It's Never Too Late

Many 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.

Do You See What I See? A Scientist's Journey Into 3-D by Terry Gross

Dr. Susan Barry, interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air program, 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.

Sue Barry - Fixing My GazeIt 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. 

Dr. Amy finds this area of optometric care particularly rewarding.  It is a great marriage between her education at MIT (bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science) and her post graduate training in developmental vision care.  If you would like more information about research, vision therapy or visual development, please email:  [email protected]