Success Stories at Bowersox Vision Center

Dr. Bowersox and staff have provided such a great service.  I can’t explain how much they have helped.  Not only in vision, in movement also.  I have a brain injury and we can’t give them enough praise.  Any child or adult that have movement or vision problems, we recommend them to everyone.  I am now a receptionist at Blue Moon Salon in Taylorsville.  Believe it or not they have even helped my handwriting.

Thank you all
– Debbie Bowman

Thank you for your treatment of our daughter’s vision needs.  Before Tamara started the vision therapy reading was a challenge.  She would get headaches and after 15 minutes of reading she would want to stop.  She was below level in her reading level at school and had a hard time focusing in class.  The school had put her in a special reading group and wanted us to send her to summer school to improve her reading.  Thanks to Dr. Bowersox and his staff for noticing that even though her vision was normal she was having trouble focusing her eyes together when reading.

The therapy at home was clearly explained for us and easy to follow.  The activities were fun for her and kept her engaged in the process.  Now that we have completed the therapy outlined by your assessment of her needs we have seen outstanding improvements in her reading ability.  Her reading level raised by 20 points.  She now enjoys reading and will do it for fun not just homework.  She is able to pay better attention in class and stay on top of her homework and in class work.  She was proud to come home with mostly A’s on her report card.

Your staff did a great job working with her and was able to make the process fun for her, which made it easy for use to keep her excited about the process.  She couldn’t wait to come each week and loved celebrating every step of success she made.  You also kept us up to date on her progress and answered any questions we had about the process.  We are so excited to share with everyone the difference vision therapy can make in a child’s life.  Vision therapy has changed Tamara’s life.  Thank you Dr. Bowersox and every staff member for all the effort, care and support you have given our family.

Sincerely Yours,
– The Porter Family

I would like to thank Dr. Bowersox and the vision therapy staff for helping my son, Nathan, to see well.  Nathan had complained for quite some time that he could not see clearly.  Since glasses were not helping him to see better we were referred here by another doctor.  We were so thankful to have a clear explanation of Nathan’s problem after his initial evaluation.  Although I had doubts in the beginning, we were overjoyed with the outcome of vision therapy.  His problem was using both eyes at the same time, he tended to suppress one eye and use the other eye.  It was a lot of work, but in the end was very worth the time and expense.  We are glad that vision therapy has enabled our son to see normally and would recommend it to anyone who has a need for it.  Dr. Bowersox and his staff did a wonderful job and we are grateful to them for helping Nathan.

Our success story actually ends with Dr. Bowersox, Iveth and Jamie.  My son Daniel has a learning disability called Dyspraxia.  We have spent three and a half years at Cardinal Hill working with therapists trying to improve his ability to read and write.  One week during the fall of 2010 I was approached not only by his therapists at Cardinal Hill but by his therapist at school.  They all suggested I look into Vision Therapy for Daniel.  I had never heard of this therapy so I hit the internet and found two therapists within the Central Kentucky area.  I ws very pleased during my interview with Dr. Bowersox.  His concern for the children was very evident.

Daniel began therapy in January of 2011.  He worked hard and was very consistent with his homework.  As the weeks went by, his teacher began sending me notes that Daniel was improving with his reading.  By the end of the school year, he had improved his grade from below average to an average grade.  That may not seem like much but for my son it was a wonderful accomplishment.  He has continued with his therapy throughout the summer months and we were excited when we received his progress report two weeks ago.  He began the year at grade level!!  Vision Therapy was the last piece of the puzzle towards our son’s success.  We will be excited to see Daniel reach new goals because of Vision Therapy.

Thanks Iveth, Jamie and Dr. Bowersox

– The Clark Family

Throughout my daughter, Morgan’s, preschool and kindergarten I questioned teachers on several areas.  These included reversal of letters and numbers, and writing her name completely backward.  I was told it was both an issue of maturity and also being let handed.  She was reading on grade level in kindergarten.

As Morgan entered 1st grade, I did not realize the problems that would surface.  She was not able to advance from the reading level that she was on in kindergarten.  While reading at home, she would call out words which did not even start with the same letter of the alphabet.  She was continuing to have difficultywith letter and number reversal and messy writing.  The whole family, teachers and especially Morgan were becoming increasingly frustrated.  Morgan would cry because she was not able to be on the reading levels that her friends were and she wanted so much to do a good job.

