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Located 2 miles east of the expressway on 23 Mile Rd
In the Spectrum Professional Building in New Baltimore, Michigan

Vision Therapy Center at New Baltimore Optometry
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Success Stories

Hayden's Reading Improvement Story as Told by His Mother, Amy

Hi! My name is Amy. My son Hayden is a patient in the Vision Improvement program. Jamie was his therapist. And I want to tell you a little bit about what Vision Therapy did for my son and for our lives. When we first started exploring what was going on with my son, we noticed that we saw some things that we thought maybe Vision Therapy could or could not help with. We have been through several years of Physical therapy and Occupational therapy, and we weren’t seeing the results that we wanted to, and the things that he was learning those skills were not sticking. So, we went to see Jamie for an evaluation and we noted some things. My son was clumsy, bumping into walls, tripping pretty much over nothing, stairs were a major challenge for him. He couldn’t tie his shoes, ride a bike, he had trouble pouring anything without spilling it all over. When he would read, he would tire very quickly. His eyes would become kind of watery and red, and he would rub them, he would squint when he was watching certain things. When he was reading, we would notice he was also skipping sentences and small words like I or as. He would sometimes reverse words, so the word was would become saw or vice versa. He would also sometimes repeat sentences thinking that he hadn’t read it yet. He couldn’t ride a bike. His movements were not very well coordinated and he could not tell his left from his right. He had a lot of reversals when he was writing. He had Bs, Ds, Ps, and Qs that were reversed on a regular basis. It was quite concerning, we would take him to the playground and he would prefer to sit and play with the wood ships because the playground equipment was intimidating to him. He didn’t have the visual skills to master that. So, he was just uncomfortable when his friends are playing, he would sit aside.

So, one of the first things we noticed was that Hayden started to have fewer accidents. He would not trip as much, he would not bump into walls, and just about maybe 3-4 weeks in he started saying that things were popping out at him which we figured out meant his stereoscopic vision was starting to come in to place for him. He was able to see things in 3D. And that seem to be the start of his improvements in terms of skills. So, he started to learn how to tie his shoes which he can now do without a problem. He also started to actually want to pour things, so he was able to start learning how to pour milk in cereal, basic things to help with self-care. He even started to be able to brush his teeth better and figure out how to floss his own teeth. His movements started to gradually get better and better.

Hayden gained the skills he needed to be able to navigate stairs much more easily so, he could actually walk up and down them without going very very slow, and without the fear that he had before. He had the visual skills to now recognize the movements he needed to make to get up and down those stairs without the fear. One of the things with Hayden and Vision Therapy was that Hayden has what’s called a fourth nerve palsy in his right eye which means it’s very difficult for his eye to turn in and down on the right side. So, going into Vision Therapy we knew there was a risk that it may not be as successful for him but we actually were successfully able to expand the angle in which his able to successfully turn his eye and have the eyes team together, and work together appropriately. That was a huge deal because one of the things I always feared was there’s going to have a time when his getting into a car and I didn’t want him to have visual issues with driving. So, that’s been a huge improvement, his eyes now seem to stay together at all times. Usually when he’s sick or tired, we might able to see a little bit of the misalignment come back in a play but in general they look great!

Hayden’s reading also took off with Vision Therapy and he started to read books for enjoyment. When he was little, he wasn’t an early reader but he loved to read. As the letters got smaller and closer together, reading became a struggle and his love of reading seemed to diminish. With Vision Therapy, he started to enjoy reading again, he would pick up books, and he started to read chapter books. He would read for longer and longer periods of time and his eyes didn’t tire as quickly as before. His wasn’t rubbing his eyes, nor were they red and glossy, and reading actually became an enjoyable activity for Hayden again.

Hayden used to make a lot of little errors when he would read. He would skip sentences or repeat sentences or he would reverse a word. We saw these things diminish with Vision Therapy. Hayden was able to keep track of where he was reading in the text; he was no longer reading the same sentence again or skipping and trying to figure out what he had just read because he had skipped an entire section. He reversed words less and less as well...

When Hayden finished Vision Therapy, we felt that his visual skills were cemented in and we felt it was a good time to try Occupational Therapy. And with that, we noticed that right away there were great skills that were sticking with him this time, and one of the things that he learned to do was ride a bike without training wheels so, he can do that now. We also noticed that the skills he was taught at OT this time stayed with him because he was able to use his visual processing correctly and he was able to learn how to climb, and do other things that before had been a challenge for him.

Prior to Vision Therapy, Hayden struggled immensely with catching and throwing a ball. It was something that I think he noticed and thought was kind of funny because he realized that he would constantly miss the ball. Now that he’s been through Vision Therapy, he is able to throw and catch a ball without problems. This is a great skill that he really enjoys. With the help of VT, Hayden now also likes to play on the playground with his friends; he climbs up and slides down, and he’s no longer the kid sitting off to the side playing with the wood chips.

