We’re excited to share success stories written by patients and parents explaining their experiences in Optometric Neurorehabilitative Therapy.
Read through our patient success stories to find vision problems that are similar you experience. The stories are divided into 2 major headings: Signs and Symptoms of Visual Problems (what you or your child are experiencing) and Medical Terms. If a particular patient had both Headaches and Reading Problems, you will find that patient under both categories.
Enjoy reading these real-life stories, look at their triumphant faces, envision yourself taking control of your future, and let’s get started on this journey together!
Contact us for more about our vision therapy services and how we can help you or your child achieve comfortable vision.
Mom: “Vision therapy has helped improve Kyler’s focus when he is up to bat in baseball. He says he is able to focus on the ball better and his hitting efficiency has improved from last year.
At school, his reading has had huge improvement as he used to have a lot of double vision. Now, he is not only able to recognize when his eyes start to drift into double vision, but he has learned to self-correct this without help.”
Cortney T., Dry Eye, Adult
Cortney: “For years I suffered from severe chronic dry eye and inflammation. I couldn’t go five minutes without putting in eye drops. It was so severe I couldn’t perform my daily tasks or enjoy my life. At one point, I remember telling my parents I wanted to pluck my eyes out because they were so bad.
Over a period of three years, after seeing four different eye doctors, I was fortunate enough to find Dr. Holly Ternus. She accepted me as a new patient, and I began treatment right away. After the first visit, I felt a major improvement within just a few days and the inflammation was gone! The second visit she put in eye plugs to treat my dry eyes. Within a week after that procedure, my eyes were like new. It has been a year now since treatment with Dr. Ternus and I haven’t needed to use any eye drops. I am able to enjoy my life again. I am so grateful to Dr. Holly Ternus and her staff.
Melaney F. , Reading/Learning Problems, Sports Vision
3/6/24
Melaney: “Vision therapy helped a lot in many different areas. Before therapy I had trouble knowing what I read but now I read two times faster. It helps me a lot with school. Another thing that was helped a lot was in softball. I am a catcher, so I needed to be on time with the ball, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t see it and dropped the ball a lot. I also had trouble with batting but after the therapy it was great! I am a year younger than everyone on my team but now I am one of the best hitters. All because now I am on time. I haven’t hit a homerun yet but I’m very close. I just know it!”
Mom: “My daughter is an avid softball player, wrestler, and a straight “A” student. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she was having any issues seeing.
When she was recommended to Dr. Will, I had no idea what they were talking about. Then we went through testing and were able to ask Dr. Will questions that he had answers to, plus he would explain how the therapy was going to help Melaney’s hitting, catching, and wrestling. We talked about how she would hit dingers at the end of therapy, and she is hitting them to the fence. Before therapy she couldn’t hit the ball. She would see it late. Therapy has also helped Melaney with reading speed and comprehension.Thank you, Dr. Will and staff!!”
Hugh S., Confidence Gained
Graduation Date: 5/27/24
Hugh: “Vision Therapy helped me because I can read my assignments at school. The printing in books is clearer now which is going to positively affect my education.”
Mom: “The daily work is worth the lifetime effect on improving the quality of life for your child. Imagine being in school every day and not being able to read your assignments clearly.
Hugh’s confidence in reading has skyrocketed and now reads on his own daily. He is mentally stronger even more after working hard on his daily assignments. Kari and Dr. Ferguson was made vision therapy enjoyable and fun for Hugh. They helped make Hugh want to do the daily assignments because to him they were kind, playful, and relatable.
We could not be more grateful to work with everyone at Heartland Eye Consultants as they helped improve the quality of our son’s life.”
Chelsey: “Beckham had a positive experience at vision therapy. The staff was kind, caring, and encouraging. He has experienced fewer headaches and made great progress in reading. His hand-eye coordination improved, and his confidence increased. Having to work hard in therapy created a rewarding sense of accomplishment and he’s a proud little dude.”
Vincent A., Adult, Exotropia
Graduation Date: 5/8/24
Vincent: “I can feel when my eye wanders and I have the ability to correct it easily most days. I now have better depth perception, and everything is often in better focus and more vivid when driving or even watching tv. I feel the vision in my weak eye has improved.”
Tucker: “When I started vision therapy, I did not like reading much. It was hard seeing the words and sounding them out. I got tired real fast. Lauren taught me how to control my eye movements. This made words easier to see. Now I love reading and ‘freaking out’ my mom when I cross my eyes at her. I am doing better in school, sports, and am very proud of myself!”
Mom and Dad: “We contacted Heartland Eye Consultants at the encouragement of our son’s school librarian who is also the grandmother to one of his classmates that had completed Heartland’s Vision Therapy Program. As I spoke with Jessie, one of their Vision Therapy Coordinators, I broke down in tears. We had a very smart and outgoing son in second grade shutting down and giving up on school. He had no confidence and doing nightly reading was like going to war! The attitude, anger, and dumbness he felt at not being able to read simple sight words and flashcards meant constant stress for the entire family! We had tried everything we knew about extra programs at school, spent more time attempting to read, and even looked into cognitive therapy.
