Success Stories

Read Success Stories from patients and parents when they were asked "What changes have you seen as a result of Vision Therapy?" or "How has vision therapy changed your life?"

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Schoolwork

"...my grades improved."
My name is Ashley and I am 15 years old. Prior to my vision therapy treatment, I had trouble with eye strain, I would lose my place reading, there would be blurriness when copying notes at school, and I couldn’t read very fast. I didn’t really think that this would help my eyes much before I started. Now having completed vision therapy I can read for longer and faster, no more eyestrain, I don’t lose my place when I read, I don’t have any problems while copying my notes at school, I can focus and concentrate better in school and because of all that my grades improved. Vision therapy really helped me.

"...My husband and I are so amazed with the progress..."
My son Nicholas struggled learning his letters and reading. He struggled in Kindergarten and started Vision Therapy in first grade. My husband and I are so amazed with the progress we have seen.  He started first grade reading on a beginning level and has moved up 7 levels.  He started the year recognizing 6 sight words and now can recognize 140!  His confidence has increased along with his focus. He enjoyed going to his therapy appointments and we were consistent with the nightly homework.  He continues to love school and we are so pleased on how far he has come.

"...School would be impossible if I didn't have Vision Therapy..."
I had trouble reading, copying from the board, and seeing clearly.  I had Vision Therapy every week for almost four months. I learned new exercises and practiced them almost everyday at home. Vision Therapy has helped me to see the board better at school and read more easily and for longer periods of time. I am more interested in books and school because now my eyes don't get tired and it is more fun and interesting.  I feel better about myself.  School would be impossible if I didn't have Vision Therapy.  When I play hockey it is easier to see the puck and I have improved a lot in hockey since my vision got better.

"...I could see improvements..."
I was skeptical of vision therapy prior to starting it with my son. After talking to several parents and the school nurse, however, I decided that it seemed worthwhile. In preschool and kindergarten, my son had always been at the head of his class with reading. In first grade however, he started having trouble reading things close up. After an evaluation, I could see how weak some of his eye movements were. While doing the exercises each week, I could see improvements and strengthening from the start of the week to the end. About half way through the therapy I could see my son’s reading choices changing. He was choosing chapter books without pictures that were more in line with his reading skills. His handwriting also changed dramatically.
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Sports

"Not only did his writing improve, so did his sports!"
Christopher began vision therapy after being diagnosed as having “other health impairments”. A convenient way to say he does not read or write. I was frustrated and confused. Dr. Wolman explained everything and we began therapy right away. Not only did his writing improve, so did his sports! This to me was great, however, what really helped was the kind, caring, and hardworking staff in the office. Halfway through therapy his classroom teacher suggested that Chris may have dyslexia. Dr. Wolman immediately tested him and wrote a report that I used for his school. They personalized his therapy and helped him with real life situations (spelling words, baseball etc.) all contributing to his self-esteem. Lisa was so patient with him and Maria was so patient with me and my questions. I am very satisfied with everything.

"Vision Therapy has helped tremendously with hand-eye coordination."
The major problem Benjamin experienced was trouble making things line up (math problems, lines of text, etc…). His vision problems, since a young age, also led to a lag in hand-eye coordination that makes many ball sports very difficult and even impeded his ability to engage in activities such as Legos or fine drawings. Vision Therapy has helped tremendously with hand-eye coordination. Benjamin now creates elaborate Lego structures without any help and makes incredibly detailed drawings of airports and airplanes. He reads much faster than he used to and his math has become much more organized.

"Her writing skills have also improved..."
When Caitlin began vision therapy, she was having difficulties with letter and number reversals, shifting focus between near and far, differentiating between left and right, and eye-hand coordination. Caitlin rarely reverses letters and never reverses numbers since vision therapy. Her speed and accuracy in mathematical calculations has increased noticeably. Her writing skills have also improved as less time is spent correcting her reversals.  Caitlin has improved at soccer. She has better hand-foot coordination and can distinguish between the left and right side of the field. Overall, I feel vision therapy was very beneficial. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Brain Injury

"Now I am back at work and very productive!"
I would like to thank Dr. Stephanie Wolman and everyone at Wolman Vision and Therapy center for helping me get a great part of my life back. I came here with symptoms of dizziness, brain fog, and a lack of balance control stemming from a diagnosis of vestibular migraines. I wasn't able to drive, go to work, spend more than a few minutes on a computer, or read for any real length of time. Dr. Wolman designed a plan to help me work on all those things and more. I was fitted for glasses, and did therapy that focused on re-training my brain to focus, concentrate, and work the way it should. Now I am back at work and very productive! I am driving! I can pursue the things I love that I had put on hold. I feel more confident and am able to focus my attention where I want! I recommend Dr. Wolman and her team for anyone who is having the types of symptoms I had. She is dedicated, diligent, fun, and motivating.

