Melissa is a 33-year-old teacher, mom, wife, and vision therapy patient who has been describing her vision therapy journey on her blog, Strabismus Solutions. Melissa was born with strabismus. She had a noticeable inward eye turn of one eye called esotropia. Her first strabismus surgery at six months of age. Because the surgery was unsuccessful, Melissa had two more surgeries as a child to correct the eye turn. Unfortunately, what resulted was a noticeable outward eye turn of the eye called consecutive exotropia. As an adult Melissa tried patching, glasses, vision therapy, and surgery to treat her eye turn and the problems it caused, such as lack of depth perception. 

Melissa has done a few blog posts on her site about her experience using virtual reality as part of her optometrist-prescribed vision therapy program and, with her permission, we’re sharing some of her feedback and experiences here. 

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Hey! I’m Melissa, I want to share information about my strabismus journey with anyone that could benefit. I hope you enjoy my reviews and personal experiences of using Vivid Vision. I love vision therapy, especially virtual reality vision therapy.  I currently use virtual reality both at home and in my optometrist’s office. I have used both the Vivid Vision and Optics Trainer systems. You can read my side by side review of those systems on my blog. 

What is Vivid Vision?

Basically, if your eyes aren’t working well together, Vivid Vision is designed to help you. It is not a program that you can just go out and buy, you must go through a provider (an Optometrist or equivalent in your country) who can then manage your treatment. Vivid Vision is virtual reality software that treats conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes or squint), and convergence insufficiency. It also helps work on visual skills like visual spatial memory, visual figure ground, visual sequential memory, visual tracking, convergence, divergence, depth perception, peripheral vision, visual motor integration, laterality and directionality, form recognition, and more!

What Makes Vivid Vision Amazing?

First of all, the developer of Vivid Vision, James Blaha, actually had strabismus and designed it to help people who struggled like him. So cool!

I love the versatility of Vivid Vision! Every strabismus patient is so unique and needs a unique treatment plan. This program allows for such individualized solutions for complex visual issues. With all the different adjustments, it means Vivid Vision can work long term and grow with the patient as they improve.

I love that there is a huge variety of activities because it doesn’t get boring. The games are pretty fun, and I actually find myself looking forward to playing them. Some games focus on fusion and depth perception, while others work to stop suppression and get both eyes working. Other skills like tracking, peripheral vision, multi-tasking, and hand eye coordination are also worked in the various games.

Not every game is a good fit for every patient so your eye doctor can change the order of the games and which ones come up for you. 

Here’s my summary of what makes Vivid Vision amazing:

• Huge variety of games- When you are doing home VR for weeks and months on end, having a variety makes it SO much better! I also love that each game focuses on different important visual skills that you can learn in different ways. Changing things up helps my brain to learn so much faster!
• Versatility in adjustments for settings- I already went through this…but it makes a big difference. Versatility means that the program can grow and change with the patient. It is helpful for such a huge range of people!
• Engaging- The environment feels so real and the graphics are great. So much attention was put to details. When the graphics are good, it is easier for my brain to put the images from both eyes together.
• Backed by research. So many different studies have been done to show that Vivid Vision can improve depth perception and overall vision! It is much easier to feel good about investing money into something that is backed by science.
• There are so many vision therapy exercises and tools that are only available in-office, and they are usually the ones that work the best. I LOVE that I can take one of the most effective vision therapy tools that I have used home with me and use it every day. I can easily take it on vacation as well.
• If you live somewhere that doesn’t offer vision therapy, you can do remote Vivid Vision and remote vision therapy sessions. I live in a remote part of Idaho and there isn’t an office that offers vision therapy near by. I was able to go through Maryland Vision Therapy (website) for management of my Vivid Vision prescription. They are working with my local vision therapy office and me. Technology is the coolest.

What Are the Limitations of Vivid Vision?