Jessie calmly told me she thought Heartland Eye Consultants could help and quickly got us scheduled for testing. Through the testing process we discovered that our son had an incorrect lens prescription and some vision issues. We signed up for vision therapy! Ten weeks into therapy our son presented us with a gorgeous picture he colored during school over several days. He had never colored much before, let alone stayed in the lines! About three weeks later, he informed us reading is fun!
Lauren has been a great therapist! She kept Tucker engaged, talked to him when he wasn’t working hard enough, and communicated wonderfully with us and his teachers!
Dr. Will Ferguson has helped every step of the way encouraging Tucker during therapy sessions, answering any questions or concerns, and even helping us figure out non-flash card ways for Tucker to learn multiplication! Everyone at Heartland Eye Consultants wants to see their patients succeed. Heartland Eye Consultants is there with support every step of the way!
This program takes dedication and hard work but is well worth every minute and penny! We now have a son that does his therapy and enjoys reading! He has gone from hiding in his school reading groups to leading them and has his confidence back! He even amazed his teachers with a dramatic increase in his reading test scores! We will always be appreciative of the referral to Heartland Eye Consultants and the support they have given us. The only regret that we have with this program is not getting referred to it a year earlier!”
James M., Reading/Learning Problems, Amblyopia
05/01/2024
Dad: “Eye therapy is a difficult and rewarding endeavor for a large family and especially for the child involved. Our son is the second oldest of five kids and he was diagnosed with severe amblyopia as his right eye was significantly worse than his left in vision terms. Patching alone helped some to improve the vision in right eye from 20/ to 20/10 and then 20/60 when we started therapy.
During his time with Dr. Dembin and Dr. Ferguson, our son experienced several changes in his vision and his overall performance. Each eye improved to the point where at age 16 he’ll be able to obtain a driver’s license without vision restrictions.
His hand and eye coordination improved demonstrably in throwing, catching and using digital devices. He can read music and play piano with both hands! His attitude and response time improved!
Like all experiments it’s difficult to say vision therapy was uniquely responsible for all the above changes but we know it certainly helped. The supporting literature “Jullian’s Story” and “When Your Child Struggles” tell similar tales. Best advice to parents, divide and conquer. One parent who has agreeable temperament with the child should do eye work at the time most convenient. Prioritize these over chores.
Natalie P., Adult, TBI
4/24/24
Natalie: “I suffered a stroke in 2017 that left me unable to speak, read, write, etc. After 2 years in speech therapy, I was able to speak again, however reading and writing were still difficult. I was sent here to see Dr. Kent (who is wonderful) for unrelated eye issues. She suggests I see Dr. Will. I was then sent to Dr. Dembin throughout therapy. I have increased the amount of time I can read, got prism glasses can type longer and write better. The best thing is I have been able to do is read a bedtime story to my 4-year-old son, which I have not been able to-do.”
Samuel R., Amblyopia
4/15/24
Mom: “I would highly recommend Vision Therapy, go in committed and with an open mind. Our son was six years old during therapy. We called his activities “games” and had set the mindset that it was fun, exciting, and just for him. Like special workouts just for him and his eyes. Like anything consistency will lead to success. Sure, he had nights when he was tired and not as excited, yet we still did it. The seemingly simple activities do create huge steps of improvement. Trust the process, give yourself and your child grace, and you’ll see improvement.”
Harper H., Reading/Learning Problems, Headaches
3/22/24
Harper: “Therapy has helped me focus more and work hard at school. Therapy helped me to not have headaches anymore. I am doing much better with spelling and reading. Ms. Kari has helped me so much. I am going to miss her so much. Dr. Will has helped me feel so good about my vision.”
Mom: “My daughter struggled so much with school and fell behind in many of her subjects. She knew she was different. Often, she would come home so frustrated and tired.
Being in vision therapy has changed all of that for her. She is no longer tired after school and enjoys trying to do homework. Her biggest improvements are doing so well at spelling that she recently received a 100%. We were so proud of her. She is also ASKING me to read before bed now! We have a lot of work to do to get caught back up, but she has all the tools to get there. I could not be more thankful for Dr. Will, Ms. Kari, and the staff. They have helped Harper in so many ways and helped advocate for her in the help she sees at school to learn HER WAY. I started this process helplessly not knowing what to do for our daughter. NOW, we’re ready to take on the world!”
Kari A., Motion Sickness, Adult
2/29/24
Kari: “I began vision therapy because I had dizzy spells, mental fog, and trouble driving at fast speeds. As I did therapy, I found that my dizziness and mental fog decreased. Also, my ability to drive at high speeds (55 mph+) feels back to normal as before I was experiencing symptoms.
