Vision Therapy for Adults It's Never Too Late for Vision Therapy
Sue Barry - Fixing My GazeMany parents often discover that they too have vision problems similar to their children and ask us if it is too late for them to get help. The answer is - it is never too late! We can help!
While scientists used to believe that there was something called a critical period for treating patients with eye turns and lazy eye (strabismus and amblyopia), new research has found that this is not true. Thanks to optometric vision therapy, vision disorders of this nature can usually be treated at any age.
Signs of a Vision Problem
- Tiring quickly while reading
- Avoidance of near work
- Frequent loss of place when reading
- Omitting, inserting, or rereading words in a paragraph
- Confusing similar looking words
- Poor reading comprehension
- Jerky eye movements, one eye turning in or out
- Blurred or intermittent double vision
- Headaches, dizziness, or nausea after reading
- Red, sore, tearing, or itching eyes
- Squinting, eye rubbing, or excessive blinking
- Head tilting or closing or blocking one eye when reading
Dr. Susan Barry, interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air program and a speaker at TEDx Talks, is famous for gaining 3D vision as an adult and sharing her experiences in her book, Fixing My Gaze.
Cross-eyed since early infancy, Dr. Barry had three eye muscle surgeries to straighten her eyes as a young child. After the surgeries, she had “20/20” vision, meaning she could see the letters on the eye chart you are supposed to see from a distance of 20 feet. Everyone assumed that meant she had perfect vision. Yet, when she tried to read, the words appeared to her to move on the page.
It wasn't until Dr. Barry went through a program of optometric vision therapy as an adult that she understood why the words appeared to move on the page when she was in grade school. It was because her eyes weren't working together the way they need to when we read.
As a professor of neurobiology at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, Dr. Barry speaks regularly to scientists, eye doctors and educators on the topic of neuronal plasticity.
Unfortunately most people with binocular vision dysfunctions go undetected and struggle all their life, despite all attempted remedies. Optometric vision therapy works. If you, or someone you know, have difficulty with reading and learning, please call our office today.
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Before therapy Kevin took a lot of time doing his homework. Now he takes less time and his comprehending is a lot better. He is reading more and he is getting 80 and 90 on his AR tests.
K. A., Child's Age 9 view all
