[ APPLICATION REVIEW ]

Hoppy's Vision Training 1

BY CPAC CO. INC.
HOPPYS VISION TRAINING 1 application was created by optometrist Katsuya Kitade, and developed by CPAC Co. Inc. Released in April of 2011, it is listed as a medical application designed to train the eye muscles to move and track quicker and more efciently. Visual scanning and saccades are one of the needed mechanisms for perception and interpretation when reading a passage of text or when using the eyes for sports and other activities. If the therapist, upon evaluation of a subject, sees that the subject is having difculty with the task of scanning or saccades, this may be a useful application for the treatment plan. This app trains the vision to increase the speed and efciency of saccades or quick visual movements of the eyes; therefore, it can be used to help children with eye hand coordination skills for activities such as playing sports and to assist in eye scanning efciency for reading skills.

The therapist can use red and green glasses to train binocular vision, as well. Letters, numbers, colors or arrows of four different directions may be chosen to track. The therapist can also control the speed and direction within the iPad box screen in which the subject is to track. The subject is told to hold his or her head still and to only use their eyes to follow the colored box as it moves over the letters, numbers or arrows. He or she is then instructed to tap the colored box as quickly as possible when it moves to the next item. The subject is given points for tapping on the screen. The items need to be tapped correctly and in a timely fashion for the subject to obtain a point. The therapist can type in different subjects names and track their progress, as this app records the best score for each date and each set of items attempted. Be sure to use the same settings if tracking for progress. This is a great tool to document progress

with visual scanning which is a needed skill for efcient reading. With all of the emphasis on children and their ability to read quickly in todays fast paced learning environments, this is yet another way occupational therapists can assist the IEP team in helping children meet their reading uency goals. The full version is currently available on itunes for $9.99. Requirements include iOS 3.2 or higher. Search for "vision training 1" in the itunes app store. (Be sure to include the number 1 in the search and look for the Hoppy the Dog icon.) For more detailed information or for any questions, contact the seller at hattorikun@ minos.ocn.ne.jp.
Reviewer Angelia Wood, OTR/L, is a therapist with Davie County Schools in Mocksville, NC.

NOTES:

Rating of Function for Occupational Therapists Ease of Use Relevance to OT Frequency of projected use Potential for upgrade with improvements Usefulness for therapeutic intervention with ne motor skills Usefulness for therapeutic intervention with visual motor skills Usefulness for therapeutic intervention with handwriting/reading Usefulness as OT evaluation tool Relevance for use with progress monitoring

Number of Stars out of 5

DISCLAIMER: Your doctor or therapist has given you this patient handout to further explain or remind you about an issue related to your health. This handout is a general guide only. If you have specic questions, discuss them with your doctor or therapist.