I have a much deeper understanding of what was happening to me and now it’s practically gone! I had symptoms for 5 years and I seriously thought I might have had to live with it for the rest of my life. I so appreciate the help and individualized focus you had for my particular issues.”
Isabel S., Reading/Learning Problems, Headaches
2/1/24
Isabel: “When I first went to Heartland Eye Consultants, I was not doing well, I could only do about four flips on something called “flippers”. I was getting headaches and could not take notes very fast. My grades were not the best until I did eye therapy.
Now in eye therapy you have to do home activities five times a week. It is hard at first, but you’ll get the hang of it! One thing I have learned by doing the home activities is to go slow and at your own pace. I find it a lot easier to do it that way.
In the end it was worth it because I do not get headaches and migraines every day. Also, my grades are a lot better! I am soooooooo glad that I did eye therapy?”
Dad: “We were referred by Dr. Matthew Klemke to Dr. Will Ferguson to try eye therapy. The first appointment my wife had with Dr. Will there was one exercise our daughter was not able to do. Then I took her to the next appointment, and I saw a different exercise she was not able to do. This made it very clear she needed to do something to help her eyes.
Our main goal was to help with her headaches, but the added bonus that she might do better in school was a plus. She put great dedication into her weekly work, and I am excited to say she is carrying straight A’s in school and has not had a migraine in a few months.
We truly saw amazing results and reached our goals utilizing the eye therapy treatment at Heartland Eye Consults. Everyone on staff is amazing and the program really works!”
Mom: “We noticed that John’s frustrations with reading were increasing. He hated reading and was beginning to fall behind. One evening, while we were reading together, John yelled, “How am I supposed to keep track of the words when the letters are jumping around the page!” After further questions, we realized that he had been seeing double his whole life and of course thought that was how we all see. Dr. Rachel Smith @ Children’s Hospital & Medical Center diagnosed him with convergence insufficiency and referred us to Dr. Will.
During our eight months of vision therapy, Dr. Will and Ms. Lauren helped John learn how to “be the boss of his eyes”. Vision Therapy is not for the weak! It requires a lot of time, extra effort, a positive attitude, and even some tears!
John’s efforts are paying off! The letters no longer jump around on the page, he doesn’t lose his place as often while reading and he rarely experiences motion sickness. John’s favorite benefit is only seeing one ball while he is playing soccer!
We are so proud of John’s hard work and dedication. We will forever be grateful for the invaluable and life-changing skills John learned from his time with Ms. Lauren.”
Lisa D. , Double Vision, Adult
2/5/24
Lisa: “When I started vision therapy, I was struggling with double vision when I would try to focus on distances. It impacted things like driving, viewing movies or words on a screen. After going through vision therapy my eyes have greatly improved, and I can now do the activities with minimal issues. Vision therapy not only helped to train my eyes to focus correctly but also gave me the tools that when I feel my eyes reverting back, I can use those tools to help compensate or work through it. I’m grateful for my experience at Heartland Eye Consultants and Developmental Vision Associates.”
Adelaide S., Reading/Learning Problems
2/5/24
Addie: “Vision Therapy helped me understand my eyes and how I can use them to see the board at school. I love how Miss Kari helped me be confident in my reading skills.”
Amy: “It was hard watching my child struggle at school with reading. Once we found vision therapy and realized there was a way we could help her, we jumped on it.Seeing her use her new skills to help her improve in school, especially in reading, has been a joy. She is using what she has learned, and we are more aware of what she needs in order to continue to help her succeed. We appreciate everyone’s hard work in helping Addie, the amazing learner she is. Kar was a wonderful vision therapist; her knowledge is incomparable. She was great at explaining things to me and always seemed to know how to talk to Addie to make her feel comfortable and confident in her skills.We highly recommend vision therapy to anyone who is feeling helpless about their child’s vision.”
Gannon R., Reading/Learning Problems
2/3/24
Gannon: “I am able to read better, and I accomplished my main goal. I am excited that Dr. Will said I am finished with therapy and can graduate. Dr. Will is super-duper nice, and he is my friend. Lauren has helped me through all of this, and she is great. I’m also happy that Daphne let me play with her little fidgets on her desk while I waited.”
Mom: “I was honestly very hesitant about therapy at first. Mainly because we live three hours away and it was going to be a huge commitment. I reached out to another mom whose child was about to graduate therapy, and she really helped me by telling me about all her daughter’s success. I am so glad we decided to do it. We don’t have any regrets at all.