• Cost- The cost can vary depending on the clinic. Most clinics choose to include Vivid Vision as a part of an entire vision therapy program. In this case, you may not actually notice the cost because you will pay one lump sum for appointments and computer/VR programs. For me, since my office doesn’t offer Vivid Vision, I had to take the option of doing it remotely through another office. I shopped around and was given pricing ranging from $700-$1200 for 3 months. Clinics can charge as much or as little as they want so do your research. I 100% believe that it is worth it. I believe that it will make the time that you spend doing vision therapy more effective so that you can finish earlier. Nothing about fixing strabismus is cheap though, so it’s good to know going in.
• There is no menu that allows you to pick the games you want to play, it is all pre-determined by your optometrist. This is probably a good thing, but I, personally, prefer to have a little more control.
• Requires a doctor’s prescription, probably also a good thing…but it would be nice to be able to continue doing Vivid Vision after I graduate from vision therapy without paying a fee to my optometrist.
• This is not a one stop shop. This is true for any computer vision therapy program. They all vary in what they can cover, and honestly, Vivid Vision is more comprehensive than anything else I’ve tried. BUT there is no computer program that can replace real life experience and therapy involving the real world. It is important to understand that Vivid Vision is something that should be combined with regular in-office vision therapy, it is not a stand alone product.

My Personal Experience with Vivid Vision

As part of my vision therapy journey my optometrist and I discussed the option of surgery and I  eventually decided to have another surgery to help me out and then return to vision therapy afterward.

The surgery threw my brain for a loop. My eye started to turn inward and my brain was not understanding how to use both eyes together. I was off balance and my peripheral vision was so messed up. Even though my eyes were looking so much better, I was frustrated because my vision was not good and I started reaching out for ideas and help.

I had multiple Optometrists and vision therapists reach out and say that Vivid Vision made a huge difference for their post-surgery strabismus patients. I was ready to try anything and finally took the plunge.

My local optometrist was not a Vivid Vision provider so I ended up finding an office across the country to manage my Vivid Vision and coordinate with my optometrist.

It has only been one month since I started Vivid Vision and I am amazed at the progress that I have made already. I have been dedicated and have done at least 30 minutes of Vivid Vision, but many times 45-60 minutes, every day. I miss maybe 1 day a week, tops. I also have been very dedicated to my other vision therapy exercises that are outside of virtual reality from my optometrist. 

Here is a summary of some of my gains:

• I have started being able to see with stereopsis in real life. If I slow down, relax, and open my peripheral vision, I can tell that things are gaining depth! It is happening more and more often and I love it. 
• I saw a stereogram at my ophthalmologist’s office for the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE- This is huge people! 
• I have gone from needing the prism settings to do any virtual reality activities, to being quite successful with no prism.
• I’ve gone from barely getting to 6 or 7 Base In demand (hard for esotropes) to getting to 25 (that was my new high this morning!)
• I’m also seeing more space and my peripheral vision has improved so much. I haven’t been feeling like I am “falling” or running into tables or doors near as often. My vision feels like it is back to where it was before surgery and maybe even better.

I can confidently recommend Vivid Vision to anyone with strabismus, amblyopia or any other binocular vision problems. It is an amazing, science backed, and fun virtual reality program that can take you far on your journey to improved vision!

How Does One Start Using Vivid Vision?

If you would like to try Vivid Vision, they have a super easy set up on their website to search for a provider near you, just click here to find a provider near you and they will get you started! They will find the Optometrist nearest that can manage your vision therapy and Vivid Vision subscription.

Read More:

You can read more about Melissa’s vision therapy journey at her website - Strabismus Solutions. Here are some of her posts relating to Vivid Vision:

An Honest Review of Vivid Vision: a Strabismic’s Perspective

Is Vivid Vision or Optics Trainer Better for Vision Therapy?

Read more about strabismus:

What is the difference between amblyopia and strabismus?

Or you can browse our collection of patient success stories:

Patient Success Stories: Betsy

Patient Success Stories: Emilia

We have a special promotion for you as a current provider! For each DPVR headset you buy, you will also receive (1) 1-mo Vivid Vision Home license to your Vivid Vision Home license pool until the end of March!

The first all-in-one headset that comes pre-installed with Vivid Vision! Now you can start vision care treatment without setup or installation hassles-- just turn it on and go! This powerful system allows you to duplicate in-clinic therapy right inside the patient’s home.

This commercial-grade headset is not available to consumers, but Vivid Vision Home providers can purchase it at our convenient online store. For E.U and U.K providers contact your distributor.

Vivid Vision Home is pre-loaded and ready to go. Setup is simple. DPVR is the easiest way to prescribe Vivid Vision Home to your patients!

