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I Can See Clearly Now
Developmental Vision Therapy and Learning-Disabled Kids
By Jane Giles
n Vision Center, Todd Cohan, O.D., sees upward of 10 kids each week for either a first-time visual efficiency evaluation or a vision therapy session. "The vast majority of the patients I see are brought by moms who have heard about the impact the program has made for other children," says Dr. Cohan. 
It's not difficult to see why Cohan's appointment book is full. The latest findings reveal that the percentage of K-12 students identified as needing special education rose from 8.3 percent in 1976 to 11.8 percent in 1998. Parents, eager to enhance their child's potential for success, are exploring and taking advantage of all available options.
And the earlier intervention begins, the better: Appropriate help by the first grade promises a normal reading ability for 90 percent of children with reading disabilities. If help is delayed to age 9, 75 percent will have trouble throughout their school careers.
Ronnie Sage is just one of the more than 135,000 Illinois children diagnosed with a learning disability (based on the Illinois Board of Education's December 2001 report). Since second grade, he struggled to keep up with his classmates on reading-related assignments, complaining of fatigue and frustration when performing academic tasks despite wearing glasses that were prescribed to strengthen what one eye doctor described as "weakened eye muscles."
But during a routine annual eye exam at Nierman Vision Center in 2001, Larry Nierman, O.D., arranged for an evaluation of Ronnie's functional vision. The assessment was recommended to determine if the 14-year-old would benefit from developmental vision therapy.
The Sage family, patients of Nierman Vision Center since 1997, had a family history of learning disabilities and reported concerns about Ronnie's chronic headaches and extreme frustration and fatigue with his homework assignments, particularly those that required extensive reading. Dr. Nierman, his brother and business partner, David Nierman, O.D., and Dr. Cohan suspected Ronnie would be a prime candidate to benefit from the vision therapy program.