Vision Therapy Success Stories
Brandon (Maddox's Dad)
We are so excited for Maddox to be graduating from his Vision Therapy. When we first came to Indiana Vision, Maddox was struggling with several things that seemed to be attributed to his vision. Dr. Myers and his team were great to work with and had a great plan that they felt would really help Maddox be more successful in school and all his other ventures. We started seeing improvement in Maddox shortly after starting therapy. One place we noticed a major improvement for Maddox was in his schoolwork. He was enjoying reading again and was doing better with his handwriting. Over the summer Maddox enjoys playing baseball. His first year in the league he really struggled to hit the baseball and only hit the ball a few times the whole season. This summer after being in vision therapy Maddox was able to see the ball much clearer and he was hitting the ball almost every time he was up to bat. Therapy is a commitment from both the parents and the student, but we feel it was very worth all the hours Maddox put into being successful.
Dayne
When I started going to vision therapy, I started to realize my reading and grades picked up. My catching also got better, which makes life and school easier. My ping-pong has gotten better. I have been paying more attention in school.
Brooke (Dayne's Mom)
Dayne started vision therapy because he was putting in all the work to learn, to read smoothly, but made little progress. Therapy has steadily helped him in reading but we have also noticed big changes in his confidence, coordination, ease of schoolwork, and feeling better with fewer headaches! The more exciting change, however, was in his eye contact he would make and maintain during conversations…I didn’t realize it was something he avoided until he was making eye contact!
Dayne
When I started going to vision therapy, I started to realize my reading and grades picked up. My catching also got better, which makes life and school easier. My ping-pong has gotten better. I have been paying more attention in school.
Brooke (Dayne's Mom)
Dayne started vision therapy because he was putting in all the work to learn, to read smoothly, but made little progress. Therapy has steadily helped him in reading but we have also noticed big changes in his confidence, coordination, ease of schoolwork, and feeling better with fewer headaches! The more exciting change, however, was in his eye contact he would make and maintain during conversations…I didn’t realize it was something he avoided until he was making eye contact!
Jean (Ella's Mom)
Ella has been able to function better in school. She is less frustrated with schoolwork and enjoys learning much more than before. Her ability to understand her high school algebra is noticeably better. Her teacher has sent a few notes home and even gave her top student award in class. Ella is also less clumsy and has noted improvements in recognizing left from right.
Arlena
I have struggled with eye issues since I was 14 and sought help so many times from various eye professionals and no one seemed to understand my issues. I felt unheard, misunderstood, and crazy. My eye problems have been a source of anxiety and insecurity throughout high school, military, college, and adulthood. Basic daily tasks were a source of frustration and stress. Driving, computer work, and social situations were particularly anxiety inducing, but even simple tasks such as vacuuming and cooking were growing increasingly more frustrating up until about a year ago. I decided to try one more time to seek help and thankfully came across Dr. Myers at IVDC. For the first time in 18 years someone listened to me!!! He didn’t write me off as crazy!!! With the help of IVDC, I feel like I can live life more comfortably. I’m less anxious, more confident, and no longer feel as though my eyes are my enemies. My eyes may never function perfectly, but my quality of life has improved immensely thanks to IVDC. I am beyond grateful for their help and dedication over this past year. They have changed the rest of my life for the better!
Natalie
Thank you so much for teaching me how to get my eyes to work together. Before, the letters were moving on the page. The letters would be crowded together. I can print so much better and space between the letters. Also reading books is so much easier and fun to do.
John and Ginny (Natalie's Grandparents)
My wife and I could not figure out why our granddaughter Natalie could not read near the end of her first grade year. Finally, Natalie told us that “the words were moving around on the page and she was unable to see them.” That’s when we began searching in a ninety-mile radius of our home in Coldwater, Michigan. We got lucky, we found Dr. Myers and the Indiana Vision Development Center.
Upon the initial evaluation we were told that Natalie was suffering from “Convergence Insufficiency.” We had never heard of it so we researched it and found that Natalie had all the earmarks of this problem. We signed up for a one-year program of once a week one hour therapy sessions at the office and five days a week sessions with Natalie at home for approximately 20-30 minutes each.
We were so lucky when Natalie was assigned to Ms. Tina, who is one of Dr. Myers’ therapists. Tina was fantastic and led us through our year-long odyssey from not being able to focus at all to a happy and confident little girl who believes she can do anything. The work that Tina did was amazing in its ability to change the entire way that Natalie was able to look at the words on a page. Everything is now working together, including her eyes, her brain, and her motor senses. She has come so far in a year it is incredible.
Natalie worked so hard and Ms. Tina kept challenging her. Every time she completed a goal there was another hill to climb. Natalie kept dutifully climbing that mountain until today when she officially graduated from the program. She was so happy it made us cry.
We know that there is still a lot of work for Natalie to do, but the tools that Ms. Tina and the IVDC taught to her will always be with her and help her to be the very best that she can be.
Kason
Vision therapy is helping me read a lot better. It also helped me to focus on what I’m doing. I can see a lot better too. I have an easier time seeing the ball when I want to kick or catch it. When I am reading the words don’t move. I don’t get headaches from doing schoolwork. My memory has gotten a lot better when I need or want to remember something.
Tracey (Kason's Mom)
Kason started vision therapy struggling to read and with constant headaches. The words he tried to read were moving as he described it. He was also very clumsy, running into things or bumping things a lot. As therapy progressed, we noticed so much improvement. He now loves to read, and Kason reads a little above his grade level. The headaches have stopped. As his peripheral vision opened up, Kason also became a lot less clumsy. We have also noticed a big improvement with hand-eye coordination when he plays sports. Kason is more confident and happy.
Azander
VT helped me see the letters. VT helped me read better and focus. VT has helped me use both of my eyes. VT helped me learn.
Joshua (Azander's Dad)
I’m so grateful that we got the recommendation to have our son Azander checked out by Dr. Myers at IVDC. He was quickly able to determine that a lot of the issues Azander was struggling with were due to a visual processing disorder that began during his early years of life. I had never heard of this disorder before, but it was very reassuring to hear that over time his struggles with reading, writing, and even some behavioral issues can be resolved with vision therapy.
We were very fortunate to get Becky as our therapist and she was great working with Azander and the challenges that can go along with Asperger’s and keeping Azander focused during his sessions. It took a lot of hard work by Azander and his parents but the results have been more than worth it. Azander moved from 10-20th percentile in standardized tests to now at or above average scores. Even more importantly, Azander’s overall emotional well being around learning has completely changed. Reading used to take 2-3 times longer than other students, he would skip lines and have a lot of eyestrain, and he had numerous issues due to letter reversals.