Note: We are working hard to bring the DPVR to our Australian providers as soon as possible. Stay tuned for updates!

Vividly Aware provides valuable resources, product updates, and best-practices to support you and your team! 

EYEBAB in Billund, Denmark reaches an agreement on distribution in the USA and Canada

Press release 26th November, 2020

The Billund-based company EYEBAB, which specializes in developing vision training apps and solutions for people who, among other things, experience difficulties following a concussion, has entered into a distribution agreement with the American company Vivid Vision with headquarters in San Francisco.

The new agreement means that EYEBAB's recognized vision training platform will now be available in the US and Canadian distribution and will be made available to Vivid Vision's large professional network worldwide.

Vivid Vision primarily collaborates and distributes its products to optometrists and vision training clinics in the United States and Canada, and the agreement thus gives EYEBAB an unique position and visibility in the US and Canadian market for vision-related issues. Like EYEBAB, Vivid Vision are specialists in developing digital tools that, among other things, help people with vision and concentration difficulties to train their vision via e.g. virtual reality and 3D technology.

Functional Optometrist, partner, and vision expert Thomas Kirkfeldt from EYEBAB, says about the new agreement:

"The new agreement with Vivid Vision is a huge step for EYEBAB in our ambition to distribute our digital vision training platform to a very wide range of optometrists and their patients around the world. The new collaboration is yet another seal of approval in EYEBAB's revolutionary development of digital tools for vision training, with a focus on being able to help people through motivating and measurable tools based on virtual technology. We are incredibly pleased that a player as large as Vivid Vision chooses to include EYEBAB's digital concept in their distribution to their many customers in the USA and Canada." 

Thomas Kirkfeldt expects that the new agreement with Vivid Vision will be a game changer in terms of making EYEBAB even more visible internationally.

EYEBAB was established in 2014 and has since the very beginning, worked on developing and digitizing the company's portfolio of apps, and digital tools, which for example are used for the training of consensus, reaction time, concentration, endurance, and memory.

EYEBAB's customers consist of the professional elite within vision training and Functional Optometry. Via EYEBAB's online vision training platform, opticians offer their patients, who may experience visual challenges, professional and motivating tasks. Via EYEBAB's platform, patients can work on the improvement and rehabilitation of their concentration, work ability after e.g. a traffic accident or the like, that could have an impact on their quality of life.

You can try one of EYEBAB's apps for yourself, which focuses on concentration skills and overview. Try via this link - https://eyebab.com/Play?appId=12

For more information on how to get started with EYEBAB if you are US or Canada based, please contact Vivid Vision https://www.seevividly.com/ .

For all other inquiries, from the rest of the world, please contact EYEBAB:

The most recent software update contained critical fixes and enhancements to your system. Unfortunately, an older version of the Leap Motion software had some compatibility issues with our update, which is most evident in the Bubbles game. This issue will only affect clinical users that have and use the legacy Leap Motion camera that was included with earlier versions of the Vivid Vision Clinical System. 

If your Leap Motion camera is experiencing tracking issues following this most recent update, please contact our support team via email at support@seevividly.com and we will provide a manual update to your software.

We just released a small patch to correct an issue that caused Barnyard Bounce progress to reset for some patients. Fear not! All your patient's progress, stars, and animals are safe!

WHAT’S NEW?

New Vivid Vision Tests! 

We’ve been working hard this summer to perfect two brand new tests as well as making improvements to some of our existing tests. If you don’t have access to these tests in your clinical system, please email: clinical@seevividly.com or contact your Vivid Vision distributor to upgrade.

Stereoacuity  

Our Stereoacuity test is a new stereo threshold test and is available to Vivid Vision Premium subscribers only. Your patient selects which one of four targets is floating off the green background. The test runs a series of staircased trials. With each correct answer, the test targets get slightly smaller and the disparity decreases. With an incorrect answer, the disparity increases, and the targets grow in size. The test may be used with a 5-second answer timer or an unlimited timer; we suggest using the 5-second timer for patients with moderate (<100 arcsec) or better stereoacuity.