In the middle of 1st grade year, math also became an issue.  During class, she would be asked to count objects, but she was unable to do this successfully.  It was very frustrating because I knew that she could count.  Our school district is teaching math in focus which is a very visual approach and she was really struggling.  The school had also received standardized test scores which showed low scores with reading comprehension.

The teacher had implemented some extra help for her at this point.  She was staying after school two days a week for reading and math.  She was also receiving reading recovery.  As a school nurse, I started to think that there may be a vision problem, so I performed a screening but was 20/20.  However, I made an appointment with our local 20/20 Eyecare and was blessed with a great doctor that referred us to Dr. Bowersox.  Dr. Amanda Ballard agreed that my daughter did not have a problem with visual acuity, but felt there may be an issue with tracking.  Our family is grateful to her for informing us about vision therapy.  The very next day we were traveling an 1 1/2 hours to Shelbyville for a consultation with Dr. Bowersox.  Dr. Ballard had completed an internship with Dr. Bowersox and knew that he was wonderful.

This is how the journey began.  We started vision therapy once a week and completed daily assignments which lasted 15-20 minutes.  Morgan grew to love her therapists even though she was exhausted after long days at school.  She was very eager to complete the assignments because she started to notice positive results.  Not to mention, she really wanted in the big treasure box at the office and the rewards/prizes she received at home.

Within one month of therapy, her reading level had already started to rise.  We finished therapy in three months, six months less than we thought a the beginning.  Morgan worked so hard with very little complaining.  We are now on grade level in reading and doing very well.  Math continues to be a little harder and she is working with a tutor.

Thank you so much to Dr. Bowersox and the entire team for everything.  Morgan has gained so much confidence and enjoys school again.  As a family, nights of homework are much easier with less frustration.  I will continue to sing the praises of this office for years to come.

– Renee Schooling

Dear Dr. Bowersox and Vision Therapists,

Our family can not express how much we appreciate your competence, hard work, and patience.  Jenna has made leaps and bounds, academically and behaviorally, thanks to vision therapy.  She began 1st grade reading below grade level and had a very short attention span.  In a few short months, she will be exiting 1st grade and is currently reading on a 2nd grade level.  She knows all the 1st grade sight words and the majority of the 2nd grade sight words.  In fact, on her latest report card, she scored proficient and distinguished on most of her SMART goals.  A few weeks ago, Jenna’s teacher awarded her Student of the Month for all the progress she has made.

Jenna’s attitude about school has vastly improved.  Reading and writing homework are not longer a struggle nightly, and she is self-motivated to read in her spare time.  Our local restaurants in Warsaw display books for kids to read while dining in.  Jenna loves to read these books to us before, during, and after our meals.  She even reads to her stuffed animals and plays teacher at home.

To all the talented Vision Therapists at Bowersox Vision Center, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  We proudly recommend Bowersox Vision Center to friends, family and parents of struggling students.

Respectfully,
– Darrin, Angie, and Jenna H.

The experience we had with my childs’ vision therapy was tremendous.  She enjoyed working with all of the kind and helpful staff.  She never saw her appointments as “doctors visits” but something to enjoy.  I really liked how she learned all the presidents through her Vision Therapy homework.

Lily showed increased improvement in her focus with her reading assignments and in her retaining information.  Vision Therapy has been priceless in helping our daughter overcome her vision problems.  Thanks to Dr. Bowersox and all of his staff.  They are wonderful people.

– The Cornell’s

Not having the ability to see makes things hard for a person.  You don’t have the ability to see clear, read, drive or do good in school.  This was my life before going to Vision Therapy.  As a kid I was told I had to wear glasses and I didn’t want to.  I thought I looked dorky and thought I didn’t need to wear them.  But when I got older I learned the hard way that I should have worn them.  So I started to do really bad in school because I couldn’t see.  And I couldn’t drive because I couldn’t see.  So finally I got  to the eye doctor and Dr. Bowersox told me that my eyes were not focusing on the same level and I needed to go to Vision Therapy.  And that is were things changed for me big time.  I was in Vision Therapy for about six months and I wouldn’t take it back for anything.  I can do all the things I wanted to like read, drive and do good in school.  So thank you to the people who helped and put up with me for six months.  You have changed my life forever.