I also want to share that as a child, I have a muscle imbalance in my eyes and at 2 years old my parents chose to have a surgery for me and although they corrected my eyes from a cosmetic perspective, my eyes don’t work together very well and as my son was going through Vision Therapy, it was very difficult for me to do the exercises that he quickly became able to do. So, as a prior patient of a surgery to correct a visual misalignment, I highly recommend Vision Therapy both before and after if in fact surgery is needed because it would be a great service to have those eyes trained to work together before the surgery so that after the surgery, a little more of Vision Therapy can get them working together instead of just looking like they’re straight.

Bella's Vision Improvement Story as told by Bella

Bella's Background as described by her mother

We came to the VIP Program for help after Bella had been experiencing multiple headaches per week while at school.  Although she was not struggling in school, she was mentally exhausted at the end of each day. Before the VIP Program, Bella could not ride a bike without training wheels and even struggled to ride a bike with them.  She also struggled to find objects within large field of views. It was very rare for her to spot things pointed out the window of a moving vehicle.Vision Therapy Graduation

From the moment Bella started her training, all these issues began to improve.  And since completing the program, the headaches have been almost completely eradicated.  She is more eager to learn (even after her school day is over!), she has learned to ride a 2-wheel bike WITHOUT her training wheels, and she even enjoys car rides more – now that she is able to see all the interesting things she was missing out on before.  We even noticed the added benefit that now, Bella is even more eager to learn and share her knowledge. We love hearing about her days at school!

The VIP Program was the right choice for Bella and our family!  We are so thankful to Jamie, Dr. Lawless, and the entire New Baltimore Optometry team for all they have done for us.  The passion and care we’ve received has made our experience with the VIP Program a great one. We recommend this program to anyone who is looking for an alternative way to improve their child’s vision (and life!).

Bella's Successes

Bella came to us as an 8-year-old 2nd grader who suffered with frequent headaches and was diagnosed with Binocular Vision Dysfunction and Convergence Insufficiency.  After successfully completing vision therapy, Bella’s eyes work together as a team, she has excellent convergence, and is excelling in 3rd grade!   We will miss Bella and her bright, happy smile!

Transcript

Hi my name is Bella. I am 8 years old. I am in 3rd grade. Vision therapy improved all my grades. I used to get headaches at least once a week but now I barely ever get headaches. I didn't know how to ride my bike but now I know how to ride my bike all because of Vision therapy, and they make the work really fun too.

Molly's Vision Improvement Story as told by Molly

Molly's Background

Molly came to us as an 8-year-old 2nd grader who struggled with reading and was diagnosed with Binocular Vision Dysfunction and Convergence Insufficiency.  After successfully completing vision therapy, Molly’s eyes work together as a team and her reading fluency went up two grade levels!  We know she will see great improvements as she enters 3rd grade! We will miss Molly and her sweet and smiley face.

Molly's Experience in her Mother's WordIMG 7499

Jamie was great with Molly!  The exercises were creative and interesting for Molly.  We truly hope/expect to see great changes for Molly during the school year!  Thank you!

Transcript

Hi my name is Molly and I’m 8 years old, and I’m in 3rd grade.

Q: Did you just finish Vision therapy?

Yes.

Q: What did it help you with?

My reading.

Q: What else?

My eyes to get better.

Q: Did you used to have some double vision?

Yes.

Q: Do you have it anymore?

No.

Q: Awesome!

Is it easier for you to see and focus at school?

Q: Yeah.

Did you have fun with Vision therapy?

Q: Yes.

Q: What’s the favorite game we did?

The set game.

I like that game too.

Q: So, do you have anything to say to somebody who might be starting Vision therapy?

That it’s fun and they have fun games.

Q: Does it help you at school?

Yes!

Awesome! Great job Molly!

Ariana’s Vision Improvement Story As Told By Her Mother, Brooke

ArianaAriana's Background

Ariana’s vision therapy journey began when she was a 6-year-old kindergartener. Ariana’s eyes were unable to work together, causing headaches, stomachaches, and blurry vision. Ariana “hated” to read and had difficulty with letter recognition, comprehension, and both fine and gross motor skills. Ariana was also patching one of her eyes prior to vision therapy. Ariana worked hard over the summer and had several improvements! She was so excited to show off her new skills in first grade!

