Vision Therapy in Fargo

Vision is more than 20/20.

Vision therapy is a non-surgical, evidence-based treatment that strengthens the connection between the brain and the eyes. At Lumen Vision in Fargo, we treat conditions a standard eye exam can miss — amblyopia (“lazy eye”), strabismus (eye turn), convergence insufficiency, accommodative dysfunction, oculomotor disorders, and post-concussion vision dysfunction — in children, teens, and adults of all ages.

Our program is led by Dr. Ryan Capouch, FOVDR — a fellowship-trained developmental optometrist and the 2023 North Dakota Young Optometrist of the Year. Fewer than 1% of optometrists nationwide hold the FOVDR fellowship.

Vision therapy at a glance

A customized program of in-office and at-home exercises that build 17 visual skills the brain uses to read, focus, track, and team the eyes.
Children with reading or focus difficulties; adults with eye-strain, double vision, or post-concussion symptoms; athletes building visual performance.
Each vision therapy unit at Lumen Vision is 10 weeks. Most patients complete 1–2 units, with a 2–3 month break between.
30 minutes in-office once per week, plus about 20 minutes of home therapy per day.

What are the signs your child may need vision therapy?

Could you or your child benefit from vision therapy?

If three or more of these apply, a vision therapy evaluation is worth a conversation:

Frequent headaches, especially after reading or screen time
Blurry vision when shifting focus from far to near
Reading slowly, skipping lines, or losing your place
Squinting or covering one eye
Reversing letters, numbers, or words past age 7
Trouble copying from a board or screen
Eye pain or fatigue with sustained near work
Double vision, even briefly
Persistent headache or dizziness after a concussion
An eye that turns in, out, up, or down

Full Symptoms Checklist

What conditions does vision therapy treat?

Reduced vision in one eye that didn’t develop normally during early childhood

1 Amblyopia (lazy eye)

Strabismus (eye turn or crossed eyes)

2

Eyes that don’t align together

Difficulty pulling the eyes together to read; affects roughly 1 in 8 school-age children

3 Convergence Insufficiency

Focusing problems between near and far

4 Accommodative Insufficiency

Difficulty with tracking

5 Oculomotor Dysfunction

Post-concussion vision dysfunction

6

Visual symptoms following a concussion or other brain injury, including double vision, light sensitivity, and reading difficulty

How does vision therapy work at Lumen Vision?

We use the same 5-step process for every patient, child or adult.

Walk through our process in detail

If you’ve had one at our office (or your eye doctor) in the past year, we already have what we need. If you haven’t, we’ll start here. (About 1 hour.)
A two-visit testing battery (initial evaluation with Dr. Ryan + visual information processing skills assessment with our therapy staff) followed by a one-visit consultation with our staff where they discusses insurance and financial options, and schedules your therapy. (About 2.5 hours total, spread across three visits.)
30 minutes in-office once per week, plus about 20 minutes of home therapy per day. Each visit includes direct care from one of our doctors.
A repeat of the pre-testing battery to measure progress, followed by a results consultation. Most patients then take a 2–3 month break before starting a second unit.
When visual skills reach age-appropriate levels and symptoms are reduced or gone, you graduate. Most patients graduate after 1–2 units.

How much does vision therapy cost, and does insurance cover it?

A typical vision therapy unit at Lumen Vision runs roughly $1,500–$3,500 per unit depending on your insurance and the testing your case requires. Most medical insurance carriers cover at least a portion of pre-testing, post-testing, and the therapy unit itself when it’s medically necessary — particularly for diagnoses of convergence insufficiency and amblyopia. Covered services usually still go toward your deductible and copays.

We accept Medicare, Medicaid, and most major medical plans (BCBSND, Sanford, Medica, Aetna, and others). Payment plans are available at zero interest, and we offer discounted fees for patients without insurance.

Vision Therapy billing and insurance details

“It has helped me read and follow along in books better.”
—Claire, age 7
“Sullivan has not had any headaches when reading. He loves to read so this is a huge blessing!”
—Sullivan’s parents, age 10
“Vision therapy helped me see better. Also my teacher was nice and the games were fun.”
—Cora, age 7

Is vision therapy evidence-based?

See the full research summary

Yes. Vision therapy has been studied for decades. Independent randomized controlled trials show it improves visual acuity in amblyopia (Ophthalmology, 2002), outperforms patching for many cases (Optometry and Vision Science, 2007), and is the standard of care for symptomatic convergence insufficiency in children (CITT trial, 2008).

Coming to Lumen Vision from out of town?

We see patients from Bismarck, Grand Forks, Crookston, Wahpeton, Detroit Lakes, and across western Minnesota. If you’re driving more than an hour, we can often bunch your three pre-testing visits into a two-trip schedule, and book weekly therapy sessions on a consistent day-and-time so the trip becomes routine. Call (701) 404-9096 and ask for our out-of-town scheduling option.