Vision for Life Testimonials

I am a lover of movies, especially independent and foreign films.  After I lost sight in my eye, I tried to watch a foreign film on TV, but I couldn’t do it.  I couldn’t focus quickly enough to read the subtitles.  This week, after 5 months of working with Vision for Life, I tried again.  I went to a theatre to see a foreign film, having no idea if I could read the subtitles.  I had no problem at all.  It’s wonderful to know I can once again do something that I so enjoy.

If you are considering remote vision therapy with Vision for Life, let me start by saying that this therapy has changed my life – all for the good.  I will do my best to share my personal history, my eye struggles and my eye therapy experience.  A list of the facts will probably be easiest for me to explain and for you to understand.

I am 60 years old and in very good physical/emotional health.  My husband and I have been married for 33 years and we have 2 grown children.

I have a challenging and meaningful professional life, with significant leadership responsibility.

As a young child, I had a problem with a right eye turn, had surgery at 8 yrs. that seemed to “correct” the problem but started having double vision in my late teens.

I had vision therapy for 1.5 years when I was 22 years old and still consider that to have been a success.

I had no apparent physical challenges with my eyes until about 5 years ago.

About 2 years ago, I began make significant adjustments to my head/neck/body position to compensate for my right eye turn in and found myself avoiding activities I had always enjoyed – road biking, skiing, running on mountain trails.

I also began having significant challenges with processing information (basically, just thinking) – both at work and in my personal life.

I began to search for a solution.  The doctor who had treated me in my 20's had died and the doctor who assumed his practice treated children only.  My husband and I live in Wyoming in a small mountain town and so I was looking well beyond that, anywhere in the USA for a practice qualified to help me.

I found Vision for Life on the Internet.  Actually, I found a couple of Dr. Steinhauer’s YouTube videos and was so excited, because I knew that she could help me.  And that was confirmed when my husband I visited her office and underwent an evaluation of my particular case.

My problems were actually worse that what any of us had expected but we made a plan.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like having this kind of therapy as a remote patient, but I have been doing this for almost 15 months and am very happy with my progress.  Better said… it has been great.  The communication has been trouble-fee, and the process overall has been manageable.  Much like my exercise and professional lives, the vision therapy is very much a part of my daily life.

I look forward to my weekly sessions with Jo Anne who is a skilled and compassionate therapist and Dr. Julie (as I have come to call her) works with her to manage my case.

My vision and ability to use both eyes has improved dramatically – my head and neck are straight and life, in general, is just so much easier.  (That would be another email that I could spend all day writing!!

I still have a good amount of work ahead of me, but I don’t care what it takes, because I’m happy and improving all the time.

I hope that this information will be helpful as you make some decisions about your situation.

 

Before Vision Therapy,  Chloe didn’t read or write that well.  After about two months of therapy, she started reading and enjoying it.  Her writing is one of the best in the class.  She has become a great speller and does not get frustrated about studying for tests.  Chloe has gained confidence.

Michelle, mother of Chloe

From 2^nd grade on, my daughter struggled with reading, attention, and comprehension even for the simple assignments.  After much money and time (years) spent trying everything, Vision Therapy was recommended.

In the last year Karpenter has become independent in her school work and is catching up on a multiple year gap in reading comprehension.

She says she no longer saw double after a few months and is aware of how to control her eyes so that it is natural and no longer a struggle.

We and her teachers now see her earning As and Bs on her own and the fighting has drastically been reduced.

With a little preparation, she now comfortably reads at school masses and aloud in the classroom.

While the last year has been a time commitment we feel that it has been a life saver for her confidence, education, and future.

Thank you Vision for Life.

--Wynter, Karpenter's Mother

My journey to treating my amblyopia started when I was six years old. But even though I patched and patched, I couldn't get my eyes to work together. After 12 years of searching, I found Dr. Julie, who I quote said, "I got tired of seeing people go bling, and I wanted to help them." And help me she did!

Her application of a wide range of exercises were leaps and bounds better than the doctors I had seen in 13 years. She worked with me every step of the way as my eyes changed, identifying areas of weakness and prescribing exercises to make these weaknesses strengths. I have never though I would go from 20/150 to 20/30 ever! Truly Dr. Julie is a miracle worker!

My eight year old son was more than hesitant and apprehensive to try any new activities or even talk about trying something new. Vision therapy begain in May and while on vacation in July, he excitedly asked to go parasailing! I could not believe it! He absolutely loved it. Who knew?

Thank you Vision For Life especially Cheri and Dr. Julie!

I started vision therapy in April of 2017. Vision therapy has helped me bowl, drive and see things better. My hand writing has improved a lot since the beginning. School has been easier on me this year as a result of vision therapy. Vision therapy has helped me a lot!

My daughter, Lydia, is 6 weeks into treatment and we are already seeing big results! She is now able to recognize most of her sight workds, numbers and her handwriting has improved significantly! We are thrilled with her progress!