Ariana's Experience in her Mother's Word

I think the VIP Program is great. My daughter struggled with reading. She is only six, but she was a little behind everyone in her class. She still has a hard time with letter reversals, but she is so excited to try to read now. I have noticed that she doesn’t give up or get frustrated as easily anymore. I think she has learned a lot from this program. It makes me excited to see her excited about learning. - Brooke

Emily's Vision Improvement Story

Emily's Background

Emily came to us as an 11-year-old 6th grader. Emily was suffering from frequent headaches, fatigue with reading, poor memory, and poor concentration. Emily was diagnosed with Convergence Insufficiency and Binocular Vision Dysfunction. Goals set by Emily and her parents were: improved concentration and reading comprehension, to be able to understand quicker, reduce headaches, and make her eyes work together. Emily was a rockstar patient and was truly dedicated to her vision therapy homework and sessions. After successfully completing vision therapy, Emily’s eyes work together as a team, she no longer suffers from headaches, no longer tilts her paper when reading or writing, has improved concentration and comprehension, and reads fluently and without stuttering. Emily’s reading fluency improved two grade levels.

Emily's experience

Emily cropped

The VIP Program was an experience that needed full dedication by us and our daughter. In the beginning she struggled with reading out loud, such as going back to a word and having to re-read it. Now she reads fluently with little going back to re-read something. She would have headaches and those have gone away. She worked hard at her homework at home and we feel like she dedicated herself to this program. I have been happy to see the results from beginning to end. – D.S.

This VIP Program has helped me with many things. One of the things that it has helped me with was reading comprehension. Now whenever I read a book or take quizzes or tests, I’m able to remember things much easier. Another thing it has helped me with was not turning my paper completely sideways. I have been able to read much smoother. I used to lose my place when I was reading. I used to stutter on a bunch of my words. After all, it has helped me through a lot of things. Now I hope this will help me in the future. -E.S.

Charlie's Vision Improvement Story

Charlie's Background

CharlieCharlie came to us during 5th grade. He was struggling with school, especially with reading, writing, and spelling. Despite many interventions, Charlie was frustrated and struggling. He was confusing letters and words, reversing letters and numbers, skipping and omitting words with reading, and had difficulty with concentration and attention. Charlie was usually eager to do his vision therapy sessions, and was always proud of himself when he made progress and reached goals. Vision therapy helped to improve Charlie’s focus, convergence, and spelling. His eyes began to work together properly, making visual tasks much easier for him.

Charlies's experience

Jamie was wonderful with our son. School has always been difficult for him but we could never really figure out why. I heard of vision therapy and we decided to check it out and I’m so glad we did. He is reading more fluent and spelling is getting easier and easier. Dr. Lawless and Jamie have a great program. THANK YOU!!!

More Positive Feedback from Happy Patients....

“I’m so grateful for the entire staff here. They are warm, welcoming and able to answer all questions while giving you a clear path forward. We came to the Dr. Lawless office for our 9 year old son. After a thorough exam he began the VIP (vision therapy) treatment for the double vision issues he was experiencing. My son has improved in every area and gained much needed confidence, particularly in academics. I cannot say enough good about this program and would highly recommend it to anyone. I’m just so glad we found Dr. Lawless, Danielle and Jamie when we did.” – Beckee

“Before the V.I.P. program, my daughter struggled with homework every night for hours on end. She had headaches all the time. She would always try hard, but could never seem to get good results with grades in school. Once we started the V.I.P. program, changes began immediately. Her homework stopped taking hours; she would have it done in a breeze! The teachers were impressed with her rapid change in grades. They had never seen such a jump in levels in this short of time. They were amazed!” – Margie

“We found the V.I.P. program such a success for our oldest daughter we enrolled our second child. And, again the program is a big success. Our second daughter has shown great progress in only ten weeks. Her self-confidence is soaring. She is able to stay on task and complete work with far fewer errors. Handwriting and letter recognition seemed to change overnight. She’s excited about school again and proud of her abilities.” – Lori

“I would recommend the V.I.P. program to parents of active children. Our son who’s had ADHD can now concentrate much easier. He also has a more positive attitude toward doing his homework. His focus on completing a task has greatly increased. He also seems to be less aggravated while reading directions and can follow written directions much closer.” – Karen

“Elizabeth used to read very slowly. She had a hard time remembering words from one sentence to the next. After the V.I.P. program, she now reads smoothly. She remembers words and seems to enjoy reading. Elizabeth does not give me a hard time anymore when we do homework. The V.I.P. program has helped Elizabeth with her schoolwork and confidence level. I have and will continue to recommend this program to everybody.” – Jennifer

“The V.I.P. program has been wonderful for our daughter Christine. I always knew something wasn’t right, but all of her teachers were never interested in helping find a problem or a solution. Because of this program, Christine doesn’t feel dumb. She is confident with her work and feels like she finally gets it. This program has been a huge boost to Christine’s life.” – Lori

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