Alternate Patching
Alternate patching is a technique that can be used for reducing a very subtle “eye wobble” that occurs between the two eyes1-3 also referred to as “binocular fixation instability”. This involves covering one eye when reading or doing eye tracking therapy over a period of weeks to months. It has been shown to be helpful for students under 12 years of age by reducing their eye wobble and improving reading outcomes.4-6
An eye wobble problem can be present even when all other asects of eye movements are normal. If a student fails the central component of the Eye Track task on the iCept Testing, but passes when looking to the left or right, this may suggest a problem with binocular stability. If all components of the iCept Test are normal however, this does NOT guarantee that there is no problem with binocular stability. The best way to measure eye wobble is with an eye tracking device that can compare both eyes but this is not currently used in clinical practice.
Instructions for Alternate Patching
Cover one eye with a patch or cover on the first day of training. The next day cover the other eye. Keep following this procedure for the duration of the eye tracking training. (This method can also be used for reading a book if the child or student is happy to do it. The patch should NOT be worn outside of these times and no longer than 3 months).
For alternate patching to work then a child should have reasonably good vision in each eye. If the vision is poor in one eye – even with glasses – then alternate patching may not be advisable. If a child normally wears glasses for reading these should be used for alternate patching. In this case, the patch can be positioned over the glasses or a soft cloth can be tucked behind one lens to avoid having to wear a patch!