– Brittany S.

Jimmy’s right eye looked inward, especially when he was tired.  He didn’t appear to have any visual problems, but was frustrated with trying to read – we assumed it was the difference with boys and girls.  Our pediatrican recommended having Jimmy evaluated for surgery to straighten his eye.  I had seen Dr. Bowersox’s sign on the building and researched vision therapy on the internet.  We elected to have Jimmy’s eye/vision exam at Dr. Bowersox’s.  We learned that Jimmy had no depth perception and was not processing what his eyes were seeing.  Dr. Bowersox was surprised Jimmy could play hand held video games.  He could but it required intense concentration.  After the first week of therapy, his reading ability increased tremendously, and his frustration level went down.  After 18 months of therapy, Jimmy voluntarily picks up books to read.  His penmenship has improved greatly and he does not have to concentrate as fiercly. Jimmy’s eyes are almost always straight now!

We recommend that all kids have this type of visual screening done.

Thank you BVC!

– Scott and Cathy McKnight

Hello, my name is Kathryn Griseto.  My fiance, Joseph Vance, and I have a six year old daughter, Lucinda Aria-Vance.  She will be seven in September.

Luci was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia with Nystagmus at 6 months.  Her left eye has an underdeveloped optic nerve.  Although the doctors we consulted during her early development were helpful and informative, there seemed to be an underlying push toward surgery.  I did a lot of online research and found support in a few forums.  I learned during this time that Luci sees the world differently than the average kid.  Doctors told us she was legally blind in her left eye.  Nystagmus cause her field of vision to be in constant motion; attempting to focus.  We had a rough time at first, because until she learned to speak she could not tell us what she could or could not see.  On the positive side, I read that her condition had no chance of deteriorating, and could improve over time.  Surgery held the possibility of cosmetically correcting her eyes, as they turned in often – especially is she was frustrated or tired.  However, actual visual correction with this surgery did not seem to be 100% predictable.

As Luci grew and started Kindergarten, sitting still and staying on task were very difficult for her.  She could read to herself and show comprehension, yet reading aloud was more challenging.  Her handwriting also contained many reversed and misshapen letters.  I thought all of this was normal for her age.

Luci became more able to tell us what her world looked like.  Sometimes she would say that she could see bits of things out of her left eye, and sometimes nothing at all.  She had trouble with balance and depth perception.

We were apprehensive about this, and did more research and consulted more pediatric ophthalmologists.  Yet, we were still conflicted as to the best path for our daughter – until we met Doctor Dan Bowersox and his team at Bowersox Vision Center.  Ironically, I had only initially come there for a simple eye exam to fit Luci for a pair of glasses, and found instead someone who had personally been through similiar vision problems who was not an advocate for surgery.  Alternatively, Dr. B recommended Vision Therapy.  After hearing how Luci could improve with motor and visual integration exercises in the office and at home, and reading the many success stories of past VT patients, we wholeheartedly agreed to start the program.

From December to August Luci worked twice a week with the Vision Therapy team at the Bowersox Vision Center, and both she and I learned so very much about how she can improve.  For instance, before Luci began therapy I had no idea that a very important part of her development was compromised by her vision difficulties – spatial reasoning.  In short, this meant that her compromised vision prevented her from fully knowing where she was in space, and where other things are in relation to her.  She had poor balance and often bumped her head on walls due to this – but I thought it was simply because she was still young and learning.  Also, I had thought it was normal for her age to have letter reversals and misaligned handwriting.  As I learned from the Vision Therapy team, these were also related to her condition and could improve with therapy.  Luci’s ability to track objects with her eyes, remember sequences, coordinate motor skills, and use both eyes at once were all tested by VT professionals.  In the beginning, Luci scored very low on the average scales for these tests.  I was confused at first what these results meant, but every employee involved with Luci’s therapy was very patient and informative, and spoke to me in terms I could comprehend.  The more questions I had, the more answers – and resources for even more answers – they gave.

Luci worked hard during her office visits and at home.  She was always excited to go to therapy, and left confident and smiling after each visit.  The patience, dedication and encouragement Josh, Amy, and the rest of the Vision Therapy team gave to each of the patients was amazing.  Dr. Bowersox also consulted us regularly on Luci’s progress, and after each meeting I left feeling more knowledgeable and confident about the advantages of Vision Therapy.