 

Blake was having behavior issues at school, outbursts in the classroom and gettin into fights. We started seeing a behavioral therapist who noticed Blake had a hard time with tasks like tying shoes. This led us to a physical therapist who mentioned vision therapy. We didn't know this existed. Blake has had glasses with a very high prescription since he was three. In fact, his prescription was so high, they couldn't just switch it, but had to keep strengthening his prescription every six months. By 3rd grade, he was still not full strength. That is when we learned about Vision For Life and vision therapy. After being in the program for 10 months, Blake's glasses prescription has decreased 20 notches. He is using both his eyes to see things and no longer suppressing one. His behavior at home and school has improved. We see more smiles and get more love than before. he can write neatly in paragraph form and line up his math problems. The program is a big commitment of time, but gaining eye sight and confidence for our little boy has been priceless. -- Stephanie

Before therapy, Evie was very nervous to do addition/subtraction problems because they were all over. Now 18 weeks into therapy, she looks forward to doing math at school. Her overall confidence level has increased and I attribute that to her eye therapy. She has been working hard and making huge strides and seeing better. (Ms. Sherry and Dr. Julie are the best). Evie no longer tells me she is “blind” which is something she always use to say before we started therapy. The bruising on her legs have gone down significantly because her eyes are now working together which again is because of vision therapy.

So thankful,
Francee

 

 

Before vision therapy, my daughter had difficulty watching everything on her computer screen and tablet. She was very shy and had very little confidence. Today my daughter is very outgoing and has little trouble looking at her electronic devices or the chalkboard at school.

My husband and I have no regrets bringing both of our children to Vision For Life. It has been the best investment we have ever made. both of our children went from desperately needing glasses to hardly needing them or not needing them at all. We are very grateful to Dr. Steinhauer and staff for what they have done for our children's eyesight.

--Genaya C.

Before therapy, Evie was very nervous to do addition/subtraction problems because they were all over. Now 18 weeks into therapy, she looks forward to doing math at school Her overall confidence level has increased and I attribute that to her eye therapy because she has been working hard and making huge strides and seeing better. (Ms. Sherry and Dr. Julie are the best). Evie no longer tells me she is “blind” which is something she always use to say before we started therapy. The bruising on her legs have gone down significantly because her eyes are now working together which again is because of vision therapy.

So Thankful, Francee

 

I’ve nearly eliminated my double vision and improved depth perception significantly THANKS to Vision for Life.

Thankful for the alternative approach that helped me get to the root of the problem and not just masking the symptoms.

I was fed up with hearing there was nothing else I could do for my declining vision. I am a young woman, with young children and a business. To have your vision deteriorate so rapidly became a major wake up call. I am so thankful for the trust I placed in Vision for Life. For someone who has an appreciation for the body and how it works, my therapy became something I became more and more intrigued about. Vision for Life implemented a program that provided structure in a phased approach, addressing all of my needs. The quality of the program has blown me away. Over time with consistency and the help from Vision for Life, I quickly recognized a difference in my overall vision. A little piece of freedom was restored when my double vision diminished, depth perception was restored. It was work, it required an investment in time and money, and my therapy became a part of my life, requiring consistency, but it has been completely worth it! I am so incredibly grateful for Dr. Julie and for my therapist, Jo Anne, who has been extremely patient with me through the process. We’ve had lots of laughs and I will certainly miss this weekly date!

Vision for life changed my life! I can see better… and I can hit the ball in baseball… and I can read much better… and I can focus much better.

Thank you Vision For Life!

Eric has definitely improved his vision over the last year. He notices that his glasses are dirty, which is something he never noticed before. He is playing flag football and now can catch the ball which is a skill he never mastered before. He is also making baskets with basketball more consistently. When you ask Eric what is better, he says, "I can just see a whole lot better."

--Elisabeth B.

My son, Kaden, came to Vision For Life 15 months ago after being diagnosed with dyslexia and visual processing disorder. Kaden has struggled with reading for years. Vision For Life helped train Kaden's eyes to read better with less eye strain, have more enjoyment for reading, improved his writing skills dramatically, and improved his reading skills.

My name is Raluca and I will soon be turning 50 years old. I am a Romanian neonatologist. I was diagnosed with strabismus in my childhood. During medical school, I have been taught that after the age of 7 years old, strabismus can only be corrected surgically. I had almost lost hope that I could someday see normally. But once I discovered Vision for Life and Dr. Julie, my life underwent a wonderful transformation. I have experienced myself what neuroplasticity means and I made the first steps on the road to stereoscopic vision. Even though there is a lot more work to be done, when I am walking outside and I am seeing the beautiful 3D image of the trees, I feel like I am in love with life again and I can move forward with all my strength. I never thought that I could watch 3D movies with my son, but this therapy allowed me to experience this and I am so grateful to God for bringing Dr. Julie, Joanne and Vision for Life along my path.

We have noticed in the past month a great change in our son. We believe as a result of "eye and brain" therapy, our son has been able to listen better and easier than usual. We are so excited and relieve that he has been able to achieve this skill that was once a challenge for him.

Kestyn had her best parent teacher conference ever last week! All four of her teachers feel like she is making great gains. She is working more independently and trying new tasks or skill on her own before asking for help. They all feel she is becoming more mature and is super focused on her school work. She has even begun helping peers who need extra support. I could not be more proud of all of her hard work! Thanks Vision For Life for all the extra support to get her where she needs to be academically.

In my opinion, starting as soon as possible is best. The double vision I had was corrected in the first couple of month, allowing me to drive. The staff at Vision For Life has been very helpful and encouraging.

My journey to treating my amblyopia started when I was six years old. Even though I patched and patched, I couldn’t get my eyes to work together. After twelve years of searching I found Dr. Julie, who I quote said “I got tired of seeing people go blind, and I wanted to help them.” And help me she did! I won’t go into details but her application of a wide range of exercises were leaps and bounds better than the doctors I had seen in 13 years. She worked with me every step of the way as my eyes changed, identifying areas of weakness and prescribing exercises to make these weaknesses strengths. I have never thought I would go from 20/150 to 20/30 ever! Truly Dr. Julie’s a miracle worker.