If as a parent you have tried everything and still just don’t understand what to do to help your child, I highly recommend having them checked out at IVDC. There are not many facilities that have specialized training it takes to work through this disorder. I hope the awareness for visual processing disorders increases over time as I know there are many children out there struggling that have not been diagnosed.
Aoife (Azander's Mom)
Azander’s eye-hand coordination has improved immensely. If he slows down and puts forth effort, his writing is drastically improved. When slopping down answers, letter reversals are still there, but if focused they are improved. The vast improvement is with his body and the way it moves. Before when I didn’t know about reflex integration, his movements were choppy and uncoordinated. Now they are much more fluid and intentional. And his reading…it is so much better! His ability to comprehend has advanced due, I believe, to the fluidity at which he reads. Now, if he could just read in his head!
Olivia
Whoever needs to hear this: When I was young we knew my vision wasn’t 100% the best. My parents did everything they could for me. Our family had several appointments and at the age of five I got glasses. It almost seemed like no one knew what the problem was until we got told to go to Indiana Vision Development Center. Dr. Myers got us the miracle we had been praying for. Honestly, I was very confused but happy we could fix my problem. My therapist Tina always had a smile on her face and would always make me laugh. Tina helped me so much and I’ll forever be grateful for her. It’s not going to be easy, you’ll have to work hard, but it’s worth it. Currently I’m a junior at GHS. My family, friends, and the school administrator have always supported me from the very start and I’ll always appreciate them. I’m on high honor roll, NHS, and in SOS. There is a huge change in me. Everything is falling into place. My last thank you is to my grandma. I’m so grateful you got to take me and get McDonalds after and then school. God works in different ways and his plan for me was to find my way to IVDC.
Larry
My problem was having a lazy left eye. I started doing some eye exercises a little over six months ago. All the eye exercises that I was doing was to strengthen my left eye. Almost seven months later, I feel that my left eye is now much stronger and much improved. I feel that vision therapy really helped me. My eyes work so much better together now.
Owen
When I started therapy I wasn’t seeing the board good at school. I was having a hard time reading. I am faster. I like reading more. I’m better at baseball and basketball, too!
Janelle (Owen's Mom)
When Owen started vision therapy, he was having problems reading at school. He was behind his classmates and getting special help at school. He is now reading at grade level. He even enjoys reading now. We have noticed an overall change in his confidence level at school. He reads books that are harder just to challenge himself. We also have noticed an improvement in hand/eye coordination with both baseball and basketball. So glad that we chose to do vision therapy. Becky has been so helpful and encouraging to Owen.
Vivek (Neil's Dad)
In the beginning of the vision therapy, Neil was immature and scattered. As vision therapy progressed, his focus and concentration improved. He can now sit much longer at a time and do more reading with far better in-depth understanding of the subject. He can now work independently and finishes homework faster with minimal to no help. His handwriting has improved a lot.
He now shoots more hoops while playing basketball. His chess game has improved a lot. He now has more friends at home and at school. He gets along well with everybody.
Overall, vision therapy has helped a lot improving his focus, concentration, and understanding, as well as motor skills.
Caleb
Therapy has helped me so much. Eye therapy has helped me in my sports like my favorite, baseball. And in baseball it helped me hit the ball better, and it helped me see the ball. Eye therapy has helped me with my reading. I can read with my glasses. And eye therapy has also helped me with my writing now that my head is not so close to the paper. Eye therapy has helped me with my memory and now I can find my place better and I can find my shoes better I can play soccer. I can go faster with the ball because I can see where the ball is and I can see where I’m going at the same time. Eye therapy has helped me in tennis. I can see the ball better and I can hit the ball better too. And that has helped me!!!
Stephanie (Caleb's Mom)
We brought Caleb to vision therapy because we realized how much he was struggling with reading when he was sent home for at home learning due to Covid-19 in March of 2020. Prior to this, we thought he did not want to read at home because he was tired from school. We soon learned, not only was he tired from school – he was tired during school because his eyes were not focusing easily or tracking together.
Through vision therapy, Caleb has improved, not only with his tracking, but in so many other areas we never knew were related. He can now remember where he put things, he no longer knocks over his cup at dinner regularly, he is able to tie his shoes quicker, and he has seen improvements in baseball and tennis. So many areas of life we didn’t realize were related have been improved.
Katie (Malachi's Mom)
Malachi had been struggling for 3 years to learn his letters and learn to read. Some days he would have no trouble recognizing letters and words, and then the next day he would be in tears because he wouldn’t know what anything was.
We were finally referred to IVDC by a therapist he was seeing. When we were getting him evaluated by Dr. Myers that first visit, I nearly broke down and cried seeing how my son’s eyes were not working properly together.
Vision therapy has had such a huge impact in Malachi’s life. He is reading and gaining confidence in his ability to read words everywhere and not just in books.
We can’t thank Dr. Myers and Maggie, Malachi’s therapist, enough for their wisdom and guidance over this past year. Vision therapy changed my son’s life and we will be forever grateful.
Shannon (Annie's mom)
Since beginning vision therapy, Annabelle has fallen in love with reading! She is now able to read for long periods of time without getting tired or having headaches. Most impressively, midway through her therapy her reading scores jumped from below grade level to above grade level! The addition of her glasses with the prism helps her to walk flat feet instead of on her toes, which helps her muscle tone, coordination, and clumsiness. Last but not least, vision therapy helped her to be more coordinated with athletic activities such as catching a ball. Vision therapy did wonders for her!
Jessica
The biggest area of improvement I have seen after vision therapy is in my reading. Before vision therapy when I would read all the words would run together and be blurry and I would often get headaches from reading and my eyes would get very tired. After doing vision therapy reading became a lot easier and I enjoy reading. I get less headaches and my eyes get less tired
Annette (Jessica's Mom)
As a mom, I have noticed improvements in school, work, and sports for Jessica. She has gained confidence in her ability to understand and complete assignments. She has confidence to try new challenges. She is a hard worker and contributes to the team at Chick-fil-A. She especially gained confidence to play soccer and was a starter. She often was shy and even avoided some social situations before she had vision therapy. Her reading aloud and handwriting have improved. She is looking forward to completing the vision therapy program and utilizing what she has learned in her schoolwork, work, sports, and social life.
Mary
Vision therapy has helped my eyes to sync. Before therapy I didn’t realize I was having double vision, as well as misalignment. The prism in my glasses has helped my eyesight, focus, and a drastic cut back on the amount of headaches I was having. The exercises have helped my eyes to develop more muscle control and focus. I continue the exercises after therapy. Thank you!
