Success Stories
Lazy / Crossed Eyes
Jaxon
Before Vision Therapy Jaxson would not read anything because he couldn’t see. He also struggled with Math and slowly over time he stopped doing all his Math assignments. He also gave up on piano because he couldn’t see the notes on the page. He felt like a failure in sports because he would miss the baseball on most swings and would even miss kicking a soccer ball. After Vision Therapy life for Jaxson has become very different. For the first time in several years Jaxson does not fight to do homework. He is back taking piano lessons. How when reading as a family Jaxson will ask if he can read aloud longer. His teacher told me recently that for the first time this year, he volunteered to share and answer in Math class. Slowly, Jaxson’s self confidence in himself is being built back up. I hope to see extracurricular activities become a part of his life. Jaxson is happy again.
Maisie
Before Vision Therapy Maisie was having problems with tracking and keeping on the right line while reading. She avoided reading or had anxiety especially while reading out loud. Her fluency testing in school was always very low, and in a “needs intervention” category. She lacked confidence in her vision and abilities - while she may not LOVE reading, she enjoys it and no longer fights it. She’s still improving on speed, but it’s a night and day difference from where she was before. She struggled to stay on a line, had runny eyes that were tired with strain, but now she is able to follow chapter books without a problem. I can still see her working out how to use her new sills, but I’m very encouraged that she will just continue to improve. She went from kindergarten to first grade reading level to now being at grade level. We are thrilled!
Concussion / Brain Injury
Aleisha
Before Vision Therapy I was having problems with being able to read and comprehend. I would get headaches daily, had difficulty with coordination, and was unable to drive due to too much going on. After my initial consultation, I was given a prescription for a purple hued lens that helped limit all the “extra stuff” my eyes were taking in. This helped decrease the daily headaches as well! As a Paramedic Firefighter I use my eyes for everything. The added stress of driving, scene calls that demand attention to all details, and always being ready to go was my daily life. I had two accidents, both resulting in concussions, that made it impossible for me to continue to work, and even just daily activities at home were extremely difficult. I was able to complete a week-long “boot camp” at Cognitive FX in Provo, Utah which helped me recover and get back to normal life. I still struggled with some visual issues and was referred here. I didn’t think my eyes could be better than they were before my accidents! After the second week of therapy I was able to read and comprehend out of textbooks that the week prior I had to reread multiple times. By my third week I was able to drive almost normally without headaches or getting fatigues. Biweekly appointments and weekly homework pushed my eyes, and sometimes I became frustrated, but I saw regular improvements. The more we focused on specific issues, the better I became. I strongly recommend Vision Therapy and look forward to seeing how else I can improve from the knowledge I have learned here.
Learning Related Vision Problems
Danika
Before Vision Therapy Danika had problems with reading, writing and math. Her double vision and inability to focus right with her eyes was a horrible struggle with her. She couldn’t keep place when she was reading, and skipped over words. She couldn’t even touch an object in front of her face because of how bad her double vision was. Now, She can read like a champ, has control of her own eyes, and enjoys reading. Her Math abilities have gone all the way up, and she has so much more self confidence. She doesn’t have to wear glasses any more, and this has completely changed her life. When she started up with this, her handwriting was very very rough, due to her blurred vision. Now her writing is legible, and much more clear. She has started drawing, and is able to enjoy doing that. Vision Therapy has very much changed her life. We are so thankful for this Therapy! We finally have our Danika back!!
Riker
Before Vision Therapy Riker had problems with reading and recognizing letters to sound out words. Doing homework was always a crying battle. When it was time to do any kind of reading he would cry, say it was too hard and that he couldn’t do it. Vision therapy was hard at first and he really didn’t like the “homework.” He later started to tell us that he was noticing a difference that things like reading were getting easier. We have finished Vision Therapy now, and last night when bedtime came around I had to steal the book he was reading from him so that he would go to bed!
Micah
Before Vision Therapy, Micah had problems reading. We noticed when Micah read out loud that he would frequently skip lines. He seemed to lose his place easily. He also had terrible handwriting no matter how much he’d practice. Most concerning was the fact that he would get headaches if he read or worked too long, and he avoided writing.
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I have a nephew who is an eye therapist back east, and one day, out of curiosity, I looked up this website. There, I found a list of common signs for eye tracking and convergence problems and realized that they described Micah. We had him tested, and sure enough, he had some issues. After therapy, he doesn't complain of headaches, his handwriting is improving, and he has a much better attitude about writing. Now that I think about it, he gets motion sickness less frequently when we drive too. He has a much better attitude about school as well. The therapy practices were sometimes hard to fit into busy schedules, and he didn’t always love them, but they work!
Gabriella
Before Vision Therapy Gabriella had problems with reading. She hated reading. She skipped around the page and had a hard time keeping her place. Her reading skills degraded as the day went on. She was starting to fall behind her brother and was losing confidence in herself and her ability to do school. Since she has done Vision Therapy, she has gained confidence and the willingness to do her schoolwork. She offers to read to the family now, and even reads aloud in class or group. Her schoolwork has been done fast and with better grades. She still has some making up to do but it is up to where she can easily increase fluency with just more practice. I have confidence she will be where we both want by next school year.
Dexter
Before Vision Therapy Dexter had problems with reading and writing. These activities were very difficult and well below grade level. Copying from the board was nearly impossible. Math was hard and his attention was poor. He never participated in class, didn’t raise his hand with answers or added his voice to reading comprehension.
After Vision Therapy, his confidence has improved greatly. He always raises his hand first and feels like he’s a “Math Pro”! He surpasses his reading goal at school. He’s much more willing to participate and is less frustrated with his educational experience. Dexter can stand on one foot now!!
Teagan
Before Vision Therapy Tegan was having problems with words blurring or moving around on the page when he would read. When reading out loud he frequently skipped words or lines. He stumbled over words and struggled with poor penmanship and spelling.
He loved to read but would have to blink and shake his head often to “get the words back in the right place.
He also plays piano and struggled with sight reading and had to memorize songs to play them well. Since Vision Therapy, Teagan has noticed a huge change in reading. He rarely experiences the double or blurred vision while reading. When he reads out loud, he rarely skips lines or words and is much more fluent. In piano, his sight reading has improved, and he has noticed that the notes are easier to read.
Most of his Vision Therapy was throughout the summer so we are excited to see how this affects his classroom behavior when he goes back to school. Especially in English where he has always struggled the most to stay focused.
Hopefully he won’t get distracted so easily once the words and letters all stay in their place!
Thank you IVDC!