We started vision therapy with the hope of correcting an eye turn in my four year old son, Ty. We have seen more improvements than just with his vision.  His eye/hand coordination has dramatically increased, he consistently crosses the midline now, he knows all of his letters and numbers, and his attention span is much longer.  We are very pleased with our results so far and look forward to seeing what comes next.

We had parent/teacher conferences last week. My daughter Emma’s teacher said that she was reading 5 levels higher than her grade.  Also her concentration has improved – she isn’t as “wiggly” as before. We are so happy with our results!

My daughter Abbie's amblyopia has improved and we don't see eye turns during eye exercises anymore.

 

I came to Vision For Life for therapy to help control my double vision and it seems to be helping. I have felt that when I have a problem starting, I can stop and it seems to get better.

We have been traveling to see Dr. Julie and her amazing staff for about 5 months and in that time our daughter’s vision and eye turn have improved significantly. She now has normal depth perception and she is controlling her eye turn so much better. When we first came to Vision for Life, my daughter was wearing a strong prescription in both bifocals and contacts. She had been through vision therapy at another doctor but we were not happy with the results. Our daughter’s eye turn wasn’t much better, and her eye glass prescription kept going up with increasing astigmatism.

Dr. Julie immediately started taking down her prescription and now she is only wearing glasses for reading. When she used to take off her glasses her eye would immediately turn in and now she is walking around controlling it. Truly amazing! This is helping her so much in competitive gymnastics, she no longer wears contacts to participate.

It’s helped her self-confidence in school, as well. She used to detest reading out loud, the words appeared double or blurry and it was such a strain for her to push through. So many tears! Now, she asks to read and is progressing so much better. We highly recommend Vision for Life and only trust Dr. Julie with our daughter vision. She simply is the best!

Prior to vision therapy, my daughter Betsy was very anxious, clumsy, and had a very short attention span. Despite having completed a full year of preschool, she could only identify one letter and not even every time. Betsy did not like to be read to or look at books. She would regularly walk into people, doorways, furniture and other objects. She would trip over her own feet or objects on the floor several times a day. Betsy was very anxious, quick to get frustrated and frequently refused to participate in activities.

Now, Betsy is much more laid back and relaxed. She does not get frustrated or angry nearly as quickly and easily. Betsy is much more willing to participate in activities. Betsy seems to be much more aware of her environment and where she is at in her environment. She rarely walks into things and I don't even know the last time she tripped. Betsy loves to look at books and be read to now. She can consistently identify 12 letters (both upper case and lower case), and with less consistently identify up to 20 letters and single digit numbers.

The behavior and mood changes due to vision therapy have been amazing. Academically, she is much closer to her peers than last year and almost fully caught up to where she should be.

I came to Vision for Life seeking help for my chronic and constant light and sound sensitivity (mostly artificial lights). During testing and therapy,  I realized I also had trouble with depth perception and getting my eyes to work together.  I also realized my glasses prescription was stronger than necessary.  I did not find that vision helped with my light or sound sensitivities, but did find greater success with depth perception, training my eyes to focus quickly between close and farther points, training my weaker eye to work and see better and overall vision improvement. I would highly recommend Vision for Life for vision related issues and have several times. It is a positive and uplifting environment.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with JoAnne weekly – highly recommend. Dr. Julie is a very compassionate, knowledgeable person who is both professional and personable. She truly desires to help, and I would recommend her to anyone.  Vision for Life is the only place that offers therapy options with light therapy in the area.

 

We are currently doing a "boost" program after 6 years from the original therapy. Our goal was to prepare our son even more as he begins to head to high school. The changes have been wonderful. He was a good student but tears have seen a difference in his abilities of school and he can "feel" the difference and is happier and less stressed about school. The staff at Vision For Life is amazing! They are a blessing in my son Will's life!

My daughter, Chloe, was able to take her first spelling test of ten words without being modified.  This is a huge gain for Chloe that she is able to spell and retain her 10 spelling words.  Her teacher and myself are amazed! All her hard work with vision therapy has paid off with success.

Sadie has been in vision therapy for a couple months and we have already seen improvement. She has always been a good reader but over the summer she has just taken off and is doing even better.

I use to see double 24/7. now, I don’t at all. This is great because I can see notes and take notes better in school now.  This is my success story so far!

Since starting with syntonics, my peripherl vision has opened way up. In particular, in my right eye. I’m much more aware of the world around me and driving has become much easier!

Vision Therapy has greatly improved my life. It has made driving, working, and many other things much easier to do. I can see clearly and I have a better sense of depth. Therapy has truly been a great help!

Vision therapy has allowed me to see things that I didn't know you were supposed to. It also has helped me to stop running into everything as much because I notice things more. I also now know that when you are in a car, you're supposed to see the person next to you.

I have become more aware of things, so that when a spell starts to hit, I have more control over the situation and don't have spells hardly at all.

My son, Lucas, was held back a grade and continued to have difficulty following along in class. His ADHD affected him being able to stay focused and frustrated him to where he'd act out. He would never want to read and would either cry or pout if we tried. He was behind in both reading and comprehension.

During a routine eye appointment we were referred to Dr. Julie at Vision for Life. I had mentioned in passing to the optometrist that Lucas wouldn't hold eye contact with anyone and had difficulty focusing. He did an additional evaluation and despite everything being okay from the optometrist's point of view as far as structure of the eye, etc. there is a lot of processing from the eye to the brain and Lucas probably needed some extra help with that.

