Rosie, an eighth grader, had always been a hardworking student. But as she got older, schoolwork got more difficult – and the main issue seemed to be reading.

As a child, Ethan was curious, warmhearted, and obviously bright. But when it came to reading, he struggled. And though he excelled in areas like math, science and listening comprehension, Ethan remembers that by third grade he could “barely read or spell.”

There’s a reason why functional vision problems are called “the hidden disability.” It’s because so many parents, physicians and educators aren’t aware of them. In this case, a reading specialist discovered her daughter had a vision problem, and the subsequent treatment was an eye-opening experience.

When Mary Stern was a high school sophomore, her vision problems became overwhelming.

Nancy Kaplan was in the hospital recovering from endocarditis, a heart infection, when she suffered a stroke.

While on a car ride, seven-year-old Keira Halliday tried to read a stop sign. “It’s blurry,” she said to her mother, Amy.

Ask any teacher -- it’s a lot to expect a young child to sit and be attentive in school, especially in preschool or kindergarten.  Kids are distracted. Kids want to play.  

But Titus was different.

Why does a gifted reader spend 3 hours a night struggling with homework?

And why was this same seventh grader suddenly unable to read anything more challenging than a comic book?

Kelly Gozdziewski will never forget the words spoken by her son, Lucas, after he received new prism glasses. Lucas had been putting the glasses on and then taking them off, when he stopped and looked at his mother.

It’s common for us to see adult patients like Barbara Federlin, who have suffered through a lifetime of vision problems and are at wit’s end. Her story, and her success, is an inspiring message to all that it’s never too late to overcome a functional vision problem.