"...gets through the school day without headaches..."
This 16 year old boy came to vision therapy as a part of treatment to recover from a concussion.  He was experiencing daily headaches after a half day of school work at the beginning of vision therapy.  Now, he gets through the school day without headaches and is able to focus more easily.

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Strabismus/Amblyopia

"His "lazy eye" is so much better that it is no longer a major issue."
When Jack first came to see Dr. Wolman he had an obvious "lazy eye".  He was clumsy and really didn't see himself as a reader.  We had seen another doctor who had said surgery was the best/only option, but a friend (whose daughter had been a patient here) recommended Dr. Wolman.  I am so grateful to Dr. Wolman and her wonderful staff for the great progress my son has made.  He has gone from very poor tracking skills while reading, to independently reading at grade level and above.  His "lazy eye" is so much better that it is no longer a major issue.  Dr. Wolman also diagnosed Jack with extremely weak visual memory skills. She worked with him on this and it has greatly improved.  I am very grateful to have found her as she has made a big difference to my son's self esteem by helping him in so many ways.

“He began picking up books on his own and was able to track and read!"
Before Jack was diagnosed with amblyopia, he didn't like to read or play sports. He was frustrated with reading and I couldn't figure out why because he could read so many difficult words in isolation. Once he began wearing his glasses and started vision therapy, he began picking up books on his own and was able to track and read! He was also frustrated with sports because of his poor depth perception. He now loves golf, baseball, and hockey. He asks to play catch now!
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Reading

"She has become a child who is excited about choosing books to read and does so with confidence."
​Prior to beginning vision therapy, Adriana was experiencing difficulties with reading.  Specifically, she was unable to fluidly move her eyes through words and apply word solving strategies efficiently.  She would often skip words and even lines of text.  Her reading lacked fluency.  It was taking Adriana a long time to get through the text.  Despite the support she was receiving at school and at home, she felt discouraged and often mentioned that she did not like to read.  Reading was becoming a chore, rather than an enjoyable activity. After meeting with Dr. Wolman and going through the evaluation process, we learned the specific areas that required strengthening and began our journey with vision therapy.  As the weeks progressed, I could see the improvements in Adriana's reading abilities and her overall level of confidence.  As a Mom who is also an elementary school teacher, I was fascinated with the weekly tasks and could see the direct correlation to a child's reading growth and development.  We actually looked forward to doing the activities at home together.  While Adriana continues to put time into building her reading fluency and stamina daily, she has made significant improvements that are noticeable at home and at school.  I am amazed when I listen to her read now. She has become a child that is excited about choosing books to read and does so with confidence.  Vision Therapy has taught Adriana specific skills and strategies that will continue to help her in the future.

"...it’s easier to read now..."
Cecilia complained that her vision was blurry when she was asked to look at the white board. I took her to an ophthalmologist on two separate occasions only to be told that her vision was nearly perfect and that this could be attributed to an emotional or behavioral problem. A year later our school nurse told me that she had attended a conference in which she learned about eye therapy and suggested I call Dr. Wolman.  Cecilia says she can now see the board and does not complain about being unable to read signs at a distance. She also says it’s easier to read now and she does less complaining about having to do her reading.

"...he is ready to start reading!!"
My son, Matthew (5 y/o), was complaining of sensitivity to sunlight and camera flashes. He would also rub his eyes and say they were hurting for no apparent reason. After initial testing with Dr. Wolman it was determined that Matthew had tracking and convergence issues, which most likely would have presented itself when Matthew began to read. After about 6 months of vision therapy, Matthew rarely complains about a camera flash or the sunlight. Most of the exercises Dr. Wolman assigned to Matthew each week were overwhelming to him, but as time went by, they became increasingly easier and you could see the difference in the way Matthew attempted each assignment. His confidence was uplifted as Matthew breezed through each exercise. It was a pleasure working with Dr. Wolman. Matthew enjoyed his sessions each week and now that he is in Kindergarten he is ready to start reading!!
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For more Success Stories click here: http://www.visiontherapystories.org