At Vision for Life they did a long and thorough evaluation with Lucas to identify his areas of need. Dr. Julie is incredibly sweet and passionate about her work. Lucas's therapist's; Joanne, patience each week working with him was awesome. The exercises they do with them at therapy and the ones sent home cover a variety of activities not only focused on eyes but coordination, balance and strength. It is a long process that is definitely worth it. Lucas has gone from jumping all over, complaining about reading 3 letter words to trying to read signs along the road and subtitles on TV! It is such a relief that since Lucas doesn't struggle as much with reading the words he can actually focus on comprehending the story he is reading. It is a process that never really ends but if we come to any big bumps along the way I know I can reach out to Vision For Life at any time. I can not thank everyone at Vision For Life enough for their cooperation, coaching and caring.

 

I opted to start undergoing vision therapy due to chronic migraine headaches.  After a few sessions with the syntonic glasses my neck tension, cranial pain, and TMJ discomfort have been dramatically reduced.  I’ve been extremely encouraged by the progress thus far, and I’m excited by the prospect of an even better quality of life in the future.

Jaden started vision therapy in June 2017. We had concerns that he could not catch or hit a baseball. He seemed to have difficulty tracking the ball. Within one week of vision exercises at home and one therapy session, he hit the ball each time he was up to bat, and could play, pitch and catch. This summer in baseball he has continued to hit almost every time he has been up to bat. We have seen huge gains in coordination since the beginning of therapy, and can tell his eyes seems to move together better.

Academically, Jaden has always performen average to above average in all areas, and we have not had concerns. However, with vision therapy, we have seen Jaden excel even more academically. At the beginning of 3^rdgrade he was reading at a 5^thgrade 4^thmonth level, and at the end of 3^rdgrade, star testing found him to perform at a freshman year 4^thmonth level. HUGE GAINS! He scored greater than 99%of students nationally on this test, and can likely read 170 words per min. on grade level appropriate text. Jaden was also one of the top 12 spellers in 3^rdgrad, and got to participate in the spelling bee. We have also seen improvements in his writing abilities. We arw very proud of Jaden and his commitment to vision therapy, and thankful for all the gains he has made in various areas.

I started vision therapy back in April of 2017, and vision therapy has helped me bowl, drive, and see things better. My hand writing has improved a lot since the beginning. School has been a lot easier on me this year as a result of vision therapy. Vision therapy has helped me a lot! Thanks Vision For Life!

 

I noticed when Nathan was reading a Merit Badge booklet for Boy Scouts he was skimming. I knew he didn't have an eye problem due to seeing an eye physician every year since he was 3 years old. I knew it was an eye/brain processing issue. So I looked for someone to help Nathan. That's when I found Dr. Julie. Now, we're coming to the end of his therapy, this is what I noticed:

Nathan use to see the word and picture when he was skimming to read. now when Nathan reads, he sees only the words. No more skimming and he reads every word he sees.

Thanks to Dr. Julie & Tammy, we are so thankful and grateful to both of them!

Carol - Grandmother of Nathan

Leland’s reading proficiency has increased drastically. Leland enjoys reading and is back to being on track at school. Leland struggled with running into things and falling before therapy.

No more bumps and bruises!

Hi, Today I was watching Star Wars movie in the theatre. It was such an unbelievable experience. Now I’m going to sound like Susan Barry. It was like I would have received the most precious gift in the world and in my life. Like an impossible talent you only wished to be true some day. My doctors said it was impossible for me to see in 3D. Now I really see how wrong they were. ❤ There was soooo much depth and the movie felt like I was in it and watching a concert very close. So much feel of space and flying objects. Soo awesome that I said woooow all the time, had goose bumps in my skin, cried happy tears.. ❤ This experience I will never forget. It is just like Susan Barrys. I’m speechless. Sooooooo awesome. Most precious treasure in the world and worth of billions trillions of coins/ undescribable amount of money. Huge thanks for you guys for your help. Without you I would not be so far. ❤ I can’t thank you enough. Miia

After five months of therapy, our daughter who has amblyopia has improved her vision in her weak eye to almost normal.  We have also seen improvements in coordination, including handwriting and swimming.  We are so glad that we took a leap of faith and did vision therapy and syntonics because it works!

Ava has more confidence since she has started vision therapy. She is ace-ing her spelling test and will actually share answers in front of the classroom. Our hope was that her vision improved to make learning fun and enjoyable. We are excited to watch her progress and smile with pride.

I am amazed and thrilled with the many successes Gabby has experienced in her sessions here. To pinpoint one is difficult. All these successes have resulted in a more confident, determined and energized young lady. For her to now see the potential and bright future I’ve seen all along is priceless.

Ava has more confidence since she has started vision therapy. She is acing her spelling tests and will actually share answers in front of the classroom. Our hope was that her vision improved to make learning fun and enjoyable. We are excited to watch her progress and her smile with pride.

We found out Miranda was having problems at her regular vision exam. At school she was having daily headaches. She was having difficulty with reading, her reading levels had dropped from the previous year. She had difficulty with focusing and she was tired. So we came in for the initial evaluation and here we are 45 weeks later. Now, Miranda isn’t having headaches like she used to. She actually enjoys reading now. She reads quickly and is able to comprehend what she has read. Her istation testing has increased to over an 8^th grade level in reading. Before vision therapy Miranda didn’t enjoy school. She had a really difficult year with her teacher. This year that has changed. She likes school and most of her teachers. She loves her English teacher. Thank you Dr. Julie and especially Tammy for dealing with us every week.