The Stereoacuity test uses values from 3600 arc seconds to 20 arc seconds. It also introduces a new metric, the Composite Stereo Depth score (CSD). The CSD is directly correlated to a patient’s stereoacuity ability and scales from 0 (no stereo) to 30 (20 arc seconds). If a patient has unmeasurable stereoacuity but still sees large disparities as depth some of the time (for example in vectograms), their CSD score will be in the range 1-10. . This metric is especially useful for patients with a weak stereo vision system—the CSD score should improve over time in patients who are learning to utilize stereo cues during treatment, even before their stereoacuity threshold can be measured. For more on this new metric, please check out the updated Clinical User Manual under the Manuals tab.  You can also watch “Standardized Stereoacuity Testing in VR: The Vivid Vision Stereoacuity Test” on I Heart VT! 

Deviation 

The Deviation test is part of a set of tests that will ultimately replace the Angles test. The Deviation test is a dissociated test that functions similarly to the Maddox and double-Maddox clinical test of phoric and tropic eye posture, to measure a patient’s eye position at 600, 200, and 40cm starting distances.  

We suggest using the intermediate (200cm) distance to guide your use of Virtual Prism, as this distance best matches the patient’s vergence and accommodative demands within the headset during the use of Vivid Vision.

Four Dot 

Our classic four dot test got an update! This new version uses cyan and magenta dots, making it more useful for your color deficient patients, and we have optimized it for use on a VR headset. The test runs a series of trials starting at 600cm and moving in to 20cm. The patient will respond to the same questions as before: "How many dots do you see?" and "What color (or order) is the bottom dot?" 

New Languages!

We’re excited to announce the support of both Greek and Japanese languages in the Clinical and Home programs.

SPLAT! 

The following bugs were addressed: 

• Implemented preventative measures for cases in which activity data would not reach the server
• Fixed a bug in Pepper Picker where the "Highest Level" achieved during gameplay did not match the saved data

The updated training video, Clinical user manual, and Vivid Vision Home PDF user manual can be found using these links.

Key Notes about Vivid Vision Home and Gear VR 

Vivid Vision Home users that exclusively use a Gear VR headset and VR-compatible phone will be unable to update to this Vivid Vision Home software version. Google Daydream users will be able to install this update; however, future updates will not be offered. This is a result of Oculus/Samsung and Google ending their support of these headsets. Patients currently using these platforms will continue to have access to Vivid Vision Home, but their software will remain on the last version provided. This means that as the Vivid Vision system evolves, new features will be unavailable for those patients but everything they used previously will remain available. A complete phase-out of Vivid Vision’s support of the Gear VR and Daydream VR platforms will occur on December 31st, 2020. We will be announcing the support of new headsets in the coming weeks!

From our Support Staff

Greetings! A friendly reminder that if you ever need any help with your software, don’t hesitate to contact us using our dedicated support email support@seevividly.com or give us a call at 877-877-0310.

We love to hear your feedback!  Send us a message to clinical@seevividly.com and let us know what you think of the new tests!

In this unique session, hosted on the I HEART VT platform, Dr. Steele spends time explaining the importance vision plays in early childhood development (starting in the first moments of life) as well as what parents should be looking for in the first years of life. He gives tips for encouraging good visual skills in infants and explains that these skills form the foundation for crawling, walking, running, riding a bike, etc. Following his informative introduction, Dr. Steele takes questions from participants. Topics covered include eye turns, strabismus, amblyopia, developmental timelines and milestones, guidelines for when children should have their first visit to an optometrist, vision therapy, eyeglasses, and more. 

This is an informative session aimed at parents and child-care providers.

Language Options

Language options now include German, Spanish, Italian, and French. Use the new globe icon located in the upper-right corner of the interface to select a language. Any new patients will automatically default to match the interface language. You will receive a prompt to update all current patients to your chosen language the first time you make a language selection. You can alter the patient’s language of preference from the Settings tab.

Vivid Vision Home patients will also benefit from this! The Vivid Vision Home platform now offers patients the option to select a language from the main software interface.

We will soon be adding Greek and Japanese. 

Performance Metrics 

Each game and activity now includes an in-launcher notification that continually displays a patient’s performance in real-time, during play. We've also added the performance metrics to the post-game summary and Data tab. Check it out!

