VT Works

Written by: Emilie Christensen Today was a good day. Today reminded me why I’m in the field and why I do what I do. Earlier this week though, that wasn’t the case. As I work towards my certification as a vision therapist there are definitely days that are hard. Like earlier this week as I… Read more

If I ever have the opportunity to meet Mark Zuckerberg, the credited founder of Facebook, I will offer him only one well conceived and highly original thought: Ever consider a ‘dislike’ button? But it’s doubtful that ole’ Mark, and his estimated 33.1 billion dollars in personal wealth, hangs out in the same places I do.… Read more

The answer I should have listened to can be summed in one word: “No” But, yes, I did it anyway; and now I’m here to tell you all about it. When I decided earlier today that I would sit down tonight to write something interesting, something fascinating, something penetrating, and something uplifting, I had hoped to share… Read more

Have you ever stopped and looked at your life, like really looked at it,  only to be amazed at how lucky you are? Such a glance at one’s life may not occur daily, although perhaps it should. I had one of those moments this past Sunday. With one eye open, I stumbled through the San Diego… Read more

Yesterday afternoon I discovered a new resource available to parents and professionals.  A new Facebook Group, entitled Pediatric Esotropia/ Exotropia/ Strabismus/ Amblyopia/ Cross-eyed Awareness, is emerging as another trusted forum for discussion on the “how’s and why’s” of Vision Therapy – this time with a focus on Amblyopia and Strabismus. The group was started by Virginia Serra and is currently managed and moderated by… Read more

Written By Guest Blogger: Melody Lay COVT This week, I wrapped up an amazing journey with my developmental optometry family here in central Florida.  My husband accepted a job in San Antonio, Texas and we will be pulling stakes here in Orlando in a few days. The past month has been a whirlwind in my VT… Read more

Dale Carnegie once estimated that close to 60% of human communication is non-verbal. In other words, more than half of the message others take from us is not coming from our mouth.  The direction we point our bodies, our posture, the the look on our face, the pre-occupation with our smart phones while waiting, even how… Read more

Late last summer, a new patient came to our office who had the written the words “race car driver” on his questionnaire to explain his occupation. I remember my initial thought when reading those words… Yeah, right. Michael (of no relation to the Indy Car driver with the same name) came to Austin Eye Gym seeking to enhance… Read more

If you’ve ever wondered why some in Ophthalmology are so opposed to Developmental Optometry, you are not alone. Many of us have asked the same question over and over without ever being offered an answer of much notable substance.  It’s an obstacle we all continue to face on some level. Recently, Dr. Leonard Press had… Read more

I get it. Believe me, I do. Before I am anything else in this world, I’m a parent.  Just like my parents did, just like the many parents I’ve met along this journey of Vision Therapy have, and just like the many parents who will hopefully bring their kids to our collective offices in the… Read more

In Part One we met April, my almost ten-year old patient who was working to escape a few of the more difficult activities by claiming boredom. When pushed, April broke into tears, reinforcing the idea that claiming boredom was really an avenue of avoidance for activities or skills that for the moment were beyond her.  April’s… Read more

One of my more recent posts – Diffusing The Bomb – Managing Opposition In The VT Room –  offered some suggestions and ideas for navigating the less than optimal times with patients in the Vision Therapy room.  It’s always curious to me, maybe even a bit comical, how when sharing my ideas on a topic, an… Read more

Written by Guest Blogger: Melody Lay COVT When my children were younger, I enjoyed reading a children’s classic called Caps For Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina. Published in the 1940’s, Caps For Sale tells the story of a peddler selling a multitude of colorful caps stacked high on his head as he walks through town. Attempts at selling his… Read more

He refers to himself as “the human train wreck”. It’s a reference he makes with a big smile on his face, but something tells me his intention is only fractionally tongue in cheek. Perhaps he smiles to ward off the negativity, perhaps he smiles because he found a momentary position of comfort, perhaps he smiles because, well,… Read more

There are many cliches out there to suggest that the path of life may be circular: history repeats itself and what goes around comes around perhaps being the two most popular. Whether you buy into these theories or not, it’s always been interesting to ponder these moments when they occur, and the latest version is… Read more

Opposition is not necessarily enmity; it is merely misused and made an occasion for enmity ~ Sigmund Freud There was a question posted on the Vision Therapist’s email list recently regarding managing patient behavior; specifically, bad behavior. Now, I’m not a Psychologist nor Psychiatrist, but I’ve been in Vision Therapy for close to 15 years… Read more

A good friend of mine who is a Marriage and Family counselor in California once told me that we can never underestimate the impacts made by negative experiences on the playgrounds, the classrooms, and in the backyards. She opined that it’s the little battlefields in childhood that can leave some of the worst scars. The context of… Read more

A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to travel to North Carolina to watch my friend Cavin Balaster deliver the keynote speech at NORA‘s annual meeting. The experience was phenomenal, and Cavin’s ability to share his experiences with Vision Therapy, Aquatic Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Nutrition following his brain injury was fantastic.  For anyone involved… Read more

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(Reblogged from http://www.cavinbounce.com) – Written by Cavin Balaster My Experience as the Keynote Speaker for NORA 2014! When I woke from a twelve-day coma less than three years ago, with a devastating diagnosis and without the ability to articulate and express coherent thoughts, the last thing going through the minds of my mother and I were that… Read more

In response to an interview posted here a few weeks back, I received an email from a concerned parent.  The tone of the email was very kind and complimentary as it shared the trials and tribulations of the writer’s son who had recently been through Vision Therapy. Included in the correspondence was a riveting question,… Read more

For those of you out there who have followed Cavin Balaster’s story and are curious how his presentation at the NORA conference was received this weekend… …the title says it all. In mingling afterwards, some of the comments shared with me were: “the best TBI survivor presentation in a long time…” “unbelievably good. I wish… Read more

Sending out a virtual hug to all those with Autism, and saluting the wonderful people who work hard to improve their lives everyday! 🙂 Read more

Written by Guest Blogger: Jessica Zwilling COVT I learned two new activities this week!  Technically, it’s not new, but more like an oldie with a creative spin.  We therapists love those.  I feel that it is important to the scientific integrity of our field to have the same standard activities that get used on a… Read more

All of our patients are special.  They all have special lives with unique circumstances and for most of us, helping them becomes more than just our job, it becomes our mission. A great many of my friends and colleagues openly make this admission. As a profession, we are bound together by a selfless energy, an energy that… Read more