Ailee began Vision Therapy with illegible handwriting, and an unwillingness to read out loud and write more than required, and very little spatial awareness. Through her VT, she balance is more controlled and stable. While she still does not care to read, her reading ability has improved. Her penmanship has improved greatly. I have seen her artwork improve immensely. She has such a passion for sketching, and it has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 9 months. This tells me she has way more control over penmanship, but also visually. She sketches, shades, and highlights depth in her art work. Before, when she’d write a story, literally, I could hardly read it. Just yesterday, she wrote willingly a 3+ page creative story that was not only descriptive, but also legible.

Her physical coordination also has improved along with her confidence in her ability. We see this especially in her swimming. Her strokes are much more fluid and clean.

Overall we are extremely pleased with her progress in VT. Her handwriting is not always neat, but it’s not because she can’t write neatly, it’s because she doesn’t want to do it…. Preteens!!!

 

All of the teachers at Chloe’s school are impressed with her progress. Chloe’s vocabulary has increased so much and her attention to details. Chloe’s social skills with her peers have become more age appropriate. Everyone is amazed of her progress in such a short period of her treatment at Vision for Life. The school staff is amazed at Dr. Julie’s YouTube.

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to therapy, Alexis was very clumsy and withdrawn at school. The biggest concern that we noticed was when she couldn’t see through pools to gauge how deep it might be. After therapy, she has gained confidence, her grades have improved significantly, she now loves school, has tons of friends, and has depth perception for water and other applications. She has even started participation in sports in school!

Garrison had a lot of eye issues that we never knew he had when we first came to vision therapy. Over the past year, he has learned to read and track better because of vision therapy.

We can’t thank Cheri enough for the time and hard work she put in to helping Garrison.

I’m so glad we found Dr. Julie and the staff at Vision For Life. I don’t know where Garrison would be today if we didn’t come to vision therapy. Garrison's balance is so much better also, and he learned to ride his bike this past summer!

My son was able to focus a lot better on schoolwork. We saw improvement’s in his concentration with school work, and everyday task. He seems to be more aware of his surroundings.

At his last eye exam appointment, his eye doctor told us that this was the first time in quite a few visits that his eye glass prescription hasn’t increased!

Vision therapy has helped me with so much. It has helped my eye’s to be able to go out. When I struggled on my papers, it was just a silly mistake. Mom said I was not copying the words down right, but it was really just me not being able to copy the words.

But now, thanks to vision therapy, I have been getting an A+.

Before beginning therapy Elise was reading at grade level, or a little below. Since transitioning into therapy she is now reading above grade level. The reading level for fourth grade (on grade level) is “M” and Elise scored at level “S”. We are very pleased with her progress.

Macy wanted to participate in baton but struggled greatly with using her left hand to twirl. After vision therapy she is now participating in competition. She has won 2 first place ribbons and twirling great with her left hand.

 

Before therapy my daughter struggled to read and write. She would become overwhelmed easily and have meltdowns when asked to clean her room or practice reading and writing. She is now much more calm and does not get overwhelmed. She has an inner desire to learn to read and improve on her writing skills. Her teacher and I are very pleased with her progress and look forward to seeing how far my daughter will come after therapy is over. (We are only halfway through therapy.)

I was reading at a fourth grade reading level and now, I’m at an eighth grade level.

I remember I brought my son for his assessment. I thought he only had an astigmatism. After the assessment, Dr. Julie explained to me that it was far worse and how my son had been struggling. I cried because as a mother, I didn’t know and I didn’t know my son was having such a hard time.

The cost of the therapy was a shock to me and my husband; however our son’s eyesight and success in life were worth far more. It was definitely one of the best investments we have ever made. His range of vision has increased 10 fold and his vision overall has gotten better. He’s able to play sports and participate in activities without his glasses. He still uses his glasses to read, but at least he likes reading now.

Vision therapy also was a learning experience for my son. It helped him with his memory, eye movement, numbers, distinguishing items from one another, etc. This was a lot for a 4-year-old, but it definitely helped him prepare for kindergarten and his future. There are no regrets between my husband and myself for investing our money and time in vision therapy and our son.

In order to help others, who are trying to decide how soon to start visual training, we would appreciate it if you could write a few words of encouragement. (What life was like before therapy and how it is now- please list out what you or your child has gained by doing therapy.)

Before vision therapy, I struggled with driving a lot. I had trouble judging distance and using my peripheral vision to see objects. Now, both those skills are much improved. I have since gotten my driver’s license and am able to comfortably drive myself and my siblings to different places.

I also had trouble reading. My eyes would get tired and I would often fall asleep whenever I tried to read. I can read now and I rarely fall asleep, unless I’m very tired.

We were excited to start Lexi with Vision Therapy to help her read more fluently. We were so excited to see the test results about 3/4 of the way through her treatment. They showed great improvement in many areas. Lexi seems to be more confident in herself and her school work.

 

Before therapy, Alexis was not an athletic child and had to be "forced" to do sports because she was somewhat clumsy. Now, four months in to therapy, her confidence has dramatically increased and she has asked to join a volleyball team with her peers, is doing well in sports and with her coordination.