Steven (Samuel's Dad)
Dr. Myers and the Indiana Vision Development team have given our son great service and wonderful attention. This experience has been our second, having used another facility approximately a year earlier. The other facility offered good services and care as well. But Dr. Myers and Becky definitely elevated the specialization Samuel required. We have noticed a difference and certain improvement with each passing month of treatment and follow-up exams. The variety of activities and exercises maintained a good interest level for Samuel while doing often times tedious tasks. We are glad to have given another round of VT a try at this facility and with these quality individuals.
We have also been very pleased and impressed with the front office staff. Bree has been our primary interaction. She is always pleasant and helpful. The scheduling has never been an issue. She also offered much help regarding insurance coverage.
Thank you Indiana Vision Development Center!
Isaac
Vision therapy helps me concentrate and helps me with baseball and helps me with math. Vision therapy helps me listen to the teacher and helps me see better and helps me balance. I did better in school. I got better at focusing in school.
Leslie (Isaac's Mom)
Over the past year we have driven one hour each way to vision therapy once a week. During each week we had Isaac complete eye/vision exercises 6 of 7 days. Isaac’s reading level at the beginning of 3rd grade was a 1.0 and at the end of the year he increased to above 3.0. Isaac has shown major changes in his ability to focus, comprehend what he reads, improved grades, improved confidence, and even made the honor roll the last three times. Isaac has also improved his hand-eye and motor coordination during baseball and basketball.
Isaac initially had blurred vision, was seeing double, words would jump around, would rub his eyes, and no longer has any trouble at all while reading. Isaac has put in the hard work, dedication, and has proven he is capable of anything. We are so proud of his accomplishments and can’t wait to see what his future holds.
Our family would like to thank the vision therapy staff for all their hard work and efforts to help Isaac on this journey. A special thanks to Becky for her skills as an amazing therapist, Dr. Myers for his expertise/care, and Bree for always being so friendly and kind.
Lydia
I started going to vision therapy because I was having a hard time reading. Vision therapy has improved my reading. I don’t get tired now when I read. It’s easier for me to catch a ball and now I can cross my eyes. The best part is that now I like reading more!
Cheryl (Lydia's Mom)
We brought Lydia to vision therapy because of her struggles with learning to read. She is the youngest of our five home-schooled children and we knew from experience that it was more difficult for her than it should be. But we did not know why. Our initial evaluation revealed that not only did Lydia need reading glasses, she could not cross her eyes and had challenges with tracking. Her eyes struggled to work together. The initial problem with b and d reversals was deeper than we realized and included not knowing her left and right. We especially appreciate how vision therapy seeks to look deeper into the challenges kids are having with things like primitive reflexes. And we love that therapy is personalized. Every patient’s program is specific to their needs. Lydia has worked very hard for the last year and though all of her struggles are not gone we have seen improvement in her tracking and her ability to read. She is retaining the words she has learned and reading is not making her tired. We are thankful for Dr. Myers and Becky!
Kendall
Vision therapy helped me read better, not have double vision, and focus better. Vision therapy also helped my handwriting get better.
Madelynne
My success in doing vision therapy is crazy. When I started my therapy my eyes got tired very easily doing schoolwork, reading, etc. I would get terrible headaches that would make it hard to focus in school, and my grades were slowly getting worse. After doing vision therapy for a few months my family and I started noticing how much better I was feeling and doing in school. Now a lot of times I didn’t want to go to therapy because I was not in a good mood and was not up for it. Some days I would come home from school crying because my day was so bad and some people at my school aren’t the nicest, but when I got to therapy and Pam opened the door she always had a smile on my face. My whole mood would change after only one hour. Even if I forgot my blue bag she never put me down. Pam always pushed me to do my best. I’m so glad I had Pam, my vision therapist.
Tereza (John Paul's mom)
My son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Before coming to vision therapy he would struggle in school, could not read or write, and struggled to even feed himself. Catching a ball was out of the question. Schoolwork was accompanied by at least 30-minute tantrums.
Vision therapy completely changed his life, and that is not an overstatement. He can focus now, tell time, use silverware, and even flip on a trampoline! His grades went from Fs to As and Bs. He can follow instructions, and has far fewer tantrums. I cannot express how thankful I am for IVDC.
Also, Mrs. Maggie rocks! She is the best therapist ever.
Alicia
Eye therapy has improved my overall vision for school and my performance in sports. I always thought my prescription for my glasses wasn’t correct and I constantly complained. I have not had the prescription issue since eye therapy. I have improved greatly in my schoolwork and recently got my state testing results. I’m currently a 7th grader with a 10th grade level in math and 8th grade level in reading. My homeroom teacher was really impressed with my overall improvements for this school year and I’m sure it is because of my eye therapy.
My coaches have noticed improvements in my balance and speed since eye therapy. I had a hard time balancing on one leg or doing simple drills that required balance. I can now balance on one leg while on my inline skates and drills are much easier for me to do.
I can now play catch with the neighbor kids without being the “clumsy” kid. Overall eye therapy has improved my day-to-day life and I’m thankful for Becky and Dr. Myers for helping me in my journey.
Lexi
Over the months of doing Vision Therapy I’ve worked really hard and noticed a few big improvements. I love to read just for fun again. I have an amazing memory. I can see better at a distance. I have 10 times less headaches. I can do homework, schoolwork, and tests easier and faster. I can also read the boards at school without being at the front of the class.
Tracey (Lexi's mom)
I have watched my daughter, Lexi, blossom into a confident young lady. She has a much easier time with homework and school in general. Lexi has gone from the middle of her class to one of the top students. She is smiling more and is taking pride in her work. Lexi was dealing with daily headaches and eyestrain, but that is so much better now. Lexi has always loved reading books. As her vision got worse, she began reading less and less. Reading became a trigger for the headaches. Now Lexi is back to devouring books just for fun! She has worked very hard with her therapy for her results. We couldn’t be more proud of her. It was worth every ounce of effort to see our daughter back to herself again!
Poiema
Reading is so much easier. I do not get headaches or blurred vision after reading or near work. I can read without getting sleepy or my eyes hurting. My handwriting has improved and I can spell much better. And I do not have double vision anymore! I can get my schoolwork done sooner so I have more time to play. I am getting more work done more easily.
Jeanette (Poiema's mom)
My vision therapy goals have been met during our time with IVDC. Originally I was seeing difficulty of the task cause her to completely lack desire for even trying. I had no idea where the struggle was coming from. Dr. Myers is a Godsend. Her reading has improved and she no longer complains of headaches. Work is not put off due to difficulty. Spelling is so much easier. I do not see the fatigue that I saw earlier. She is able to get more done and enjoys her work. We are thankful for the compassionate staff and therapists at IVDC, and are thankful for the life-changing help that they offer. Being able to read is so important. It is the cornerstone of success.