Gannon can read better. He actually wants to read now. Before, he would never pick a book out to read. He would only want books read to him. He has improved so much in school. He has better grades. His teachers have noticed a difference also. It was the best choice for Gannon, and I highly recommend vision therapy to any child who may succeed from it. Dr. Will was amazing and so positive throughout Gannon’s whole journey. Miss Lauren was great as well. Gannon enjoyed working with her a lot! If your child is recommended therapy, do it. If you don’t see results right away, don’t get discouraged or give up! It’s worth it in the end!”
Presley D., Reading/Learning Problems
01/11/2024
Father: “Presley has had difficulty with reading and writing for quite some time. A friend’s son had the same issue and recommended Heartland Eye Consultants/Developmental Vision Associates as a possible solution. After some initial testing, it was determined that Presley’s vision was okay, but her brain had difficulty processing words on the page, focusing her eyes on the letters and bringing them together. With therapy, Presley has improved greatly on staying focused while reading. Her attention span has increased, and she is able to process what’s written more quickly and correctly. She has made some great progress but will need to continue to work at improving her comprehension.”
Colt M., Reading/Learning Problems
01/09/2024
Colt: “Vision Therapy (VT) is fun! I liked the teachers there. They made me feel more comfortable. I got a lot better at reading and when I read, I don’t use my finger. Vision Therapy has helped me in sports a lot. I love reading now thanks to Vision Therapy and I can see more clear! Thank you!!!
Mom: “As someone who has poor eyesight that got started at the same age as my son, and progressively got worse and worse, I was thrilled to find that vision therapy could curtail some of the same issues for my son. We struggled to find time for the at home work, but the whole team was awesome at helping us be successful anyway.
My son is now reading and comprehending his books. He LOVES to read now! Sports are huge to him, and I’ve seen VT help him there too. I tell everyone about VT and so many had no idea it existed. I recommend Heartland Eye Consultants all of the time. I’ll probably be bringing my whole family there. Thanks for everything!”
Morgan D., Headaches, Adult
12/21/23
Morgan: “I used to have headaches during and at the end of every workday. I loved reading but felt exhausted after ten minutes. It took a lot of effort for me to keep track of where I was on a page or what I had just read.
After doing Vision Therapy (VT), it’s very rare for my eyes to feel strained or for me to have a headache from work. My focus at work has improved and I’ve been able to do my work faster. I’m also able to read faster and not lose my place when I’m reading. Typically, I can read for several hours before starting to feel tired.
Vision Therapy was so challenging but so worth it. My ability to read and do daily tasks is so much easier and more enjoyable. I highly recommend VT to anyone who thinks it might benefit them!”
Tye J., Headaches, Motion Sickness, Sports Vision
12/21/23
Tye: “Eye Therapy is a long process. It may seem hard to go home and get your exercises done, but if you don’t it will just take longer. It does work. In volleyball, I’m able to track the ball better. I can also read the set and spike the ball. I also get less headaches. It may not seem like a lot of progress week to week, but it does work. I don’t get motion sickness anymore. Those are all ways eye therapy helped me.”
Lindsey: “Tye was not having trouble in school, and she wasn’t having severe side effects. She went un-diagnosed until age 11. Her dad and I were unsure about the necessity of vision therapy for these reasons along with factoring in the time commitment and cost.
We are very glad we made the decision to do vision therapy. Tye has seen improvements in having fewer headaches, getting less car sick, tracking ball movement when playing sports, and feeling confident in her ability to use the skills she has learned to navigate difficult vision scenarios. As parents we feel good that this will enable Tye to be successful in the long-term and reduce the possibility of future issues.
The staff was great and highly encouraging. I would recommend this process.”
Finnegan W., Headaches, Sports Vision
12/11/23
Finn: “It helped me see better and I don’t get headaches. It is easier for me to read and play sports.”
Dad: “The act of working towards fixing something he knew was very valuable by itself. When he started to excel in therapy and then noticed the benefits in his daily life, we knew it was such a blessing to have found a positive solution for him. There were definitely ups and downs, and weeks without as much progress, but staying the course was worth it. There were ultimately times when he would remind us he needed to do his therapy homework. We can tell how much more confident he is with reading, and he hardly ever complains of headaches anymore. We’ve also noticed improvements in his balance when playing sports. All in all, it was a very positive experience for us and especially our son.”
Isabelle H., Reading/Learning Problems, Headaches
Isabelle: “Vision therapy can be hard and annoying, but it is worth it. Vision therapy helped with my headaches that I used to have every day. I do better at sports, and I don’t lose my place while reading. I’m very thankful for Mrs. Kari and Dr. Will for all they did for me.”
Mom: “Last Fall we went in for our regular school eye exam and were thrown for a loop. We were referred to Dr. Justine Blumenstock at Exclusively Eyecare, for further evaluation and possibly glasses. Once Dr. Blumenstock finished her own exam, she didn’t feel like glasses were the solution, so she sent us to Heartland Eye Consultants to find the BEST solution for Isabelle. It was determined that Vision Therapy was what we needed.
