The Wow Vision Therapy Blog

Specialized treatment comes to Grand Rapids for children who struggle from vision and learning problems

One in 12 children struggle with serious vision problems that cause reading and learning problems yet those same children will pass the standard vision tests. Collin is one of these children who endured the struggle with frustration and lowself-esteem, but with his office-based optometric vision therapy treatment he has blossomed with new abilities and confidence!

 

 

Wow Vision Therapy is recognized as one of top specialty vision therapy practices in the US and is now open in Grand Rapids, Michigan on East Beltline! For more information take a look at our website at www.wowvision.net .

 

You can also learn more details on the impact of vision problems affecting learning by reading Dr. Fortenbacher’s VisionHelp article: How does it feel to have a vision related reading or learning problem?

 

A young girl's life of frustration when misdiagnosed with ADD

Frustrating? Yes. Upsetting? Of course! When a bright young lady has struggled for years at school, only to be assumed she had ADD. And just because her teacher suggested her behavior was probably ADD does not mean her teacher was at fault. Her behavior did look like ADD! But that is where the problem lies, because this is a common assumption made by many people when a child has behaviors of poor attention and concentration with reading. Immediately ADD or ADHD comes up and the child is too often put on psycho-stimulant medication without the necessary rule-outs of other conditions.

But thanks to Madison’s pediatrician who performed a simple test of Madison's binocular vision called a Near Point of Convergence Test, she found Madison had a vision problem called Convergence Insufficiency, a vision problem that affects 1 in 12 children, and referred her to see me for a comprehensive binocular vision evaluation. Take a look and hear from Madison’s mother, who tells the story about her daughter’s struggle with attention and concentration at school, disinterest in reading and loss of confidence transform into her success from the treatment of her binocular vision problems through advanced vision therapy care at Wow Vision Therapy.

   

Madison's story of success through office-based optometric vision therapy is validated in the latest scientific research  and published in: Optom Vis Sci. 2012 January ; 89(1): 12–18, Improvement in Academic Behaviors Following Successful Treatment of Convergence Insufficiency.

In addition, more evidence of Madison's successful treatment is outlined by the American Academy of Optometry published in August 2013 a position paper entitled,  American Academy of Optometry Binocular Vision, Perception, and Pediatric Optometry Position Paper on Optometric Care of the Struggling Student for parents, educators, and other professionals.

If you are located within Northern Indiana, Western or Southwestern Michigan and have a child who exhibits ADD-like behaviors, struggles in reading comprehension, homework is a battle, has headaches with reading or has other learning related difficulty, call our office and our patient care coordinators will help you by making an appointment with one of our Board Certified Doctors.  If you are not within the region of Wow Vision Therapy go to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development at www.covd.org and click on the Doctor Locator to find a specialist nearest you.

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D.,FCOVD

New video answers common questions about vision therapy

One of the major obstacles in public awareness of Convergence Insufficiency is that this condition is clearly not a household word. Parents whose school-age child is newly diagnosed with CI frequently will ask, “Why did no one recognize this in my child earlier?” 

To address this  common question, our office has produced a video, entitled: Looking Inward: The Vision Therapy Treatment of Convergence Insufficiency  to help bring about a better understanding for diagnosis and effective treatment of this common and yet potentially disabling binocular vision problem...Convergence Insufficiency. 

Headaches and vision problems...a patient perspective

When a child has trouble with binocular vision they will often experience headaches associated with reading and doing homework. But, who to say it better than the patient? In this 1.5 minute short video you will hear 6 of our patients tell their stories! Too many kids struggle with this treatable condition.

 

While this may seem fairly obvious that vision problems can cause headaches, recently a news story surfaced suggesting that there was research that implied that children "headache problems" are not usually vision based. In response, Dr. Leonard Press, one of the country's leading experts in developmental vision, wrote these 4 articles and posted them on the VisionHelp Blog which outlines the flawed research.

Giving The Public A Headache

Giving the Public A Headache – Part 2: Murky Evidence

Giving the Public A Headache: Part 3 – CISS My Ask

Giving the Public A Headache – Part 4: The Half-Life of Facts

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCOVD

What can Vision Therapy do for you?

In our effort to continue to improve the patient and public awareness of what vision therapy can do to help those with a need, we offer this, our latest video which answers many of the questions that, over the years, patients have often asked us. It is entitled: What can Vision Therapy do for you?

 

 

Audrey walks taller thanks to vision therapy!

Binocular vision problems, like convergence insufficiency, can slowly and insidiously rob children of their confidence and self-esteem. The impact of years of near-centered visual stress causing headaches, double vision and loss of productivity in reading and homework took a toll on Audrey. Vision therapy at Wow Vision Therapy successfully restored full binocular visual function, eliminated her headaches and other symptoms. As a result Audrey is happier because she can accomplish more in less time. As her mother states, "Since vision therapy, Audrey walks taller!"

Dr. Fortenbacher frequently writes on the topic of Convergence Insufficiency for the VisionHelp Blog. Click here to read more from Dr. Dan.

 

Convergence Insufficiency (CI) or more severe forms such as strabismus is not just "kid stuff"

Binocular vision problems like Convergence Insufficiency (CI) or more severe forms such as strabismus is not just "kid stuff". It affects adults equally as well. The result of a binocular vision problem can have a serious impact on an adult's quality of life including the fundamentals of reading or in the case of more advanced forms, lead to deficiencies in perception of 3-D vision.

In this VisionHelp Podcast Episode 2 you will hear from two of the world's leading experts, Dr. Leonard J. Press and Dr. Susan Barry. VisionHelp Blogger and prolific author, Dr. Leonard Press, joins the program to discuss this years American Optometric Association (AOA) and presentations regarding 3D technologies and binocular vision.  Dr. Sue Barry, a professor of Neurobiology and author of the book, Fixing My Gaze a Scientist's Journey into Seeing in Three Dimensions, discusses her history with Strabismus and how, through vision therapy, she was able to achieve stereopsis as an adult.

 

Convergence Insufficiency (CI)is an example of a non-strabismic binocular dysfunction that affects 1 in 12, but not Jacob...not anymore!  In this video Jacob describes how he no longer has double vision or headaches with classroom reading, homework assignments and computer tasks.  Better yet, he is now able to read in the car and not get sick! Vision therapy successfully treated Jacob's binocular vision
problem and thus he is on his way to having a great senior year in High School!

 

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCOVD

Historic Program at AOA Annual Meeting on 3-D Technology

We would like to recognize and commend the American Optometric Association for this groundbreaking program at the AOA Annual Meeting in Chicago last week. This historic program shows how 3-D technology is providing a mechanism to advocate and find help for patients with binocular vision problems. Check out this 5th segment in a five part series written by Dr. Leonard Press for the VisionHelp Blog. Truly a remarkable advancement for the profession and for patient care!

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D, FCOVD