Bethany
Vision therapy has completely changed my life for the good! Before IVDC, I was in a bad car accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury. I was feeling defeated by my post-concussion syndrome symptoms. I was constantly nauseous and dizzy. I found out that a lot of it had to do with my left eye. We retrained my eye through therapy and now I no longer feel nauseous or dizzy. My therapist, Tina, was amazing and I looked forward to seeing her each week. I can’t say enough great things about IVDC. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It has truly been such a blessing in my life. I highly recommend IVDC and its services.
Anna (Mordecai's mom)
Our son came to IVDC because of difficulty learning to read. He knew letter sounds very well, but he could not apply them to new material. He is now reading to his younger brother at bedtime! School has been less difficult for him because he can read instructions independently. Independent reading has also lessened his frustration and improved his focus when doing academic tasks. This all took time and effort.
An early result of vision therapy was finally (age 8) learning to ride a bicycle on two wheels. He would also say he runs better (straighter). His dad has notice better fine motor skills when playing video games. IVDC develops these skills while also engaging new learning. We were so excited to see our son develop cursive handwriting, too! Vision therapy takes patience and often a family commitment, but it was so worth it.
Abbie (Landry's Mom)
Every year of school we saw Landry struggle a little bit more with her reading, despite excelling in every other subject. We asked a lot of questions, but no one had the answers. As a highly motivated and ambitious student, it didn’t add up that she only wanted to read books far below her grade level, that she was challenged by basic words, or that she quickly gave up.
Learning about vision therapy changed more than we could have anticipated. We had no idea that her inability to mirror activities being done right in front of her, observe details around her, or even her carsickness, all related to vision.
Less than a year of therapy now has her reading at advanced grade levels, improved her athletic awareness, and reduced her experiences with carsickness to almost nothing. For Christmas she asked for chapter books. The night I caught her reading them by flashlight when she was in bed has become one of the most significant moments in the entire process. We are incredibly grateful for all that has changed in a short time.
Elizabeth
When I first started going to vision therapy I didn’t notice much of a change at first. Now looking back I have seen so many changes. For starters I am a lot more outgoing and social. Next, I improved so much in school. I started taking better notes and paid attention better. I also improved my handwriting. One more thing I noticed was my improvement in volleyball. I have gotten better at reading the ball and reacting how I need to. Finally my attitude changed. I have been a lot more positive and energetic at school. I think eye therapy has helped me so much, and I would recommend eye therapy to others.
Ava
My vision isn’t blurry any more. I don’t mix up my Bs and Ds any more. I can read harder books.
April (Ava's Mom)
Before vision therapy, reading was extremely difficult for Ava and her comprehension wasn’t very good. She also was struggling with piano. Since therapy, her reading and comprehension has greatly improved. The difference is amazing! I honestly don’t know what we would have done had we not found out about VT. Ava’s piano teacher has also commented on how much better Ava is doing in piano. She says she has “catapulted!”
Claire
My life is much better because of eye therapy. I am able to read and keep up with my friends as we run and play. I’m able to enjoy walks, playgrounds, and bike rides. Learning to ride a bike was possible thanks to therapy. Schoolwork is much more enjoyable. Learning is actually fun now. Music lessons are much easier. Remembering information is much easier. I’m much happier, calmer, and confident. This feels like the new normal and I like this normal.
Deidra
Eye therapy has helped me get better and reading and recognizing words. I’m enjoying reading a lot more now. I have gotten more confidence in myself, in reading and at work. I have gotten better at communicating with others. I got better writing straight on a piece of blank white paper. I don’t have as many headaches as I did before eye therapy.
Norah
Before I started doing vision therapy, I was not able to see well from my right eye. My handwriting was not good and I would lose my spot while I was reading. At first vision therapy was hard because I was not used to doing exercises for my eyes and I didn’t understand how they were going to help me, but then things started to get easier. I started to feel like I could see better and the exercises were not as frustrating for me. I am glad I did vision therapy because now I can see and read better.
Daylin
Before I started eye therapy I struggled in my reading ability. But now I like to read for fun. Now that I can read faster I can learn faster. Before I started eye therapy I got sleepy and tired. But now I don’t. Now I’ll read in my spare time.
Madison
It helped me like reading more and I can write math problems in a row. I can also balance on one foot, left and right, and I can read more fluently.
My favorite part was all the activities, and I really, really, really like the trampoline. I also like the tennis ball that is on a string. I am the only one who likes Slap Tap. THE END.
Kimberly (Madison's Mom)
Madison struggled with reading comprehension, focus, and self-confidence when she began vision therapy. She also struggled to line numbers correctly when doing math. All of these things have improved significantly. Madison is now much more engaged in her academics. She is catching her own mistakes and learning from them. She now loves to read again! Madison is definitely happier and more confident in her academic abilities.
Broderic
Therapy has helped my peripheral vision, I have no headaches, and my grades have been better. I almost never get crossed eyes anymore. I also feel like I have more control over my eyes.
Shari (Cody's Mom)
I really do not know what we would have done without the help of vision therapy. My child was experiencing a lot of frustration at school, at home, and in playing sports. I was also feeling frustrated because I didn’t know how to help. His yearly progress checks at school seemed like they were always below average. With all the assistance of different services at school, I couldn’t understand why things were not improving. I spoke with one of my co-workers and found that she had taken her child to a vision therapist. She spoke highly of the different ways it helped her child. Until we did the initial evaluation, I had no idea of the different areas of testing a person’s vision. I am so glad we decided to come to vision therapy. I have noticed increased confidence and less frustration in my child. I know this will be an ongoing process for a long time, but I feel more confident on how to help him, both in school and at home.
Todd
When I first came here I was experiencing many issues. My eyestrain and headaches started getting better. I’m reading better and my comprehension is improving. Going through some of the drills didn’t make sense, but I know the staff and Dr. Carl had a game plan for me and I noticed changes for the good.
My life has changed so much thanks to caring people like all of you! I can honestly say I’m better off by going through your program.
Kahra
Vision therapy helped in many ways. Like before vision therapy my handwriting was terrible. I’m talking super sloppy, but grip work helped with that. Also reading was super hard. When I would silent read I would constantly be blinking and I would skip lines and read like it was waves. I mean I would read the right line. Then go a line below or above when really I was supposed to read one line. So a tip of advice is that vision therapy will be hard and you will regret doing it, but in the end it is all worth it.
