. Vision therapy will be more effective if it’s carried out in a quiet place, away from other family members.

3. Encourage participation

Another suggestion would be to encourage and support your child. Some exercises can prompt a decrease in motivation and frustration. Don’t forget to tell them they are doing a great job! Allow the child to have choices over exercises. They are more motivated when they can choose from different activities on their own. With AmblyoPlay, they can choose which games to play.

4. Positive reinforcement

Last but not least, if you still see a lack of motivation, provide incentives. For example, you can suggest a trip to their favorite place if a certain amount of eye exercises will be done. Even small rewards such as stickers, certificates, or special privileges can go a long way in motivating children to stay compliant.

5. Celebrate milestones

Celebrate and acknowledge children’s progress by displaying their achievements or creating a progress chart or visual tracker. Seeing their progress visually can be motivating and encourage them to continue their efforts. With AmblyoPlay, children receive diplomas when they achieve certain levels, and they can always see their progress withing my AmblyoPlay portal.

6. Use technology

Incorporate technology-based tools and apps specifically designed for children’s vision therapy. Interactive games or apps can make the therapy sessions more exciting and appealing to younger patients.

7. Make it a team effort

Involve other family members, for example, siblings in the therapy process. Encourage their support and assistance at home, making it a collaborative effort. This can create a supportive environment and help children stay motivated.

8. Provide breaks and variety

Make short breaks during therapy sessions to prevent fatigue or boredom. Introduce variety by alternating between different activities, exercises, or materials, keeping the sessions fresh and exciting. However, with AmblyoPlay, the obligatory break between the two sessions is already incorporated. What is more, there is a variety of games that appear every day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, keep in mind that video game is just a mean through vision therapy is performed. Don’t forget that it’s still important to track the progress, consult with eye doctor and plan the upcoming eye exercises. Remember to always adapt your approach based on the age and individual needs of the child. By implementing these child-friendly strategies, you can increase compliance and make vision therapy a positive and rewarding experience for children.

Frequently Asked Questions