VT Works

For the benefits of our readers, can you detail your current role within Developmental Optometry?

I am currently the Chief Therapist at Fox Vision Development Center in Albany, NY, which is led by Dr. Robert Fox, FOVDR. I began in 2014 as a member of the vision therapy team just a few years after graduating with every intention to be a teacher. For the past 5 years, I’ve been in the role of Chief Therapist, and have been managing the training of our therapy team, administering visual processing evaluations on incoming patients, and seeing routine therapy patients.

Having started in education, what was the moment where you realized vision, not just learning, was the missing piece for some of your students?

After graduating with my degree in Childhood Education (specializing in literacy) in 2012, it was not an easy transition to finding jobs in the field. At that time, I was seeking any work that had me in an educational setting or even one that was helping children reach their potential in some capacity. For a few years, I was a preschool teacher for toddlers in a local community center, and Fox Vision was just across the street from my workplace. I had made friends with a vision therapist who was working there at the time, and had gone by the practice to meet her for lunch a few times. After seeing there were trampolines involved, I was incredibly interested in learning more about the field!

Does your background in literacy shape the way you approach Vision Therapy today?

In school, we had a semester dedicated to “Special Populations” and how to adapt classrooms to different student needs. The most we had ever really spoken about vision in relation to learning, was putting children who couldn’t see the board closer to the front of the classroom (this was in the very early 2010s, I am hoping this has advanced since then). 

Learning about developmental optometry and the types of cases a practice might see really altered the paradigm I had about the role of vision in learning. Suddenly, I was reliving moments with students who I had thought were being unnecessarily difficult about getting their work done, who were more than likely struggling with their vision.

As a Chief Therapist, how has your perspective on patient care evolved from when you first started in 2014?

When I first started in VT, there were aspects of my approach to patient care that were tied to being a teacher more so than a therapist. We would have a goal for the patient and in my mind there was a pass or fail in meeting that goal (for myself more than the patient, honestly). Dr. Fox would do a progress evaluation with a patient and if certain milestones weren’t met for treatment, I’d feel that I failed my patient. Something I did not account for in that first year was that Vision Therapy isn’t a pass/fail subject in the same way that Math might be. I can’t give a B+ to a patient for doing their home exercises, but we can give the resources and skills needed to not get a headache every school day. Changing my mindset to not “score” Vision Therapy has helped me to really look at why we have this field and what the purpose of it is. It also helps my patients feel a bit more comfortable if they know I’m not going to be sending home a report card.

What are the most common visual challenges you see in children today, and have those changed over the years?

 The variety of diagnoses we see in children in our practice today are similar to the ones I saw in 2014. I do think that changes in the education system have made things interesting in that challenges we may have seen more in 9-10 year olds, we are seeing in 6-7 year olds now. 

What does “success” in vision therapy look like to you beyond just clinical outcomes?

It probably sounds a bit Miss America to say, but the success I want for any person who has done vision therapy is a renewed sense of confidence. So many of our patients come in with battered self esteem and are so hesitant to try things because of their visual challenges. 

There have been patients over the years who would continue to send us updates after completing their vision therapy programs. Nothing beats seeing an email with a video of someone finally learning how to ride a two wheel bike or scoring a goal in a soccer game…except maybe a child who hated to read when I first met them share excitement about finding a book series they can’t get enough of, but that may be my personal bias. 

As Chief Therapist, how do you support and mentor newer therapists coming into the field?

This is an area where I still find myself having a lot of trial and error. Support isn’t one size fits all, so getting to know someone’s learning style goes a long way. Many of the therapists I’ve worked with at Fox Vision prefer hands-on learning, so that means a lot of time in the therapy room trying things not only from the therapist’s side of the table, but the patient’s side as well. Really, the most important thing I can do is make sure that folks have different perspectives to lesrn from, not just mine or Dr. Fox’s. I’ve spent a long time collecting resources from across the field to share with new members of our practice and anyone I am mentoring towards their COVT: things like the Tuesday Think Tank and this blog come to mind. 

What makes a great vision therapist, in your opinion, and what traits can’t really be taught?

If I had to pick one trait that sets a great therapist apart, it would be curiosity. No two patients are identical in what they need from vision therapy. Curiosity drives us to discover the best approach to an activity for each patient. It also helps in building rapport between therapist and patient if the therapist is genuinely interested in learning about the patient.

As for traits that can or can’t be taught, I think an openness to learn and change is essential. There’s an element of humility involved in admitting that no matter how long you’ve been in the field, there’s always potential for growth. 

If you could give one piece of advice to a teacher who suspects a child is struggling visually, what would it be?

The responses to visual struggle that teachers can pull from traditionally are for children suspected of being nearsighted: change seating or have the school nurse do a screening. Both of those are a great place to start! 

Teachers are often treated as if they are superhuman, but they are regular people who are working hard and often going above and beyond for classrooms full to the brim. 

Honestly, it falls to us in the field of developmental optometry to share the connections of vision and learning with parents and educators. 

If you are an educator who is just coming to realize that vision is more than 20/20 acuity, and you have students that you now believe are struggling visually (when before you may have had other opinions on their abilities)  have grace for both yourself and those students. As we learn better, we can do better going forward. 

You balance a leadership role, family life, and community involvement—how do those different parts of your life influence each other?

Balance implies that I have a handle on these different areas. It doesn’t always feel that way! 

Community involvement is something that I have always known. In community, whatever we do affects not only ourselves but those around us. My primary goal in doing anything is to leave things better than I’ve found them. Vision therapy, Rotary, Parent/Teacher Association…all of these are opportunities to do that. They don’t necessarily influence each other so much as they all stem from that same goal. 

At the risk of sounding silly, a lot of this comes from Mr. Rogers telling the kids who watched his show to “look for the helpers.” Rather than sit back, as an adult, and wait for helpers to solve all problems …I can choose to be one. This is even more important to me now than before I had young children. I want them to see that there are many different ways to help those around us and to be a part of a community. Vision therapy is such a privilege to be a part of. We get to touch so many different communities by helping our patients.

Closing Thoughts from Robert – A special thank you to Kaitlyn for taking the time to share her journey, her perspective, and the heart she brings to her work. Her thoughtful reflections and commitment to helping others grow are evident in everything she does, from patient care to mentoring and community involvement. It has been a pleasure learning more about her path and the meaningful impact she continues to make within the field. We are grateful for her honesty, insight, and the example she sets for others. Her dedication reminds us why this work matters and how far-reaching its effects can be. We wish Kaitlyn and her beautiful family continued health and happiness.