Todd and Julie (Kahra's parents)
We started vision therapy because my daughter Kahra was continually falling behind in school. In kindergarten she was doing amazing until halfway through the school year when they had to learn how to read. All of a sudden she hated school, threw a fit when it was time to do homework, and started pretending like she was sick so she didn’t have to go. We began looking into all sorts of options to help her. We took her to a dyslexia tutor, but that didn’t seem like a good fit. We got her evaluated at school, but she was functioning just high enough that she didn’t qualify for additional assistance. Finally we took her to a neuro-psychologist who was talking so much about bipolar disorder that I knew that was not a good fit. Everyone was blaming her outbursts when it came to school and homework as a behavior problem, but my motherly instinct knew there was something else going on. Finally, 3 ½ years after we started searching for answer, we found Dr. Myers. He gave us hope that not only could our daughter overcome her learning disability, but she could actually repair her self-confidence as well.
Vision therapy has exceeded all of our expectations. When we started VT we were hoping that after our 40 sessions were over our daughter would be reading at grade level. Now, today she is at grade level for every subject! Math, English, Writing, and Reading! Not only that, but her handwriting has improved tremendously. She also is much more coordinated than she used to be. Her self-confidence has also gone through the roof. She used to have her hair in her face trying to hide all the time. We were constantly having conversations about not being shy. Now, her hair is pulled back, she walks with a pep in her step, and doesn’t know a stranger.
Although our results have been incredible, I will warn you that VT is not for the faint of heart. There were weeks we were spending up to 45 minutes per night on homework. We did therapy on vacation, while at grandparents’ houses, and even when her friends stayed the night. We decided that if we were going to do therapy, we were not going to take any short cuts, and that decision paid off in big ways.
So if you are wondering whether or not VT is for you, you really need to ask yourself if you have the self-discipline it is going to take to achieve massive results. Dr. Myers and his team will give you all the tools you need to succeed, but if you are not willing to do the work in between sessions, my guess is that your results will not be as amazing as what we have experienced.
Delani
Ever since my eye appointment in 3rd grade I didn't know my left eye was failing me. I started with just glasses and it didn't help. Then I came here and it helped so much. It wasn't that hard, it was super fun. I would recommend it to anyone that had eye problems. My left eye can see so much better than it used to. Janet was so nice to me and I hope I can see her again.
Ashley (Delani's mom)
When my daughter failed her routine school eye exam I wondered why I haven't ever had her eyes checked before. She never complained that she couldn't see well. We went to get a professional exam which ended in her getting glasses. Then her follow-up revealed she still couldn't see well out of her left eye. I felt like I failed as a mother and I didn't know how to help her. Then the doctor recommended vision therapy. I had never heard of this before, but I am so glad we gave it a try. Dr. Myers explained to us in a way we could understand what is happening. My daughter had a lazy eye and needed vision therapy to help make her lazy eye stronger and work together with her good eye. She did many different therapies including syntonics to help her vision. She can see so much better in her lazy eye. I would recommend vision therapy to anyone struggling to see. Thank you Dr. Myers and Janet for helping my daughter!
Gina
I have a newfound confidence in my day-to-day life. I always hated school because it was hard to read. I thought it was because I was dumb and couldn’t learn. But now I know that it was because of my eyes. Knowing this has helped my confidence. I have gone back to school. I never thought I could. It’s all thanks to vision therapy and the help from their staff. I’m so thankful for all their help.
Abbie
When I first started Eye Therapy, I was SO excited! I thought and still think that Maggie is the best Therapist on Earth! She helped me and my eye to get better and let me think of new and different ways to do things! She made things fun to do and didn’t let me get bored of my exercises. In the beginning I couldn’t cross my eyes, read with a metronome, or stand five steps away and read a Hart Chart. I can do all those things and many, many more. School and sports have become way easier, and I read more for fun. Playing and looking at electronics are less painful. My hand-eye coordination is better and it helps a lot!
Another good thing Maggie did was listen to me. She got excited, sad, and was/is supporting of me and my stories I had. I feel that I have learned a lot, and Maggie has learned more about horses!
Ryland
Vision therapy has helped me with my reading, my attitude, school, better grades. Better handwriting for cursive, vision on the screen. Better eyesight for anything really. And that's how vision therapy has improved my eyesight.
Louisa (Ryland's mom)
Vision therapy has helped my 11-year-old son to love reading again. Over a year ago, I noticed he wasn't reading for enjoyment anymore. After a while not at all. Homework time had become a fight and my child who had always loved school didn't like it so much anymore. His behavior had changed as well. He seemed angry and frustrated all the time.
Since starting vision therapy last March, all that has changed. Slowly we started seeing changes. He is reading for school and for fun. Homework time is not so challenging. His attitude about just about everything is better. He loves school again and his grades have gotten better!
Brody
Vision therapy has helped me with a lot of different things. I can catch balls easier. I can throw footballs and basketballs better than before. I can read better than before and write better. My handwriting has improved a lot and I can write cursive now. I can write my name in cursive. I don't skip words or sentences anymore when I am reading. I like to read more now than I used to. I now understand what I am reading while I am reading.
Steph (Brody's mom)
Vision therapy has been a life-saver for my 9-year-old son. He struggled through kindergarten and first grade with reading, comprehension, and spelling. We had tried many different resources but didn't have any luck. Thankfully, his summer school teacher after his first grade year suggested that he see Dr. Myers due to tracking issues.
After testing with Dr. Myers, there were a number of things diagnosed for my son and it all made sense at that point. My son has improved in many different areas. Not only has his reading, writing, and comprehension improved, he can now tie his shoes, he can catch a baseball without getting hit in the face, and he is not nearly as clumsy as he used to be. My son's reading has improved by a lot; he no longer skips words or sentences, and he can now actually comprehend what he is reading. The only way he could comprehend before we started vision therapy was if someone was reading to him. His handwriting is 100% better. He now writes in a straight line and not all over the page. My son's confidence level is so much better now that he conquered and persevered through this last 15 months of vision therapy. We cannot thank Dr. Myers, Becky, and the staff at IVDC enough for all they have done to help my son achieve all these wonderful accomplishments!
Ben
I would do vision therapy because it helps you see what is around you. I can do lots of cool stuff now. I don't knock stuff down anymore. Life is better now. I hope you do good in vision therapy. I can do cool stuff with my eyes. I can do sports better. I don't get hit with stuff anymore.
Andrea (Ben's mom)
We began our adventure seeking support for our 2nd grader after we had noticed a growing concern of inverting letters and numbers, struggling to read the smallest words, and high levels of frustration in and out of the classroom. After visiting a general practitioner, a neuropsychologist, and an ophthalmologist the only thing we had in hand was essentially "let your son be average," a diagnosis of mild ADHD, and a confirmation of 20/20 vision. Yet my son could read the word "adventure" and not the words "he," "it," "she," or "and." He could repeat entire stories that I read to him in great detail, but he couldn't tell me what was in the last sentence he had attempted to read.
