Imagine being a child trying to read and the text is blurry, double or even appears to be moving. You've seen this way your entire life and don't realize that it's any different than any other person. You've passed your school vision screenings and yet you're still getting headaches and dread doing schoolwork or anything related to reading, including math story problems.

Did you know, this occurs with students? Unfortunately, a functional vision problem can still exist even with 20/20 distance eyesight.

Signs VISION could be interfering with your child’s education:

• Complains of headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue with reading

• Skips or repeats words/lines while reading

• Must re-read for comprehension

• Loses place while reading

• Rubs eyes frequently

• Excessive time required to complete reading and assignments

During this workshop, you'll learn:

• Difference between eyesight and functional vision

• What visual stress is and how kids respond

• How to tell which students are at risk and what to do about it

We have a lot to celebrate as we reach the milestone of 5 years of service throughout the Lakeshore and West Michigan! We have had the opportunity to help hundreds of patients reach their full potential in vision, giving them the ability to learn, read, drive, play, work, and more.

We are excited to celebrate this anniversary with the addition of another neuro developmental and rehabilitative optometrist and moving locations to a much larger office! We will now be more accessible to a broader area throughout all of West Michigan.

Ribbon Cutting: 12:30pm

Open House: Until 2pm

Come celebrate these amazing achievements with us!

As an educator, you have a very special role. You have a front-row seat to a student's success and often are able to narrow down what is interfering with their education. Unfortunately, there is an important piece of their development that commonly gets overlooked. Although they may have passed a vision screening, students that are struggling to learn and comprehend can still suffer from a functional vision problem. 

Did You Know?

• Vision screenings test less than 4% of the visual skills needed to help children read and learn. 

• 50-75% of vision problems can be missed in a standard screening or eye exam!

In many cases, kids struggling with a visual dysfunction don't know there is a problem since they've always seen this way and assume everyone else sees the way they do. They'll feel they must not be as smart as their peers which greatly impacts their confidence, leading to behavioral concerns, falling behind in academics, and avoidance of near-work such as reading.

Join developmental optometrist, Dr. Neil Renaud, to learn the signs and symptoms of a functional vision problem and simple ways to screen. You'll walk away with additional tools to be able to help your students succeed! 

Has ADHD testing been recommended for your child? Are you concerned about their behavior and suspect ADHD? Have you noticed any of the following signs or symptoms?

• Loses concentration during reading but can focus on something more fun like a video game or sports

• Restless, irritable, and short attention span with reading

• Disturbs others in class, especially during reading or writing activities

• Bumps into things, trips, falls, unaware of surroundings

• Hates to read, but likes to be read to by teacher/parents

• Learning problems continue, even after starting medication

If you can say yes to any of the above signs or symptoms we recommend attending this workshop! Did you know, 80% of ADD/ADHD symptoms overlap that of a functional vision problem? If your child has passed a vision screening; but still has these signs and symptoms, a vision problem, unrelated to 20/20 far away, could still be present. 

Join us during this virtual event to discuss your concerns with our developmental optometrist, Neil Renaud OD, FAAO, FCOVD. You'll learn how vision could be playing a key role in your child's suspected ADHD and simple ways you can screen from home. 

Have questions, call us, we're happy to help!

90% of TBI's cause visual dysfunctions leading to symptoms such as:

•Struggle with reading/looking at screens

•Motion sickness, dizziness

•Light sensitivity: outdoor + fluorescent

•Discomfort in busy surroundings like grocery stores

Are you or your child still struggling to recover from a concussion/brain injury? Are the visual symptoms debilitating? Optometric Vision Therapy works to rehabilitate the brain's neurological visual pathways that were damaged by injury. Join developmental optometrist, Dr. Neil Renaud, to learn how vision can be rehabilitated back to normal or as close to as possible.

Interested in learning more before the workshop? Watch Dr. Neil's video on how optometric vision therapy can treat post-concussion and stroke visual symptoms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG6tMxJvd94

Did you walk out of conferences feeling defeated with your child's report?

Is your child trying really hard but can't seem to catch up?

Does it seem that your child has simply given up on school?

Have you ruled out a learning-related vision problem? Sure, your child may have 20/20 at a distance and even passed the vision screening, but are their eyes working functionally, together? Digging deeper than a standard eye exam may be necessary. Join us for a workshop with developmental optometrist Dr. Neil Renaud, to learn how vision can impact academic success.

Interested in learning more before the workshop? Watch Dr. Neil's video on learning-related vision problems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglfjrZN_6s

JOIN US!

As we jump into the new school year, we start to see many of the same schoolwork and behavior issues appear from the previous year. You have tried tirelessly to figure out why your child is struggling in school and why they avoid reading, even after having an eye exam and getting perfect results. Unfortunately 1 in 4 children has a learning-related vision problem affecting their near vision, even if they see 20/20 far away and pass a standard vision screening.

Signs VISION could be interfering with reading:

•Skips or repeats words/lines

•Must re-read for comprehension

•Rubs eyes frequently

•Headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue with reading

•Excessive time required to complete reading and assignments

We invite you to attend this workshop and talk with developmental optometrist, Neil Renaud, OD, FAAO, FCOVD. He will help you understand what you need to know about your child's vision and leave with screening tools that you can do at home.

Have You Heard?

Kids often don't understand the way they see is not right since they've always seen like this. While discussing their vision with Dr. Neil, they often describe how they view text, below are some examples of what we have heard. It's often not until their vision is tested that they are able to express how they see.

•Double vision

•Blurry vision

•Words melt on the page

•Words appear to swim on the page

•Parts of the page disappear

•Letters appear to vibrate

Can't make the event? Have questions? Call or email us, we're happy to help!

Have you or your child recently received a diagnosis of an eye turn or a lazy eye? Debating if surgery and patching are the best next steps? Let us help walk you through all of your options.

Strabismus "Eye Turn"

Strabismus causes one eye to turn off target. This can cause double vision or only using one eye, both of which eliminate depth perception ability. Someone with an eye turn can struggle to use both eyes for reading, learning, and even daily life. They may also struggle with confidence when their eyes don't look "normal". Surgery is often recommended. But did you know it has a very low success rate? Most cases take more than one surgery to get the eyes cosmetically straight. Even then, they usually don't function together.

Amblyopia "Lazy Eye"

Amblyopia is more than just an eye problem; it is a neurological condition of the brain’s inability to use both eyes together as a team, so one eye becomes very dominant over the other. One eye is blurrier than the other and lags behind in many ways. Patching is the typical treatment, and works fine for improving eyesight. But it does not train the eyes to work together. Patching is fine, but Vision Therapy is so much better!

JOIN US on Facebook Live!

We invite you to learn more about your options from developmental optometrist, Neil Renaud, OD, FAAO, FCOVD. You may feel like surgery and patching are your only choice. Vision Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that focuses on developing function and achieving real life goals. It can teach you at any age how to straighten your eyes, use both simultaneously as a team, see in 3-D and keep both eyes "turned on" at all distances.

We look forward to "seeing" you! If you can't make the event, or have questions? Call or email us, we're happy to help!