The Following Bugs were Addressed: 

• Fixed an issue where picking an incorrect fruit or vegetable followed by using the white flag caused produce to stop appearing in Pepper Picker 
• In Barnyard Bounce the Baby Chick character no longer continually resets while on the ground, the number of stars and animals unlocked no longer appears less than earned, the input of animal abilities was optimized, and the energy cost for the Sheep character was altered
• In Bullseye the water gun no longer fails to shoot with Touch/Vive controllers while Hand Camera is enabled
• Ring Runner ring collection at high speeds was improved
• General performance optimizations

From our Support Team 

Our Support Team has a friendly reminder to check your Oculus or SteamVR software for updates. To do so, launch your Oculus or SteamVR software and check the notifications for pending updates. Accept and install these updates prior to starting Vivid Vision to optimize your patient’s VR experience!

The updated Vivid Vision manuals for both Clinic and Home users are available under the Manuals tab.

Check your sensors! 

Proper Oculus Sensor set up helps your patients play each Vivid Vision game efficiently. If your sensors are not positioned correctly, the headset may not detect the Touch controllers accurately which can result in difficulty during game play. The image below shows a proper Oculus Rift sensor set up.

Suggestions:

• Wall mount your Oculus sensors. This is ideal to prevent sensor movement and keep tracking working properly. 
• If wall mounting isn't an option, Position your Oculus sensors at least 3-4 feet (1 meter) apart on a table top surface.
• Reset the sensor tracking in Oculus. Open the Oculus icon on your desktop. Select "Devices" and select the "Rift and Touch" option. Select "Device Setup" and follow the prompts. 

Our support team is here for you—and your patients!

This month we are highlighting our all-star support team, Ken and Kelly with this blog post, "Vivid Vision Support Team: Changing Lives!" 

Read more about Ken and Kelly and how they are uniquely skilled to bring you and your patients the best customer service possible. That's right,  we encourage you to tell your patients to call Ken and Kelly directly when they need technical support for Vivid Vision Home.   

Call 1-877-877-0310 or email support@seevividly.com

As part of our Vision Therapy Success Stories series, we interviewed Keenan. Keenan was diagnosed with amblyopia as a child and did patching as advised by his ophthalmologist. He was thrilled when he was told he could stop wearing the patch but was told he had achieved as much improvement as possible. He still had no depth perception, his visual acuity in the amblyopic eye was 20/100, he was uncoordinated, and he had to work very hard to maintain performance in school. After finding vision therapy and using Vivid Vision, Keenan is reporting life-changing results! 

Read Keenan's story here

We would love to hear your patient cases and success stories. If you would like to share, please email Kelin at kelin@seevividly.com.

Keep clean and carry on!

Now's a great time to get up to speed on your VR hygiene routine. We also suggest encouraging patients and office staff to implement hand washing before using the system. Enjoy this compilation of practical tips and best practices for keeping your VR headset clean and safe for patient use. 

A Guide for VR Headset Hygiene

Vivid Vision Provider Workshops

• 21-22 March | Korsør, Denmark | In conjunction with EKISS featuring education by Steen Aalberg on using Vivid Vision with brain injury patients
• 4 April | Cook Vision Therapy Center, Marietta, Georgia, USA 
• 18-19 April | Halton Vision Therapy Centre, Burlington, Ontario | Featuring 1 day seminar by Gregory Kitchener, OD | To register: haltonvtcommunication@gmail.com
• 5 June | Gold Coast, Queensland | In conjunction with NACBO 

Detailed event descriptions will be emailed separately. Email kelin@seevividly.com for more information or to RSVP for any workshop events.

Events

We will have representatives at the following events! Be sure to stop by and see us—we love catching up with providers and we're happy to answer any questions you have. 

• 21-22 March: EKISS + Vivid Vision Workshop - Korsør, Denmark 
• 4 April: Vivid Vision Workshop - Marietta, Georgia
• 18-19 April: Gregory Kitchener Seminar + Vivid Vision Workshop - Toronto
• 22-24 April: COVD 50th Annual Conference - Toronto

Would you like your staff to receive these emails?
Email us at amina@seevividly.com with the email addresses you would like to add to our distribution list.

Questions or Comments?
Please email us at support@seevividly.com or call us at 1-877-877-0310 if you have any questions or comments.

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Until next time,
The Vivid Vision Team