My daughter Callie is in 2nd grade and in the last few months she has jumped from a 13 to a 16 in her reading level, then again from a 16 to an 18. It's amazing to see her so excited about reading and catching up to her class mates. Vision therapy has made such a huge difference in her confidence.

A year ago my wife and I had never heard of Vision Therapy. Our son Jack (12 years old, 6th Grade), although a good student, had to work extremely hard to maintain his grades at school. Along with this came a new level of stress and anxiety that we started to notice in him. Jack's social skills were also lacking as he tended to shy away from group setting and not participate.

We express our concerns to his pediatrician and came to the conclusion that Occupational and Behavioral Therapy was in his best interest. While in OT it was recommended to us to have Jack see Dr. Julie Steinhauer at Vision For Life. The OT therapist seemed to think his problems were more vision related. Dr. Julie did a full vision exam on Jack and she began to explain to us Jack's vision problems. She told us that with vision therapy she believed these problems could be corrected. Dr. Julie then proceeded to have my wife and I put on a pair of glasses and see the world that Jack lives in. Our hearts dropped. Jack's world was nothing but visual confusion. From a lack of a visual field to double/triple images, no wonder tasks were so challenging to him. We knew that we had to give vision therapy a shot. Ms. JoAnne, who would lead Jack's therapy, showed us the training rooms and some various exercises that would be done.

As we close in our year long journey of therapy, the difference is outstanding. jack's vision has improved exactly like Dr. Julie said it would. jack has enjoyed great success at school with less stress and anxiety. He recently participated in the Triad Invitational Middle School Model United Nations with his 7th Grade class. He was excited to attend and tell us about meeting new students from other schools and how he participated on different committees. He is succeeding at his Martial Arts class and is regularly participating in group activities and mat chats where answering questions and speaking in front of his peers is required. With his vision success, we have seen his confidence level continue to grow and a new found sense of humor starting to blossom.

My wife and I fell Jack's success has started with Vision Therapy. The work that Dr. Julie and her staff are doing is not only AMAZING, it is life changing.

Before Vision Therapy, Payten did not like school or any type of work that had to do with school. It was a struggle to get her to go to school or do homework. Payten's teacher had trouble getting her to do any extra work. She did as little as possible to get her grade. She did not like to read at all, and getting her to sit down and read a book was impossible.

we found out through testing that Payten had double vision, which made it very difficult for her to see the words she was being asked to read. Payten had headaches every day, which made her feel very sick. Payten also had anxiety about school. She knew school was hard fro her, so she did not ever want to go.

After going through the Vision Therapy process, Payten is a completely different child. She loves school. her teacher even said that she is always telling Payten to put away her book because she constantly wants to read! She even asked if I would take her to the library a few weeks ago. We are both very thankful for Vision Therapy and what it has done for our family. Our ultimate goal was for Payten to like school and do well at it. She had all A's on her last report card and cannot wait to go to school each day! Thank you Dr. Julie and the Vision For Life Staff for everything you did for Payten and our family.

My daughter, Sarah, was never a reader. Even as she was read to as a baby/toddler she didn't like the words. She was diagnosed with dyslexia in October of her first grade year and began special education. Her progress was slow but steady. When she started third grade, she had been at vision therapy for almost a year. She started third grade at a F/G level but by Christmas she was reading at the J/K level. Not only that, she now loves books! She picks up a book on her own to read plus she loves reading aloud!

After only 3 treatments, my daughter, Alexis, looked at the night sky and started seeing the clouds with depth for the first time. She said that every time before, the clouds looked as though she was looking at a flat photo/picture. Now the clouds looked "like she could touch them."

Matthew began vision therapy before his 6th grade year. His reading and writing skills were far below grade level. Vision therapy enable Matthew to read chapter books at his grade level, copy and align math problems to pursue Algebra, and write lengthy compositions that demonstrate understanding and communicate clear ideas during his 8th grade year. We are pleased with the opportunities that have opened up for Matthew because of his progress through vision therapy.

Colby was having a difficult time reading in the 1st grade. [He was diagnosed with several vision issues, including focusing difficulties and the inability to keep his eyes aligned.] After VT, he quickly became the best reader in his class, and his coordination in sports has improved dramatically. Along with this progress, his self-confidence has improved as well. He knows he can read well now and hit that ball!

Before VT, Cathy was not using both of her eyes at the same time, so reading and schoolwork were sometimes difficult. She had issues with depth perception, making hitting and catching a ball difficult. She didn’t want to do schoolwork or read, and would become easily frustrated playing softball, not getting on base. Since VT, she is now at grade level in her reading and has had a very good school year without as many struggles. She is becoming a better batter and softball player.

Dane was diagnosed with dyslexia in late 2008 in a psychological evaluation; Dr. Steinhauer detected strabismus instead. [Following VT], Dane has come to enjoy reading and routinely receives 100% on his spelling tests. His visual memory has expanded to keep him at grade level. Bike riding was once an adventure for Dane, considering his questionable depth perception. Now he is able to ride for miles… and has improved in soccer and basketball too.

Travis was a clumsy child. He often tripped, ran into things and had accidents. Reading was a struggle, with headaches and watery eyes and frequently losing his place. After a VT program which included hand-eye coordination drills, Travis excelled in baseball, basketball and tennis with superior hand-eye skills. He was team MVP in all sports and went to state three times in tennis. He also developed a life-long love of reading and graduated with a 5.23 GPA. I sincerely believe we would not have seen these results had he not gone through VT with Dr. Steinhauer.