As a parent whose child suffered from DAILY headaches, struggled in spelling, and reading, and who had difficulty with coordination, VISION THERAPY has been a blessing. Her headaches are almost completely gone. She’s a much more confident reader and speller. While sports activities still aren’t her favorite, she’s got more confidence in kicking and throwing.
We are VERY GRATEFUL to Dr. Will and Kari (her therapist) for all the improvements that Isabelle has made. The process has not been easy, and she has had moments of frustration, but it has been worth it in the end. Isabelle will miss her weekly sessions with Kari, but it’s time for her to help another child in need!”
Nolan: “Since therapy, I write my letters and numbers correctly. My reading has improved. I learned to slow down and focus on my school, work, and everyday activities.”
Mom: “When we started my son was just starting school and sports. He was involved in baseball, basketball, and archery. We noticed he was more clumsy than the other kids, and didn’t have good balance. When he shot his bow, he would aim two targets over from his.
His kindergarten teacher said he would lose her if she was walking around while teaching. He would not be able to find classroom objects, such as the trashcan, or items that were always in the same place. He was also writing the majority of his letters and numbers backwards. Since doing eye therapy, he has better balance and writes all of his numbers and letters correctly! His reading has improved immensely!
We are shooting archery again and he is hitting bullseyes! It also helped me work with him better. Making sure when we talk to each other there is eye contact and clear instruction. Taking the time to slow down and talk about each step. The vision therapy memory and reading “games”, he really enjoys and we will continue to use for schoolwork for years. I also shared these “games” with his teacher and the kids in the same age group. The skills we as a family learned together really helped us improve the way we speak to each other and interact with each other.”
Aizlynn W., Reading/Learning Problems, Sports Vision
11/27/23
Aizlynn: “Eye therapy helped me with many things. My grades are better than last year’s grades, when I’m catching, I can see the ball a bit better, my personality has been more happiness than anything, and my attitude to me seems a little bit the same. I will mainly miss Lauren, Daphne, Dr. Jackson and Dr. Will. Every time I came into therapy, I was excited to see them and learn new things from them.”
Linda M., Double Vision, Adult, Convergence Insufficiency
10/30/23
Linda: “All of my everyday activities are now easier because of this therapy program.
Double vision and fuzzy lines while reading the printed page and doing computer work are at a minimum and now, I have gained the knowledge of how to work through those moments with both eyes open. Steps are also less stressful. I know how to “look” and “see” before taking that first step.
One last note, I have driven solo to Omaha (from Seward) twice since the beginning of 2023; once in January prior to the start of therapy and again on October 16, 2023. Seeing in the distance has not been a problem. The big win for me during my last solo trip was the discovery that I could clearly see the traffic behind me by turning and looking back on either side. I no longer have to rely on the side mirrors alone; a drastic and welcome change from the beginning of 2023. Thank you!!!”
Eva J., Reading/Learning Problems, Double Vision, ADHD & Vision
11/20/23
Eva: “Before I started eye therapy nothing had helped. Some of my symptoms were headaches, motion sickness, and eyes moving while reading. All of these and so much more have improved from eye therapy. I have noticed better focus and attention in school and sports. Sometimes I would feel so bad that I would take it out on others and now I am much happier and feeling good. I enjoyed the experience for not only getting better, but it was fun to be there because of the staff. They found positive and fun ways to keep me motivated to feel better. I highly recommend eye therapy to anyone experiencing similar problems.”
Parents: “I would recommend Heartland Eye Consultants to anyone experiencing vision issues. They have state-of-the-art equipment and techniques that can measure the performance of your eyes. The test results can imperially show where an issue may be and allow for objective measurement of improvement. Our daughter’s therapist made her feel comfortable and confident about what she needed to do to get through this. This really showed when we would do the at-home exercises. Our daughter understood what she needed to do and how to do it. Her symptoms of dizziness, headaches, and concentration issues have decreased. I also really like that they set up at-home mini therapies and progress checks.”
Barrett M. , Reading/Learning Problems
11-14-23
Barrett: “Vision therapy helped my peripheral vision.I got better at football.It also helped my handwriting get better.”
Tatum D., Double Vision, Adult
11-13-23
Tatum: “My experience is a little unique as I went through eye therapy at Heartland when I was in 2nd grade and now as a 24-year-old. The supportive staff played a critical role in my journey, helping me strengthen my eye muscles and significantly reducing double vision. I have especially noticed a difference after being on the computer for long periods of time. I feel confident moving forward, knowing I am set up with the proper resources to maintain the progress I’ve made at Heartland Eye Consultants.”
Paislee S., Headaches
11/9/23
Paislee: “Vision therapy helped me in school. In PE class and sports, I don’t trip and fall anymore. I also don’t get headaches as much.”
Parents: “Paislee was experiencing increased headaches; trouble seeing the board at school and would randomly fall down. All this got to a point where we knew we needed her to be checked out. We were unsure and hesitant when told about vision therapy, mostly because we had never heard of it!
Dr. Will and his staff have done an incredible job of explaining, working, and showing how Paislee has made progress! It was fulfilling to see Paislee’s eyesight improve, headaches go away, school be fun again, and NO falling down! Yay!
We are also very proud of Paislee for her work and determination. We got to see a very focused girl that was trying very hard to improve. It was neat to see the work ethic, desire, and willingness to improve come out in Paislee!! All successful qualities that she only improves on.”
Timothy S., Scleral Lenses, Adult
11/9/23
Tim: “Exceptional Vision Care Experience at Heartland Eye Consultants
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Heartland Eye Consultants for an eye exam and contact lens fitting, and the entire experience exceeded my expectations in every way. From the moment I walked through the door to the delivery of my new contacts, every aspect of my visit was seamless and impressive.
One of the highlights of my visit was the efficiency and professionalism of the front office staff. The receptionists were welcoming, attentive, and ensured that the check-in process was quick and hassle-free. Their excellent customer service set a positive tone for the entire appointment.
Dr. Ternus, the optometrist at Heartland Eye Consultants, demonstrated a level of professionalism and expertise that instilled confidence in the quality of care I was receiving. She took the time to thoroughly examine my eyes, patiently answering any questions I had and explaining each step of the process. It was evident that my eye health was a top priority, and I felt well-informed throughout the entire examination.
The contact lens fitting experience was truly exceptional. Dr. Terus paid careful attention to my specific needs and lifestyle, resulting in a perfect fit for my new contacts. The improvement in my vision was noticeable, and I was particularly thrilled to discover enhanced clarity, especially while driving at night. The precision of the fitting made a significant difference, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
One of the aspects that truly stood out to me was the speed and efficiency with which the entire appointment was conducted. I was in and out of the office in no time, without feeling rushed. The seamless coordination among the staff ensured that my time was respected while still receiving thorough and comprehensive care.
Additionally, the promised delivery of my contacts was right on schedule, reflecting the commitment of Heartland Eye Consultants to delivering exceptional service from start to finish. The convenience of timely delivery added an extra layer of satisfaction to my overall experience.
In conclusion, I never thought I could achieve better vision until I made an appointment at Heartland Eye Consultants. The combination of excellent customer service, the professionalism of Dr. Ternus, and the precise contact lens fitting has left me thoroughly impressed. My newfound clarity of vision, especially at night, has significantly improved my daily life, and I wholeheartedly recommend Heartland Eye Consultants to anyone seeking eye care.”
Bennett R., Reading/Learning Problems, Confidence Gained
11/8/23
Bennett: “Vision therapy helps me with school, and it helps me to see better. And it helps me with my eyes.”
Mom: “Thinking about moving forward with vision therapy can be daunting. There is a substantial time commitment for both appointments and work at home plus the cost. That said, the benefits to my son have far exceeded those things. Before vision therapy, my son was quiet at school and struggled academically. It would have been very easy for him to slip through the cracks and fall further behind his peers, confidently participating in class and modeling classroom expectations. He continues to make strong academic progress and is on track across the board. He has always enjoyed being read to but now I find him reading independently for enjoyment. He has developed an interest in playing sports, particularly baseball and basketball. Vision therapy has shown Bennett that he can do difficult things and that sometimes progress feels better than perfection. This process has been long and hard, but I would not hesitate for even a second to make the same choice.”
Andrew E., Reading/Learning Problems, Sports Vision
10/25/23
Andrew: “Therapy helped because I used to have headaches all the time but now, I have none. And I like sports but with bad eyesight it’s hard to be accurate. After eye therapy, I’m a lot better at shot and throw. I also like to read, but it’s hard to read with bad eyesight. Now, after therapy I am able to read a lot better.”
Nolan S., Reading/Learning Problems
10/05/2023
Nolan: “Heartland Eye Consultants helped me a lot! I used to confuse my b and d. Also, I had trouble spelling, but Heartland Eye helped me with that. They also helped me with my rights and lefts. I had trouble with those too. Vision therapy is awesome! They can help. I liked to read before, but I like to read more now! Thank you, Kari, and Dr. Will.”
Mom: “Nolan has benefited greatly from vision therapy. Before he started, I noticed he would sometimes lose his place while reading. This caught my attention because my older son also experienced this and went to vision therapy. After completing about seven months of therapy, Nolan’s reading has improved. He no longer loses his place. He even wants to read for fun. He can keep his left and right straight and doesn’t mix up B’s and D’s. He has gained confidence and independence with all of his schoolwork.
I would highly recommend vision therapy and Heartland Eye Consultants to anyone whose child has trouble with reading. It is a commitment and takes some time every day to work on the exercises, but it is worth it. It will pay dividends. I know this because the older son I mentioned earlier who also went through therapy is now in high school and has a 4.0 GPS. I would never have dreamed that possible when he was Nolan’s age.”
Cheryl J., Dry Eye, Adult
10/03/2023
Cheryl: “I had severe, severe dry eye. I was sent to see Dr. Delaney Kent by Dr. Shane Havens at Eye Consultants PC and EyeOptics. For the first time, my dry eye has improved drastically! I have had this for 20 years. In those 20 years, no one has come close to relieving my dry eye like Dr. Kent has. She is the greatest eye doctor I have ever seen for my ongoing issues, and I strongly recommend her to anyone with problems similar to mine.”
Emilia A., Headaches
9/28/23
Emilia: “Before I did vision therapy I got headaches from reading, the board at school was fuzzy, and I couldn’t see far away. Once I started therapy everything changed. Now I can read small print easily and I got the glasses that opened up my world. I can see far away, up close, you name it. Eye therapy is a fun way to make your eyes stronger and help your eyesight. The people are nice and welcoming. I would recommend people to do eye therapy because your life will change.”
The signs of vision issues are often subtle, seemingly minor things. We didn’t think much of Emilia’s constantly deferring to others to read in group settings (e.g. learning board game rules). We minimized her occasional complaints about small text being hard to read as something she’d grow out of. It wasn’t until we heard similar symptoms being related to vision issues, and that we might be able to help her improve through non-surgical, non-drug-based therapy!
Working through therapy (and keeping up on the lessons at home) was challenging at times, but so worth the effort. We had to set aside specific time in the day to make sure we practiced our skills, which turned into some fun Daddy/daughter time. The change in her willingness to engage in reading activities was a joy to behold. Emilia was so proud to show off her weekly growth to Ms. Lauren, it became a highlight of our week! We are so thankful to all the folks at Heartland Eye/Developmental Vision Associates!”
Jordan M., Reading/Learning Problems
9/28/23
Jordan: “Vision therapy helped my reading speed and confidence. I got better at spelling tests.”
Mom: “Vision therapy has been a big game changer for our son. Before we started, he was below grade level at reading, struggling with spelling words and had low self-confidence. After 30 weeks of vision therapy, he is now reading at grade level or above, getting 100% on his spelling words and significantly higher self-confidence. Lauren, our therapist was a great fit for our son to succeed. Dr. Will gave our son the boost to keep going and try his best, with relatable examples and stories. It was a big financial and time commitment but completely worth it.”
Ethan S., Amblyopia
9/20/23
Mom: “Ethan has had balance and coordination issues for as long as we can remember. We had no idea his vision was failing. Vision therapy has been great. His eyes went from 20/40 to 20/25. His balance and coordination have greatly improved. He can read for longer periods of time. His peripheral vision is doing great. He can catch a ball of stuffed animals easily now. (His older brother loves to test him.) Overall, vision therapy has been great. We will continue to do maintenance training until we can get into contacts. And maybe even longer.”
Jett: “I am a better reader. I am better at catching stuff in sports.”
Mom: “We began this journey with concerns regarding Jett’s depth perception and reading. The goals Jett set with Dr. Will were to improve his writing, reading, hand-eye coordination, and most importantly, confidence. The vision therapy experience had its challenging moments, but it was the right choice for us. Not only did Jett improve in every area, but we also gained an understanding of why these struggles were present. We could not be more pleased with the results and would encourage others to take advantage of the opportunity.”
William E., Reading/Learning Problems, Sports Vision, Exotropia
9/19/23
Mom: “We were a bit nervous to start eye therapy knowing it was going to be a big commitment during an already busy time. We also knew that this was extremely important for our son to do. He had fallen behind in reading and was starting to get frustrated when he would lose his place in a book.
Once we started therapy, within a few months, we noticed Will sitting down to read on his own. He really started to enjoy reading because it became easier for him. He also started improving in math because he could focus his eyes better. He stopped hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand because both of his eyes were finally working together. The improvement in his schoolwork was great to see but we also noticed improvement in sports he enjoys doing. In baseball we noticed the biggest improvement. He was catching and hitting more balls which really grew his confidence. This was really great to see.
We are very happy with the results Will has had and would recommend eye therapy to those who need it. We also must thank Dr. Rachel Smith @ Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, for catching Will’s eye disorder in her clinic!!”
Atticus B., Headaches, Esotropia
9/18/23
Mom: “Atticus enjoyed therapy. The team worked hard to create child friendly exercises that felt like games and competitions.
The team was friendly and welcoming and really worked to ensure therapy is effective and worked around your schedule as best as possible.
Throughout his therapy we noticed Atticus’s eyes seemed to strengthen and day-to-day changes began. There was less fatigue in the early mornings, his eyes seemed to align more easily and his day-to-day frustrations with his vision decreased. From a quality-of-life standpoint we would say the therapy was helpful and would certainly do it again!”