We arrived at Indiana Vision Development Center with a frustrated child who was tired of discussing his struggles with others. Thankfully, we finally came out of an appointment with a diagnosis that made sense: convergence insufficiency. After a year of vision therapy, my son is in a completely different state of mind. He loves to read and has been recognized at school for it. He has gone from failing spelling to achieving an A+ on his last report card. The excessive bathroom breaks and constant movement in the classroom to avoid working have disappeared. No longer do we receive bi-weekly emails from his teacher with concerns and complaints about his behavior. Instead we receive praises and compliments on his growth and his compassion. Yes, we still see an occasional letter flip or have a day where it's harder for him to focus. However, I welcome the latest teacher complaint - Ben needs to focus a little more on his classroom work before he picks up that irresistible book that he now carries with him everywhere. That's something that I can celebrate in and then discuss with him balancing schoolwork with personal reading.
Aly
Rich and Alexis (Aly's parents)
Aly struggled her entire life with the vision problem and thank goodness we found Dr. Myers and his team! Over the last 10 months we have seen a vast improvement in her vision/daily living. Coordination, balance, moods, focusing has improved greatly. Her ability to excel in sports has been tremendous. We believe this is what makes her the happiest of all! With her struggles her whole life, Aly has been an excellent student and we can see that her work is done more efficiently and quicker. All of these vast improvements didn't come easily for Aly, however, she was dedicated at putting all of her effort into becoming better. We are so proud of her! Thanks again for all for the support you have given her over this past year! It has been a long road, but so worth the end product.
Taylor
When I was in sixth grade I played soccer. When we were at practice one day, I got hit in the head and woke up on the ground. I suffered a concussion. That is when the doctor noticed my eye problem. My right eye would not follow my left eye. I suffered from headaches on a regular basis and it was affecting my personal and social life.
Once I started vision therapy, it helped me immensely. Before, I was a struggling 'B' student in math, but now I am a straight 'A' student and now enjoy math. I also was able to go off my migraine/headache medicine completely! Other improvements I see are less motion sickness, better reading and handwriting, better balance, and overall better self-confidence...now I will be ready for high school and college!
Kelly (Taylor's mom)
After suffering a sports-related concussion, we started to notice Taylor struggling more academically, as well as suffering from headaches on a regular basis. She has been doing vision therapy for nine months and I have seen a huge change! She is getting straight 'A's as she prepares for high school. She also gets fewer headaches...Thank you to Dr. Myers and his team of therapists who worked so hard to help my daughter!
Nancy
After 20 weeks of vision therapy, I do see improvement with my vision goals. I am able to get more done with less visual effort - my eyes don't seem to need to work as hard when doing visual work. My handwriting has also improved - I would often write with a combination of printing and cursive when needing to take notes or get information down on paper quickly - that no longer seems to be the case.
Another improvement I have noticed is my concentration. I am better able to focus and concentrate on given tasks, whereas before this was often a challenge. My speed of performance has also somewhat improved.
Finally, one of the most significant improvements I've noticed is with parallel processing and/or improvement with feelings of being overwhelmed when multiple tasks , responsibilities, and/or events are happening at once.
I believe vision therapy has given me the tools (with all the visual exercises) to help with my vision concerns, and will continue using them to further strengthen and improve my concentration, reading comprehension, parallel processing without being overwhelmed, and speed of performance.
"...Vision therapy works!"
Jer
I was having vision issues due to retinopathy. The vision in my right eye was weaker, so it began to drift inward and cause double vision. Due to the issues, I had some difficulty driving and maintaining vision control at long distances. Over the course of vision therapy, I learned exercises to help strengthen my eyes and get better control of my eyes. I also received the proper prescription in my glasses through the exams Dr. Myers conducted. Overall, everyone at the Indiana Vision Development Center is very helpful. Pam, my vision therapist, did a great job teaching and helping me through all exercises and the program. At the completion of the program, I have more control of my eyes, stronger eyes, and no more double vision! Vision therapy was a great experience and Dr. Myers and his team were a huge help!
Dane
Joni (Dane's mom)
I have seen big improvements in Dane. He is more willing to try new things. He enjoys reading more. His writing is so much better. Before therapy, his words all ran together with big and little letters. It was not readable. he has always been pretty good in sports, but he improved quite a bit in baseball. Dane had one eye that didn't see 20/20 even through his glasses. With therapy it has allowed that eye to turn on. We patched his weak eye for years with little success.
Parker
Before vision therapy I played soccer and it was very hard for me to follow the ball and adjust accordingly. I would also play video games and my eyes would become very sore and water. I could only play for a short amount of time. Now after vision therapy I am doing a lot better in sports and I can play video games for a longer amount of time.
Annette (Parker's mom)
My son Parker was having headaches and difficulty reading. His ability to concentrate on tasks had decreased after he had a concussion. We tried vision therapy because of what we read about it on the website. He has shown improvement in his reading and was able to attend college. He is headache-free. His attitude and ability to balance life's demands have improved. He was faithful to attend his therapy sessions and do his homework associated with therapy. This improved his maturity level and personal feelings of self-worth. Overall, he has more confidence and has taken good risks and accomplished a great deal at work, sports, and school.
Dalton
Ever since I have been doing VT my grades have improved and my comprehension is much better. My left eye is more controlled and it makes my sports better. Headaches are not coming anymore!! I actually like reading now and I read whole books...and that is my success story.
Theresa (Dalton's mom)
Dalton has greatly improved in school and in sports after completing Vision Therapy. He enjoys reading and sometimes will pick up a book without being told to. He has better grades in school. We continue to see improvements with reading comprehension and math. He will be playing baseball this spring and has already increased his accuracy with batting and catching.
Heidi
In November of 2016 I was in a car accident that left me with whiplash and a prolonged concussion, etc. When Preliminary Concussion Therapy did not clear up my bad headaches and vestibular issues, the doctor recommended me to Dr. Myers at Indiana Vision Development Center. Through the year of therapy there has been much improvement with my vision. I no longer have double vision. My right eye is tracking along with my left eye now. My reading has improved, as for much of the time after the car accident I avoided reading because of the headaches and visual disturbances. I can drive and ride in the car for longer periods than a year ago; I hope that continues to improve because I used to do the majority of driving on road trips. My concentration and cognitive abilities have improved so much in the last few months. After the accident, I felt shut off from my life because I was not able to follow conversations or be around noise or much busy activity. But now I feel more like myself than I have since that life-changing event in November of 2016.
