Child
The change we have seen in Danny since he started at Impact vision therapy has been nothing short of amazing!! Before we came in to meet Dr. Watt, I was at my wit’s end with frustration over home school lessons, especially reading. Every single day, our experience went like this: I would tell Danny it was time to do school. He would complain and argue, drag his feet and find every possible excuse and activity (even chores) to do to avoid coming to sit down. Once he finally sat down, we’d get started and 10 minutes later (at the most!) he would start rubbing his eyes, complaining, and asking if it was time to be done or take a break. He would twist and fidget in his seat. He would attempt to read with his head cradled in one arm, or covering one eye. He would complain he was tired and that his head hurt. I can’t tell you how many times he or I, or both of us, wound up in tears, utterly frustrated with each other. I just had no idea what on earth was wrong and why he was fighting me tooth and nail over every aspect of school.
In the last 6 months, the changes in Danny as a result of vision therapy have been drastic to say the least. I can hardly write this without tears coming to my eyes. The biggest difference is that we can now get through about 20 to 25 minutes of a reading lesson before Danny asks me if he can have a break. He sits properly and reads with his head straight… and when he gets fatigued and starts to twist his head or read with one eye, he quickly corrects himself to read properly with both eyes, since this is now EASIEST for him. And sometimes I even suggest a break before he asks for one. He no longer complains of headaches or being too tired. His reading has improved by almost a whole grade level. When my husband tosses the empty milk jug like a football across the room, he catches it with ease. His handwriting is drastically improved and even the organization of his math problems on paper has increased. He TRIES to read words and phrases and sentences in the world around him, and I can see the world opening up to him before his eyes.
Danny looks forward to his time to “play games” with Mark, his therapist every week, and it’s a highlight when we get to meet with Dr. Watt. The staff at IVT is friendly and fun and I’ve shared laughter and tears with them. I know that this is just the beginning of a transformation in Danny’s academic journey and I am unspeakably thankful to Dr. Watt, Mark and the IVT staff for the allowing God to work through them and for the impact that Danny’s therapy is having on his life!
-Renee