The Wow Vision Therapy Blog

Vision and Learning - What every parent should know

A brand new and uniquely informative video from some of the leading US experts in the field of developmental vision who speak about the human brain and how vision problems can lead to reading and learning problems. This video also features one of Wow Vision Therapy's patients, Reece and her father David who tells her story before and after vision therapy throughout interesting segments of the entire video. Dr. Fortenbacher, Founder, of Wow Vision Therapy is also a contributing expert in this important public awareness VisionHelp video.

  

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

Jayce's Story...from struggle to confidence

Jayce's Story...Hear from a young boy's mother how vision therapy gave him a new outlook on reading and learning. Like so many children, when struggle turns to ease and success the emotional outcome is confidence! Too many children fight a senseless struggle with vision problems that affect reading and learning. If you agree we hope you will  share Jayce's story.

 

 

Wow Vision Therapy: Using Skype to Treat Patients Long-Distance

Using Skype to help a long distance patient have access to care is an emerging new technology at Wow Vision Therapy. In this short video, we show our patient James and his parents, Joel and Gina, and their 700 mile journey of success as James completes his Skype vision therapy treatment. — at Wow Vision Therapy.

 

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. 

Is it Autism or a Vision Problem?

At age 6.3 Hendrick was referred by his occupational therapist in South Bend, IN with a diagnosis of PDD NOS and high functioning autism. At his first examination with Dr. Fortenbacher, his mother reported that Hendrick would "melt down" when it came to reading and writing! His diagnosis was accommodative dysfunction, oculomotor dysfunction and delays in visual processing. In this video you will see Hendrick in action during vision therapy and hear his mother talk about his progress after only 21 sessions.

 

On Monday, November 12, 2012, Patricia Lemer, M.Ed will be in South Bend, Indiana lecturing on autism and vision and other related aspects. Her all-day PESI lecture is entitled: IN Vision Issues in Autism: More Than Meets the Eye Seminar. In addition, the Clinic Director from Wow Vision Therapy,   Lindsey Stull, O.D., FCOVD will be attending and offering some examples of vision therapy activities.

Lindsey Stull, 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

Severe Convergence Insufficiency - treatment prevents a lifetime of struggle

Thanks to his primary care optometrist who identified, diagnosed and referred for proper treatment, this young boy was able to find the help he needed. Ian presented to Wow Vision Therapy with a severe form of Convergence Insufficiency (CI). This condition if not identified and treated would have led to a lifetime of struggle.

 

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCVOD