July celebrations start with Independence Day—“the 4th of July”. It is a day to celebrate freedom, the birth of American independence, with festivities including parades, picnics and fireworks. Freedom can be defined in many ways but a common statement is made by many students who have completed a vision therapy program. They feel a freedom from the frustrations of an inefficient visual system.
The freedom …
… to Play after school! Instead of spending hours struggling to finish homework, battling with parents over assignments, and feeling inadequate.
… to Ride Your Bike. Vision Therapy addresses bilateral coordination and balance which is needed for easy bike riding.
… to Read! One patient’s parents remarked how their son now has the confidence to check out new books from the library. “Before Vision Therapy he would only check out the same few books because he had memorized the story.”
… from the Homework Battle. No more evenings fighting with your child to get their homework completed. “They can do their homework independently!” boast many parents.
… from Headaches. No more headaches when reading or focusing.
… to Drive! More peripheral vision and better multitasking are just two of the skills that improve with Vision Therapy.
“I never thought I would ever be able to drive last year. I was missing stop signs, not seeing cars basically driving blind without knowing it! Today I have my permit and am on the fast track to my license!” (18 year old)
…to Gain Confidence and Decrease Anxiety. With the ability to make eye contact, succeed in academics, and have a better awareness of surroundings, personalities blossom and the confidence grows.
… to Participate in Sports. Better eye hand coordination. Improvement in sports performance is very common for athletes but those that have never felt comfortable playing catching or making contact with a ball, now can!
Independence takes on a whole new meaning when it suggests a child: doing school work without the help of a parent, having the confidence to play catch with a friend, pass that driving test, choose any book they want to read and so much more!
Without the restraints that poor visual function has caused—poor eye teaming, poor focusing and tracking, which lead to skipping lines, words that appear to move on the page, double vision, poor depth perception, and messy handwriting, just to name a few symptoms, they are now able to really experience freedom! It’s a great feeling!