When Luci was tested in the core areas of her development again in July, her scores were significantly higher – and it shows!  Tests she could not pass before showed HUGE advances.  Dr. B even said it brought tears to his eyes to read her chart because he was so proud of her.  Luci maneuvers around physical and emotional obstacles with a sense of confidence that was definitely honed by her experiences in Vision Therapy.  She has always loved to read, but now Luci can truly concentrate and comprehend more of any story, no matter the length.  She can ride a bike, jump rope, and read aloud like never before.  She’s learned how to hold her head to see the way that is most comfortable for her.  She says she can see a little more out of her left eye.  Her eyes do not turn in as frequently, and she is able to focus and follow objects – she can catch a ball!  We are all so proud of her perseverance.

Luci is living proof that Vision Therapy works.  With the tools she’s been given there, she is able to continue improving with experience.  It has truly changed my daughter’s life for the better.  She is able to see life with more clarity and depth than ever before.

My family cannot possibly thank Bowersox Vision Center enough for all they have done for Luci.

The are an indispensable resource for anyone with any level of vision difficulty.  We are sincerely grateful!

With many thanks,
-Kathryn Griseto

Over the months at Dr. Bowersox my school grades and my eyes have improved a lot.  At the beginning I was getting B’s, C’s, D’s, and F’s.  Now after a long time and hard work I’ve gotten all A’s, B’s and C’s.  But on my last midterm I got all A’s and B’s but one D.  I recommend all kids come here and get their eyes checked by Dr. Bowersox.  Dr. Bowersox can tell what is wrong with your eyes better than any other doctor in the whole world.  “At least that is what I think.”  Come check out Dr. Bowersox office today because I here they will help you with your eyes and your schooling.

– Tori Estrada

Vision Therapy really helped my daughter Areana.  Before coming to vision therapy she was having very bad headaches several times a week and had difficulty in comprehending what she read.

After four months of vision therapy, she now is understanding what she reads and is no longer having headaches.

Thank you so much Josh, Amy, and Jessi!

– Rachel Rodriguez

Vision Therapy has really helped my daughter Jennifer.  Before she started vision therapy, she did not like to read and did not comprehend what she read.  After four months of vision therapy, she is now comprehending what she reads and actually enjoys reading!

Thank you so much!
– Josh, Amy, and Jessi

Back in December 2008, I as a parent was very concerned about my son Logan and his “attitude” toward school work, and any type of reading assignment.  This “attitude” also seemed to carry over toward any type of writing assignments.  I always thought that Logan didn’t take his time and always seemed to rush when writing.

After some vision testing with Dr. Bowersox and his staff, results showed that Logan really was trying to read but his eye muscles would not allow him to focus his eyes, or his mind on his reading and writing assignments.

Eight months later, after many hours spent through in office work and weekly homework assignments, Logan is totally transformed as a person mentally.  He now has plenty of confidence in himself as a person to handle anything that might come his way.  His reading and writing are now at grade level.

Thanks so much to Dr. Bowersox and his great staff of caring individuals for helping to change the life of a child forever.  (Thanks Jessi!  We love you!)

Forever grateful,
– Rick and Lorrie Pruitt

My daughter Alexis was a very good student in reading until 4th grade, then we noticed her struggling with words she should have recognized.  She began to read slowly and have a very difficult time.  Her grades had dropped a lot at the beginning of the school year.

When she started vision therapy, her reading started getting better and her self esteem got better.  Now that she is finished with therapy her grades came up, she made all A’s and B’s except for her math grade, but we are working on bringing that grade up with a tutor.  We are thankful for vision therapy and would recommend it to everyone.

– Kelly J. Akers

My son C.J. has been struggling in school since Kindergarden.  He has been diagnosed with ADHD, and finally with Convergence deficiency.

After starting Vision Therapy and medicine for ADHD, he has brought his grades up in some classes.

We are very proud of him, it was like he changed from not wanting to do anything in school, to really trying to bring his grades up and do better.

Vision Therapy has really helped my son, and we would recommend it to everyone.

– Kelly J. Akers

Dr. Bowersox and Vision Therapy Staff,

Before Vision Therapy Jessica used to be very distracted especially when doing her homework. After Vision Therapy we’ve noticed she doesn’t complain when doing homework and she can remember things now.