Thank you so much to the team at Indiana Vision Development Center for helping me progress to this point! Thank you Dr. Myers for your knowledgeable understanding of what each patient needs and your kindness in executing it. Thank you Becky for challenging me each week in ways that have been so good for my brain. I am so grateful to you all!
Jacqueline
Since I started vision therapy I enjoy reading more. The words don't move on the page any more! My balance is also better. My eyes don't get as tired now when I read or do school work. Before therapy I couldn't even cross my eyes!
JK (Jacqueline's mom)
Since Jacqueline started vision therapy last year, her reading comprehension has greatly improved. She is able to focus and concentrate on school work for longer periods of time. She also does not complain of headaches all the time anymore. Jacqueline is also less fidgety when sitting. Now she rarely mixes up numbers or letters when doing work.
It has not been an easy year for us and it took a lot of time and effort, but it was very much worth it! School goes so much more smoothly and she is retaining what she is learning so much better. I cannot even imagine what we would have done without vision therapy for Jacqueline!
JK
When my daughter, Jacqueline, started vision therapy, I began to learn a lot about vision that I previously did not know. I realized that I was having problems of my own beyond my very nearsightedness.
Since starting my own vision therapy journey, I have had my headaches almost completely disappear, my driving has improved, and I am able to enjoy reading for longer periods of time again without falling asleep. With my therapy as well we have been able to lower my contact prescription quite significantly, which is something I thought could never happen!
As someone who honestly felt like I was going blind, vision therapy has helped me understand my vision better and how much vision can affect your daily life. I'm so thankful we found vision therapy; it has helped my daughter and me immensely.
Kyle
Before beginning vision therapy, I had much difficulty controlling, directing, and coordinating my eyes together. This hindered my reading comprehension and often my eyes would water or I would lose my place in the book. I could not cross my eyes, nor focus very well, before vision therapy. None of these problems are present anymore; a sure sign that great work has been accomplished by Dr. Myers' business.
I also have to mention my spectacular therapist, Ms. Janet. I cannot commend her enough for her patience, cheerfulness, and encouragement. She worked so hard to improve my vision and diminish my difficulties, and deserves this credit. Thank you to all the V.T. staff for their hard work and dedication - you have undoubtedly changed my life.
Missy (Kyle's mom)
While Kyle has always been a good student, I think that vision therapy has helped him to improve his reading comprehension and has reduced the number of small errors that he would make in math. He seems to be able to get his work done quicker as well. He has a greater interest in sports and has better coordination. Before he began his therapy, he could not skip, so you can imagine that other, more complicated movements would be out of the question. He also seems to understand verbal instructions better and does not get confused with left and right any longer. I am sure that there are other subtle improvements that I haven't noticed. I am grateful that he has had this opportunity, and my only wish is that we had learned about vision therapy sooner.
Joe
Vision therapy has helped me a lot. Before VT, sports were hard. Now I can catch and throw better. Playing sports is easier now. I used to get headaches but now they don't come at all. VT has helped my handwriting. It used to be sloppy and hard to do, but now it is easier. Sarah helped me increase my vision. She is very nice. I am thankful that VT is helping my eyes.
Jacqui (Joe's mom)
Vision Therapy changed my son's life. We have seen dramatic results this past year. My son struggled with periphery and fine and gross motor skills, which we didn't realize were tied into his vision and primitive reflexes. His periphery is expanded; he is no longer seeing the world through straws, and consequently, he doesn't fall down like he used to, and he can catch a ball better. His confidence in sports has skyrocketed, and he initiates playing sports now. He is less frustrated by tedious tasks and will take the time to complete them.
One of the biggest changes for him is his handwriting. His handwriting was nearly unreadable as a second grader. Now it is easier for him to write (and see the lines and edges of the paper), and his penmanship is legible. I've included pictures of before and after. One of the greatest things about vision therapy for me as a parent is that I felt listened to, understood, and validated by the staff at Indiana Vision Development Center. As a special education teacher, I know that some of the behaviors my son was exhibiting at school weren't what others were saying they were (ADHD, immaturity, etc.) It has been comforting to find and organization who saw my son's outward signs of primitive reflexes for what they are and have given him the exercises to overcome them. He is much more focused now and attentive in school. Thank you, Dr. Myers and the staff at IVDC, for the weekly encouragement we felt from you and for the way you changed my son's life.
Landon
Bethany (Landon's mom)
Landon has always been a great student who has tried very hard. Five or six years ago, we noticed that reading was becoming/remaining a struggle despite our efforts of assistance. At that time his younger brother was surpassing him in ability, despite his best effort. At that time we had him evaluated with Dr. Myers. He recommended therapy at that time but we put it off because of cost and time commitment. I truly thought with maybe more phonics development, one-on-one reading, increased reading time, etc. we would see more improvements. While he was still progressing, he was still taking a long time to read (on tests), or we were compensating by my reading aloud to him.
We returned to Dr. Myers' office in 2018 for an eval again. Therapy was recommended again so we started right away. He has had so much growth over the past seven months in his reading. He has completely read 30-page chapters in Science, where this was overwhelming last year (with improved comprehension). I am so glad our family committed to this therapy! With him being older he was very independently disciplined knowing that he wanted to be able to read better. Our therapist was Pam, who has many years of experience. She was a perfect match for our son and very encouraging along the way.
Allisyn
Miss Sarah was so kind and patient with me. She really wanted me to get better. I am more confident now. I can read faster and remember more. My writing is better and so are my grades. The end.
Lindsay (Allisyn's mom)
Allisyn is our 2nd child to go through this program. Allisyn had difficulty in kindergarten doing basic classroom work. She struggled in every aspect, including socially. Allisyn hated school and every day was a struggle. After talking with her teacher, we decided to have Alli tested. Allisyn was actually worse than her sister was! Miss Sarah was wonderful adapting to Allisyn and her personal needs and goals. Allisyn quickly came to trust Sarah and started to really enjoy their sessions. Alli currently is reading at grade level, reading is more enjoyable to her, she remembers more and enjoys school now. Alli also talks with her teacher with more confidence and has more control over her lazy eye.
Max
I feel that vision therapy has helped me in many ways. Here are some examples on how I have improved. First, I have noticed that in reading I've skipped over a few words. Now I noticed what I've skipped. I can also read a bit more smoothly as well. Another way it has helped me is in school, I can take notes easier because I can look at the board then back at my notes. I can also control my eye movements when they shift or focus. I can also do better in sports, too. I can hit targets better in karate. Finally, I can improve my confidence because I can work hard and not give up. I feel proud of myself for improving in lots of stuff I couldn't do before.