I really didn’t want to admit that Gabriele was having difficulty in school.  She was struggling with reading, spelling and writing.  She had constant reversals of letters and numbers.  After thought and prayer, we decided to have her tested.  I was still in denial.  After the testing, I realized that we really needed to do therapy.  Since we had completed therapy with Abbi, she had such improvement in school and all areas of her life.  Vision therapy is a substantial time and monetary commitment.  We began therapy with great hopes for improvement.  Gabriele has made so many gains at school and for her life in general.

I’ll never be able to express our thanks to Dr. Julie and her staff.  The encouragement and hope we got along the way of this journey was awesome.  It was hard at times, but well worth the time and expense.  May God continue to bless Dr. Julie and her staff as they help others.  Thanks for being such a blessing to us!

Before Vision Therapy, life was quite difficult.  I had trouble in school and especially with sports.  In school I had trouble reading.  For instance, I would skip small words such as: I, as, is, am, the . . .  Also, it was very hard to comprehend what I was reading because I had to concentrated so much to figure out each word, let alone what a sentence meant.  My penmanship was very bad, and I had trouble lining up the numbers in math problems.  Copying from the board to my paper was also difficult.  In sports, I had trouble hitting and catching baseballs, as well as hitting the basketball rim.

Now, after Vision Therapy, I don’t skip words and I understand what I read much better.  I can copy from one line to another and from the board to my paper much easier.  In math, the problems are easier, because the columns are lined up better and I can understand word problems much better.  I don’t throw a fit anymore and try to stall when doing word problems.  My penmanship is better and the words are spaced much more consistently.  I can now hit and catch baseballs much easier now, and I made many baskets last basketball season.

Before vision therapy, my daughter Katie, age 9, hated school. Homework was a nightmare for the entire family. I had to force her to do it, and it would often take hours just to do one thing, invariably with her ending up in tears. She had low self-esteem and longed to be one of the “smart kids” in school. Instead, she felt awful because she always needed help and finished her work last.

After vision therapy, our lives have completely changed. Katie loves school now! She does her homework as soon as she gets home without being told and rarely needs help. She is excelling to the point she has made the honor roll and is among the first to finish her work in class. Her self-esteem is up, and she feels good about herself, confident and proud that she is now one of the “smart kids”. She’s so proud of herself and enthusiastic about school, she no longer dreads going. In fact, she has been writing a children’s book on her own, and the school is going to have it published for her. Vision therapy has made all the difference in the world to her and us.

Before vision therapy, my son was struggling to make it through his school day. He couldn’t keep up with the class work and took his whole evening to finish at home. He had trouble keeping on task unless I was constantly on him which made both of us miserable. I’m happy to say that he is now excelling in school and homework is no longer a time for tears. He is much better at getting his work done and keeping his focus. Not perfect… but typical for a curious 9 year old boy. His teachers had encouraged me to take the medication route, but I have no regrets that we chose vision therapy instead. It’s given him the ability to get the most out of school without losing any of his sweet personality. I highly recommend it for anyone that is struggling the way Jackson was.

Dear Dr. Steinhauer, I am the grandmother of Ethan, one of your clients. I just want you to know how grateful I am for the care you have given him. He is a new little boy, a boy with hope and a future. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As you know he had been under several other doctors’ care and they all wanted to treat him with drugs, which all had terrible side effects. Ethan would even early on tell us it wasn’t helping, but out of desperation his parents felt it the only thing to do at the time although not liking the course it was taking him on. We feel you have been an answer to prayer and thank God daily for the change in Ethan.

You have given Ethan a new start on life and he feels it too. I am just sorry for all the children who are misdiagnosed and/or don’t have the money to go through your program. When I tell people about it they look very skeptical, but Ethan is living proof your program works. I am grateful to Brian, my son in law who dedicated much time into seeing Ethan’s therapy through. It is a big commitment, but the results are worth every effort.

I could tell by the time Ethan was eighteen months old that something wasn’t right as I was his caretaker for six years. I just wish we would have found you sooner, but the main thing is we did. Again I just wanted you to know we thank God for you. You were an answer to our prayers.

Before Mackenzie began vision therapy, she was struggling in a number of school subjects: reading, spelling, and math were her hardest subjects. Particularly in math, she seemed to actually be getting worse instead of better. She didn’t seem to recognize when a math symbol changed. For instance, if the first two problems were addition, she added every problem on the page, even though some problems were subtraction. Additionally, she was making no progress in multiplication. One week she would know some multiplication facts, and the next week she would look at them like she had never seen them before. Since beginning vision therapy, Mackenzie’s progress in Math has been amazing. I first noticed it when she took the initiative to do her math work on her own and completed a whole lesson with no help and no tears! We are now almost through a whole year of school and vision therapy, and Mack has mastered her multiplication facts, moved onto division with no problem and is progressing with fractions and beginning geometry and algebra. Being able to not only learn new math concepts without crying, but then also progress in them in HUGE for her. It is wonderful to see her progress and gain confidence in areas that were previously frustrating and demeaning to her.

I started therapy at the age of 20 with a mind and a visual processing system that was struggling and had been struggling for a very long time. My parents first noticed that I had a learning problem in third grade. Now, finally at 20 years old, I am taking action, and learning how to control my habits. I have learned so much from Gabby and Dr. Julie, and the whole team that they have not only taught me, but they have changed me as a person as well. All I can say is that they have inspired me to do great in life and nothing is impossible! My eyes have opened, and I have realized how beautiful and smart I really am and how beautiful life truly is! I recommend to anyone struggling with visual and learning issues to try it out, because it is mind blowing! I love it!