Vision Therapy began for my daughter in August 2008 and ended in February 2009. We came in twice a week for 30 minutes per visit. At first she complained of the eye work being difficult but after a while she said it was much easier. During the six months or so of Vision Therapy she noticed her vision didn’t bother her like it used to before the Therapy began.

One thing as a parent I would like to pass on to other parents would be to give Vision Therapy a try if their child is struggling in school. It’s a great program; it helped Jessica with her grades, homework and reading skills.

Thanks
– Blanca Zapata
Shelbyville, KY

Our journey to and through Bowersox Vision Center has been tough but in the end has been a great success for my son Jacob Horn and our family.

Before Jacob started Vision Therapy in October of 2006 we struggled very hard on homework and his attention span.  His school was concerned and ask for an evaluation on ADHD.  I really did not want to put Jacob on medication unless I absolutely had to do so.  We went ahead with his evaluation and his doctor did not find, at the age of six, that he had any major concern for ADHD.  At school his occupational therapist talked to me about eye development and referred us to a website www.covd.org.  This is where I found Dr. Bowersox who is located in Shelbyville, Kentucky.  I thought why not try it out rather than let it go and spend more years of school telling me that my child has ADHD problems.  Which we knew that Jacob had something going on when it took three hours to do and hour worth of homework and he avoided reading.

Our first trip to see Dr. Bowersox was Halloween night, 2006.  When Dr. Bowersox finished his evaluation with Jacob his words to me were “he is a visual mess” and did not know how Jacob had gotten through school and everything else.  I told him about our struggle with homework, attention and the fact Jacob was always into everything.  That is when Dr. Bowersox began to tell me all of Jacob’s vision problems.  He was born premature and had to undergo eye surgery for retinopathy at two months old.  Now due to some of that he has to wear a hat and transitional lenses to keep the sunlight out of his eyes, because they are always dilated.  His tracking is way off and he doesn’t know where he is in space plus many more issues.  He began working with Jessi (a vision therapist) twice a week on many different things to help his vision.

We found that the reason he always seemed to be getting into things was because he was trying to figure out where or how far things were from him.  He had no depth perception.

His vision has come along way since he started working with Jessi and Dr. Bowersox.  His attention span only lasted about four seconds and now on somethings he can last up to an hour.  His homework is taking about an hour verus three.  Grades in school are improving and reading has gotten much easier.

It has been a very rewarding thing for all of us.  Dr. Bowersox really helped me understand what was going on with my child.  Jacob and I spent many nights in tears doing homework, because I did not understand or know he really had a vision problem.  I just thought he did not want to do the work.

It is now August 2008 and Jacob has just graduated from Vision Therapy.  I along with famly, friends and everyone at Bowersox Vision Center is very proud of Jacob.  I greatly appreciate all the work that Bowersox Vision Center staff has done with Jacob.  I highly recommend to everyone that you and your family go see Bowersox Vision Center,  have an evaluation done and see if your child might have any problems that are more than just 20/20 vision.

– Jessica Gray

My son, Matt, now 16, was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, among other things.  This long term simply means his eyes don’t meet on a page when he is trying to read, resulting in blurry or double vision, making reading a struggle.  Bowersox Vision Center was able to successfully treat this using vision therapy, something we’d never heard of until recently.

Using various vision therapy techniques, Amy, a vision therapist, worked with Matt once a week, retraining his eyes and his brain to function as God intended.  Matt also had homework to do between visits.

The difference in Matt is phenomenal.  Many family members have commented that Matt is now more communicative.  He used to be withdrawn and almost sullen and now will voluntarily carry on a conversation with them.

He is more confident.  The “old” Matt would hedge his answer with an “I think” or “maybe.”  I have not noticed him speaking like that lately.

He seemed to view children nervously and wouldn’t have much contact with them.  At a recent family reunion, he was hold 5-year-old twins in each arm, with another 5 year old asking to be picked up as well.  Such a difference!

Most importantly, Matt says he feels better about himself.  He has his driver’s permit and is no longer timid about getting behind the wheel but is continually holding out his hand for the keys so he can practice his driving skills.  He can also tell that his handwriting is getting better and faster.