Avery
I feel like my handwriting has gotten a lot better since I started vision therapy. I can also read faster and remember what I am reading better. My grades have improved in this time, and I haven't had a lot of headaches. I used to mix up writing down numbers (like my calculator would say 57298 and I would write down 52798), but I don't do that anymore. I feel like I'm putting more effort into my schoolwork, and I spend more time on it. I read more often, and I have less eyestrain. I feel like I remember more things, and I rarely leave things in my locker anymore. When I first started Vision Therapy, deep down inside I felt that it wouldn't help me at all, but now that I've done it, I can see how it has changed me. I realize how I have gotten better at a lot of things in these past months.
Sam
Going into eye therapy I didn't think it would work. I figured I would struggle with my eyes forever, but that changed. There was a ton of hard work every week and it took a lot of commitment, but it was worth it. Reading for even five minutes would give me a bad headache, but I don't get that anymore. Now that I know how to use my eyes, I am able to read with less pain and for longer periods of time. I have noticed certain skills with my eyes have improved over time. I understand how to use convergence and divergence, which is a cool thing to do. Sometimes when I read, some text disappears and I couldn't do anything about it. It became extremely frustrating. Through eye therapy, I found that it is one eye suppressing so I can't see that image. I know now that I have a way to stop that from happening. I may not be the best or fastest reader in class, but I may be the most efficient. Eye therapy has overall improved my quality of life in school and I would recommend this to everybody.
Carter
Jennifer (Carter's mom)
Carter is our third child who has received vision therapy with Dr. Myers and his staff. Carter had many obstacles he has overcome to become an independent reader and successful student, however, with the guidance and support of his vision therapist he was able to improve his focusing and convergence, which allowed him to see and track print much more efficiently. Carter's reading accuracy, rate, and fluency have greatly improved, and he is now reading on grade level! Carter's understanding of direction and position has improved as well. His number of visual reversals has decreased and with attention given to his handwriting skills, his letter formation and spacing has improved significantly. While I am very happy with the improvements that relate to improved academic performance, what gives me the greatest joy and satisfaction as a mother is seeing my son happy again. Carter's self-esteem and self-confidence have greatly improved. I believe non of this would have been possible without the benefits he received through completing vision therapy.
Nevaeh
Vision therapy has helped me a lot at school. I am able to read better. It used to take me a long time to read a book and I didn’t like to read at all! Now I can read a book pretty fast and it’s not so bad. School is much easier now and I have a lot of new friends this year. Writing was really hard for me before I completed therapy. It has been a lot easier to write and spell. My grates are better and school is more fun now! I’m thankful for Dr. Myers and vision therapy!
Lisa (Nevaeh's mom)
Vision therapy has helped our daughter so much. She used to dread going to school and hated reading. Since vision therapy she has started really enjoying school. Her grades are much better and she has much more confidence in herself. I have noticed that she has many more friends in school and has become more social. We are so thankful we were able to find the problem and fix it so our daughter can thrive in school and enjoy it!
Josiah
I feel like I improved with not as many headaches. I don’t get carsick hardly at all anymore. I can read small print now. It seems like my depth perception has gotten better than it was. I see one of everything!! Thanks for helping with my vision. It has helped a lot.
Sarah (Josiah's mom)
Josiah is able to read! Before vision therapy he could only read large print with large spaces between lines. Now, he can read anything and he enjoys it too! When he reads loud it is smoother and with more expression, while before it was very choppy and monotone. Before, he frequently got headaches and easily got carsick. Both of those are gone or very rare. Before, I was scared for his future success, now he can do anything and his future success is bright!
John
Benjamin and Rachel (John's parents)
Our son, John, did a year of vision therapy in 2014 when we lived in another state. During this first round of vision therapy he had tremendous improvements in many areas we did not expect. Before vision therapy he could not throw or catch a ball or do jumping jacks. After vision therapy he could. He had been in speech therapy for 3 years without much progress saying words clearly. After 2 months of vision therapy he began speaking more clearly and after 4 months of vision therapy he graduated from speech therapy. We never expected that benefit of vision therapy! He went from a preschool reading level to a first grade reading level. His handwriting improved some. He did not graduate from vision therapy at that time, but the doctor there recommended spending more time teaching him to read and returning for more vision therapy after a year or two if we felt he needed more. At that time we moved to Fort Wayne and after getting settled we felt he needed more vision therapy. He saw Dr. Myers for an evaluation and began therapy at Indiana Vision Development Center in February 2018.
Dr. Myers and his therapists had a much more academic program than John did previously. He was older now and this was very beneficial for him. He also was assigned more home exercises than he did before. He had integrated some of his primitive reflexes during the first round of vision therapy, but he was assigned work on two primitive reflexes this time. It took an entire year for him to fully integrate those two reflexes.
John’s grandparents that live in another state visited after John had done a few months of vision therapy. They noticed that he was reading signs as they drove around town. He had never done that before. We realized that the whole world was now open to him that previously he was not able to participate in.
The biggest milestone that I remember was the day that he read the ice cream flavors and chose what flavor he wanted. After needing someone to read choices for 12 years, he chose a flavor that I had never heard of before, just because he could. He began asking for his own menu at restaurants and choosing what he wanted to order.
The most impressive improvement was in reading. He went from a first grade reading level to a fifth grade reading level. Today he read 150 words per minute in a fifth grade reading assignment. He is currently enjoying reading a fifth grade level book that he chose.
After he was in vision therapy a few months he mention that the Sunday school teacher had asked him to read aloud during class. I knew that they had a substitute teacher that day that did not know he was not reading at grade level. I asked him what he did. He replied that of course he read what he was asked to read and only needed help with one word. I was shocked that he was able to do this. Being able to do this really improved his confidence, especially in front of his peers.
We expect graduation from vision therapy after 14 months of therapy. He only missed a couple of sessions and I don’t think we ever missed doing exercises at home 5 days a week. It was a big commitment for both John and his parents to devote so much time for therapy. In the middle of therapy we bought a house and fixed it up over a couple of months before moving in. Some of the equipment for exercises had to go back and forth between houses so that we could do exercises when we had free time at whichever house we were. Those were the craziest days of exercises, but it was all worth it.
John is planning to do basketball, tennis, and track camps this summer. We are also planning to have him take an online reading course this summer to continue his progress. I am not sure he would have the confidence to do the sports camps without vision therapy. I know he would not be enrolled in a middle school level reading course at this point without vision therapy.
We are so thankful to Dr. Myers and Becky and the other staff at Indiana Vision Development Center for all their help.