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How Vision Problems Affect Reading, Writing and Arthimetic

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

How do vision problems affect the 3Rs?

Reading, writing and arithmetic. They’re the foundation of our educational system, and the basis for what your child needs to succeed in school.

So what happens if your child is struggling in one or more of these areas, and you don’t have a clue why?

You start playing detective, and investigate all the possibilities.

At the top of your list should be undetected vision problems. These are vision issues that evade typical vision screenings performed by school, and they can have a profound effect on your child, both academically and socially.

Here is a breakdown of just how vision problems can impact your child’s performance in the 3Rs: (more…)

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Vision therapy helps high schooler

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

Vision therapy can help high schoolers like Kaitlin.

Vision therapy can help high schoolers too.

A success story from Caitlin Rach, a client at The Vision Therapy Center:

In 9th grade I started to get headaches in school, especially when reading for long periods of time. We thought it was just time for me to get some reading glasses. I went to the eye doctor and they said I needed to go through vision therapy.

I knew what this was because my sister previously went through it. Honestly, I was dreading it. I was a busy girl. I had school, sports, and other activities. But after the six months, with the results, it was definitely worth it. (more…)

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Special thanks to St. Paul’s Lutheran School!

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Kim Jelinske discussed vision therapy with parents and teachers at St. Paul's Lutheran School.

We had a tremendous presentation at St. Paul’s Lutheran School on Thursday, February 17. Kim Jelinske presented to a group of very interested and enthusiastic parents.

“We started at 7:00 and I wrapped up the formal portion about 8:00 PM,” Kim said. “But we were there until 9:15 answering questions and having deeper discussions about vision therapy. It was exhilarating!”

Special thanks to Patrina Boehringer and the fantastic staff at St. Paul’s for making this all possible. Already, several parents have signed up for a functional vision test. Just think: One hour long presentation may have changed a child’s life forever!

If you’re interested in having a presentation at your school or organization, simply contact us to set up a date and a time.

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St. Paul’s Lutheran School Presentation Rescheduled

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Kim Jelinske will speak at St. Paul's Lutheran School.

Tonight’s presentation by The Vision Therapy Center at St. Paul’s Lutheran School has been cancelled due to freezing temperatures.

The presentation has been rescheduled for February 17, from 7:00 – 8:30 PM.

Kim Jelinske of The Vision Therapy Center will discuss undetected vision problems and the critical link between vision and learning in her presentation “Vision Problems and Learning: Why Bright Students Struggle in School.” (more…)

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The Vision Therapy Center closed Feb. 2

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

photo credit: b0jangles

Due to inclement weather, The Vision Therapy Center will be closed on Wednesday, February 2. Please contact us to reschedule any appointments. Our therapists and doctors have volunteered for extra hours on Thursday and Friday to facilitate rescheduling.

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Six Surprising Reasons Why Your Child Hates School

Friday, January 28th, 2011

You hate to admit it, but it’s true: Your child hates school.

Now we’re not talking about the typical “I hate school” gripes from kids when they get too much homework or tough classes.

No, we’re talking deep-seated hatred.

Hatred that results in one or all of the following:

Non-stop complaining at home
Bad behavior in the classroom
Poor grades on the report card

What’s most frustrating about this behavior is that your child is an intelligent person. You know the smarts are there, but for some reason, they just won’t come out.

Not only is this a mystery to you, it’s a mystery to all the professionals you’ve consulted on the matter. Teachers. Doctors. School psychologists. You’ve tried all their solutions, but nothing seems to work. In fact, they seem as frustrated as you are.

Don’t despair. There may be a reason you’ll find surprising; one that continues to fly under the radar of parents, educators, and medical practitioners.

And one that, we’re happy to say, can be corrected. (more…)

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Visit us at the St. Jacobi Wellness/Fitness Fair!

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

: Our very own Kim Jelinske will be there!

Stop by our booth at the St.Jacobi Evangelical Lutheran Church & School on January 28, 2011, from 6:30 – 9:30 pm.

St. Jacobi Lutheran Church invites families to its Fitness/Wellness Night. Learn about healthy habits at the fair’s kiosks, check out pedometers and walk a course, or take the exercise class offered in the gym. And of course, learn all you need to know about vision and learning!

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Why Christopher No Longer Struggles in School

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Christopher is back on track.

A success story from a client at The Vision Therapy Center:

Christopher’s story begins like the stories of so many kids with vision problems.

From the time he was very small, we knew something was not quite right, yet neither his teachers nor we could quite put a finger on what it was. Visits to several medical professionals got us nowhere until we had the good fortune of being referred to The Vision Therapy Center.