We began the therapy in the spring.  School was out before we could see results academically and it’s too early this school year to see what amazing changes I’m sure are coming.

We are blessed to have Dr. Bowersox and his team in our area.  Making the drive from Lawrenceburg once a week for vision therapy was an investment in my son and his future that will pay dividends many times over.

– Beverly McElwain
Lawrenceburg, KY

My son (Jordan) is a former patient of the Vision Therapy program at the Bowersox Vision Center in Shelbyville, KY.  Before the Vision Therapy, Jordan was reading below grade level and was having trouble concentrating at school.  His teacher even suggested for us to seek a medical physician about his behavior and to ask about medication to control his behavior.  Being againist medication to control behavior except as a last result we sought out an alternative.

After the program he is now slightly above grade level and his behavior has greatly improved.  He is able to sit still and concentrate in class.  His grades have improved and he enjoys school more.  This therapy is a great way to get children to a place they need to be without medication.  I would recommend vision therapy to my family and friends.

– Rachel Burke

Dear Dr. Bowersox,

I am writing to praise the eye therapy program that Mikah was in.

Mikah is a very smart child and full of great ideals.  But, to look at his grades and everyday schoolwork you wouldn’t think that was true.  I had tried everything with him.  I had him tested and that Doctor wanted to put him on medication because he said he couldn’t focus long enough to do the work.  That wasn’t the case, the case was he couldn’t see what he was reading.

Thank goodness I didn’t take his advice instead I brought him to you and had his yearly check up and you had found what was going on.  He couldn’t focus to read.  It was his eyes.

Mikah started eye therapy at the end of September 2006.  He had been in school for almost a month before we started.  It took an hour to do 30 minutes of homework.  He was very upset and frustrated by the time homework was finished.  He would say he was stupid and it broke my heart to hear that out of such a smart kid.  So, the therapy began and it took about a month to a month and a half of going twice a week for about 30 to 45 minutes each time.  The results were amazing.  I was very skeptical at first but I was willing to try anything at this point.  Not only did the therapy help his eyes it helped his confidence.  He was so proud of himself when he finished his homework by himself and it only took about 20 to 30 minutes instead of an hour.  I can’t say enough about the therapy.  I would do it all over again the only thing I would change would be to start it sooner.  Thank you for helping Mikah become the student I knew he could be.

– Connie Mattingly

Dear Bowersox Vision Center,

I just wanted to thank you for all you have done for our son, Caleb Patten.  When we first brought him to you he was far behind in his reading and losing ground quickly.  After diagnosis he began his therapeutic activities with Jessi.  The results were amazing!  At the beginning of the year his reading scores for his assessment test was a 10, which was far below where he should be.  After 3 months of treatment his score was an 18.  When we brought him in we had no idea what was wrong.  You not only diagnosed it but where able to treat it effectively.  Caleb could not hardly read sentences when he came in, now he is able to go through chapter books.

I will never be able to repay what you have done for our son, please accept this letter with our deepest thanks to Jessi, Dr. Bowersox and the entire staff at the vision center for their kindness and obvious concern and caring for their  patients.

Please feel free to give our name or number to anyone that has any questions about how remarkable a transformation vision therapy can produce.

Sincerely yours,
– Eric Patten

Dr. Bowersox,

Matt and I wanted to provide you with a testimonial that could be used to encourage other patients to give Vision Therapy a try.

In January of 2006, my eleven year old son, Matt, complained of headaches when reading and difficulty seeing the blackboard at school.  He had always been an avid reader and often read novels for pleasure and even lamented completing his required reading for school.

Although I procrastinated, Matt continued to insist he “needed glasses” and wanted me to make an appointment with Dr. Bowersox.  It wasn’t until February of 2006 that I finally made Matt’s eye appointment.

Dr. Bowersox determined that Matt did not need glasses but explained Vision Therapy as a new program that might help Matt’s reading problems.  Once Matt started the sessions, it didn’t take long for the headaches to subside.  Within two months Matt was back to pleasure reading and asking if we could go to the library for more books!  His teacher noticed a dramatic difference in Matt’s quality of work and said he no longer rubbed his eyes and forehead in class.

Thank you Dr. Bowersox, for bringing “normalcy” back to our son.

– Pam Waurio
Shelbyville, KY