Wow! What an incredible journey the last year has been for Ethan-and for us! The beginning of 2013 and the entire year of 2012 were NOT good years for our household. We were told Ethan had ADHD, ODD, autism, etc. although all testing was not conclusive. We have always believed in the natural path to remedy vs. prescription medication and with me being a quality manager, the drugs were nothing but a dangerous form of containment. I wanted to know the root cause. That is what we needed to fix!

We stumbled across Brain balance in March of 2013 and where it led us…Vision For Life…has been life changing! They immediately identified vision issues. Keep in mind that Ethan was so uncooperative at this point he was not even able to complete his testing at Brain Balance.

Ethan had been through two schools, was difficult to manage even at home. He was very smart (reading at 5th grade level in Pre-K) but he had behavioral problems at school. He got frustrated very easily. He could not tie his shoes or ride a bike at age 6. We were at the end of our rope when he was suspended after less than 10days at public school. We had moved him from private to public thinking they had the resources to support his needs. We knew we had to find a solution and we found it via Brain Balance. He started Vision For Life in June 2013 and by mid August he was riding a bike and tying his shoes!! Major behavioral changes started taking place and the fabulous kid, that we only once in awhile saw glimmers of, finally emerged.

We tell everyone we can about all that Vision For Life has done for Ethan and our family. We hope and pray that others find you and quickly!! Our kids deserve solutions not medications and Vision For Life is an absolutely incredible solution!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
P.S. While Ethan is 95% better, our plan is to finish his “solution” at Brain Balance.

Before starting vision therapy, life with Isabella was very difficult. She was “doing ok” and “getting by” in school, but doing homework was exhausting and emotionally draining. Reading was very slow and tiring, and even in 3rd & 4th grade she was reluctant to try chapter books because they were too overwhelming! Doing homework resulted in tears every time.

Now that we have completed therapy, Isabella is more willing at homework time AND it goes much faster. Her reading has improved greatly and she is reading lengthy chapter books and even enjoys it!!

We are so thankful for the staff at Vision for Life and have been blessed by all they have done to help Isabella.

I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Dr. Julie, Jenna and the staff at Vision For Life. You have made a huge difference in my son, Matthew's life. We came to Dr. Julie after trying unsuccessfully for about 3yrs trying to get the appropriate help for Matthew. I am grateful that I found Dr. Julie because for the first time someone understood my son's issues.

There are many new things beginning to open up for Matthew. For the first time, he is getting compliments from his classmates for doing well in PE. He is starting to enjoy sports more and more. At age 11, that is a huge plus for a boy that was slightly clumsy. He is doing better in school! He is paying attention more and staying on task! How I have longed to hear these reports from his teachers.

His memory skills are starting to improve and he is having less and less trouble doing homework. He is also telling me more about his day at school and seems to be remembering more information so hopefully studying for tests will be easier. He also has matured in ways that have been wonderful to see. His coordination is much better. He has better sleep patterns now. He is less nervous and more confident. He is also more assertive.

In addition to this his visual skills have greatly improved. His eyes are working as a team now. His right eye doesn't cross when he reads. His tracking during reading is much better. For Matt his visual memory skills have been an issue and they too have been improved ( i.e.: math facts are getting easier).

We are very glad that we participated in the 32 week program. I would highly recommend to anyone who has a child that struggles in school due to a visual learning problem to call the office. Dr. Julie's program works!

They say everything happens for a reason…

When we moved to Glen Carbon, IL. Three years ago, we couldn’t understand why our daughter, Hannah, was struggling so much with reading and with school in general. Hannah had struggled in pre-school and kindergarten as well.

After an eye exam from a local eye doctor, we learned Hannah had no peripheral vision. We were referred to Dr. Julie Steinhauer. After testing with Dr. Julie we learned Hannah had some pretty significant issues and began vision therapy.

The vision therapy process was difficult and at times very frustrating.

I would like to go on to say proudly that Hannah has now graduated from vision therapy! She has decreased her eye glass prescription at least twice, has more confidence, and her peripheral vision is back! (That was HUGE for her safety and sports!)

I am also proud to say all of her grades have improved from C’s, D’s, and F’s to all A’s and B’s on her last two report cards and she now loves school!

We started vision therapy when our little kindergartener was diagnosed with Amblyopia at his kindergartener eye exam.

During the exam, I was shocked at how big the letters needed to be on the wall in order for him to see them. Especially since he had known his alphabet for 2 years already. Then when he was asked to grab the fly wing on the stereo activity test and he could not see it at all. I started to get really concerned. We had not recognized any symptoms to his vision issues until he played t-ball and soccer his kindergartener year. He wasn’t catching the ball or chasing after it. He would not see his team mates running along side of him unless he turned his head to look directly at them.

We found Dr. Steinhauer and started vision therapy right away to correct his vision. Dr. Steinhauer, Jo Anne and the staff helped us to improve our son’s vision from 20/60 and 20/50 to 20/20 in both eyes. He can see all angles peripherally and can now grab the fly wing and much more! His self confidence has improved over the year and now is ready to give sports another try.

At such a young age of 6, and while it was a challenge to keep his focus- we were able to work together on activities required slight modifications and others he turned into games and family fun.

In the end, the hard work has really paid off and we are grateful for the results. Thank you Vision For Life!