Strange symptoms

As a toddler, Christopher did not seem to enjoy being read to. He would quickly get antsy and rarely made it to the end of even the shortest story. (more…)

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The Vision Therapy Center Lends Hand(s) at MedFest

Friday, January 7th, 2011

An athlete shows his appreciation.

Once again, The Vision Therapy Center staff reached out to help the Special Olympics. In December, we volunteered at the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes MedFest.

MedFest is a Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® screening program that facilitates the required standard sports physical examination for current and prospective Special Olympics athletes. The Special Olympics General Rules require that all athletes who want to participate in Special Olympics must be examined by a physician or trained medical professional.

With the help of local volunteer health care professionals such as The Vision Therapy Center, MedFest provides people with cognitive disabilities the chance to participate in year-round Special Olympics sports training and athletic competition. (more…)

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Five Reasons Why Vision Problems are a Mystery to Parents

Monday, December 27th, 2010

Everyone loves a good mystery. We love the cryptic clues, the fake alibis, and the revelation that it was Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick.

That’s all great fun in movies, books, and board games, but it’s a different story when parents encounter a mystery that affects their child’s ability to learn. Here are some typical mysteries that 1 out of 4 parents encounter:

• They have a child who is bright, but is failing in school.

• They have a child who has 20/20 vision, but gets headaches when he or she reads.

• They have a child who is disruptive in class and can’t focus, but has a good home life and doesn’t have ADHD.

Why are vision problems such a mystery?

Every day, vision therapists meet families that have never heard of many of the vision problems that affect learning. They’re equally as unaware that vision therapy is a proven method for correcting the problem.

But why are these problems such a mystery? We’re not certain, but here are five theories:

1. You don’t know a vision problem exists until it’s yours. There are thousands of learning issues, medical problems and behavior quirks that exist in the world. You can’t be expected to know about all of them, and most people are unfamiliar with vision issues beyond visual acuity (20/20 vision).

2. You think school screening would uncover vision problems. Children receive vision screenings at schools, but these tests generally only measure child’s visual acuity. They don’t take into account binocular vision, processing, and a host of other visual skills that can affect a child’s visual system.

3. Your child seems to be getting by. How would a child know if he or she has a vision problem? Without a functional vision exam, most don’t, so they can’t tell parents if they’re struggling. Amazingly, children (and adults) figure out how to function with their vision problem.

For example, one of the patients at The Vision Therapy Center had double-vision. When she went to pick up an object, she always saw two things. She would pick the image on the right because her experience told her that it was the “real one.” Children like this patient have no reference point for “normal” vision; they simply don’t know what “normal” vision is because they’ve always had a vision problem.

4. Your doctor denies the efficacy of vision therapy. There are ophthalmologists and optometrists who understand that some visions problems exist beyond their purview, and recommend patients to a developmental optometrist for vision therapy. Unfortunately, there are also ophthalmologists and optometrists who feel differently. They’ll ignore and even deny their patient’s symptoms, and dispute studies that prove the efficacy of vision therapy.

5. Your child’s teachers are unaware of how vision relates to learning. The fact that vision and learning are so intricately related would seem to be a foregone conclusion, but many educators think that the relationship begins and ends with 20/20 vision. Without an understanding of typical vision problems, many teachers fail to spot the telltale symptoms. Teachers who have recommended children for vision therapy become quite adept at spotting vision problems.

How do we make vision problems less of a mystery? Heightening awareness of the symptoms of vision problems, sharing the results of scientific studies, and relating success stories can all help bring these issues to light.

In a day when information is so readily shared, all of these tasks can be accomplished. It starts with sharing articles like these, and directing people to resources that answer questions about vision problems and solutions like vision therapy.

Everyone loves a good mystery. But when it involves a child’s ability to learn, we like it even better when the mystery is solved.

Why are vision problems such a mystery to parents?

Everyone loves a good mystery. We love the cryptic clues, the fake alibis, and the revelation that it was Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick.

They have a child who is bright, but is failing in school
They have a child who has 20/20 vision, but gets headaches when he or she reads.
They have a child who is disruptive in class and can’t focus, but has a good home life and doesn’t have ADHD.

Fortunately, many times these mysteries have a simple solution: They can all be caused by a vision problem. In fact, studies indicate that nearly 25 percent of students have a vision issue that affects their ability to learn. The only mystery is why more people don’t know about it.

(more…)

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The Vision Therapy Center Lends Hand(s) at MedFest »

« Taylor’s Triumph: Another Vision Therapy Success Story

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