Lucy M., Amblyopia
9/18/23
Lucy: “Therapy helped me by doing a lot of exercises, and sometimes with a patch and red lenses. Doing the Home Therapy System (HTS) helped me most days. Therapy helped me with seeing better with my right eye by doing therapy every Monday with Kari.”
Mom & Dad: “We sincerely recommend proceeding with vision therapy. Our initial decision was based on the reported high success rates and the desire to give Lucy (age 8 in 3rd grade) the best possible vision.
During therapy, Lucy achieved all her stated goals: better vision in her right eye; getting homework done more quickly; increased depth perception; not losing place when reading; clear vision near and far. Most importantly Lucy’s eyes and brain were trained to work together. Her left eye was no longer the boss. Lucy also developed a love for reading rather than having a disdain for it.
We are so grateful to Dr. Hall for making the initial referral to Heartland Eye Consultants. She shared her own vision challenges with us which were similar to Lucy’s issues. Vision therapy was not available to Dr. Hall in her youth. Dr Will Ferguson for overseeing the process and explaining in laymen’s terms how vision therapy worked. He was humble, had a super bedside manner, and explained difficult concepts with fun examples. Kari, the vision therapist, for conducting the actual vision therapy sessions with a combination of fun and no-nonsense. Lucy looked forward to every session without even one complaint. Jessie and Daphne, therapy coordinators, for being so kind and friendly when greeting us and setting up all appointments.
Lucy and her dad worked so diligently together night after night completing the eye workouts. We learned early on that Dad had greater skill than Mom completing the workouts so we went with it. Mom filled in the gap with prayer. Most importantly, Jesus for being Lucy’s bore sight. He bore her sight on the cross and became the alignment in Lucy’s eyes. The depth of His love for Lucy overcame the depth perception issue.
During the progress exam, Dr. Ferguson said Lucy’s vision exceeded what he thought she would ever be capable of doing.”
Cheryl P., Dry Eye, Adult
9/12/23
Cheryl has an idea that may help you which ended years of suffering. She went with the best treatment for her dry eye, “Light Therapy” and has great information for you with some fantastic life-changing results!
Cheryl: “I hope my success story helps others. I am a 64-year-old woman who has been dealing with dry, red, and sore eyes for at least ten years. The worst of it began a couple of years ago when the quality of my vision deteriorated, especially at night. My dry eyes kept me at home after dark. I was discouraged.
Wearing contacts was not an option anymore due to dry eyes. Dr. Frank Dozen @Arksarben Eyecare read my history and referred me to Heartland Eye Consultants where I met Dr. Delaney Kent.
For me, the most important reasons to move forward with Light Therapy included better vision at night, relief from the pain and something I had not mentioned earlier, stopping my eyes from watering all day.
I decided to receive Light Therapy Treatments. The staff was professional, patient with my fears, and understanding. The treatments helped a lot. The experience of life after Light Therapy is incredible. There were huge improvements. It is great to be able to drive at night, wear contacts again, and no longer having watering eyes day in and day out. For me, Light Therapy was absolutely worth the investment and then some. Dr. Delaney Kent and her staff have greatly improved my vision. I am grateful for this technology.”
Lewis L., Reading/Learning Problems, Amblyopia
9/8/23
Lewis: “Doing vision therapy and the home activities was more fun than I thought. Lauren made my weekly sessions fun and we got to play some games which I liked. After doing vision therapy, I don’t see double and don’t have headaches as much. It also helped my coordination and confidence!”
Mom: “Being referred to Heartland Eye Consultants and saying yes to vision therapy was one of the best decisions we have made. With the help of Dr. Will and Lauren, we have seen so many positive changes for Lewis. His hand-eye coordination has improved so much that he is trying new things that I don’t think he’d have had the confidence for before. His reading, spelling, and sight word retention have greatly improved which makes school more fun for him! Socially, his confidence and independence have improved, and he is more outgoing! We couldn’t be more grateful for the resources and guidance we have been given and look forward to continuing to watch Lewis improve with the maintenance activities. Six months of vision therapy sounded daunting, but Lauren really made the at-home activities fun and I think Lewis will even miss seeing her each week.
Mom & Dad:
“Elise began Vision Therapy after Heartland Eye Consultants was recommended to us at a fitting for new glasses by Dr. Blumenstock at Blumenstock Family Eyecare. We knew Elise’s vision wasn’t perfect and that she had a “lazy eye”, but we didn’t know what that meant for her. After meeting with Dr. Will, we learned Elise was seeing double almost 100% of the time.
She soon thereafter began therapy sessions with Dr. Jackson, who I can’t speak of highly enough. Throughout the weekly sessions with Dr. Jackson and the home exercises, we watched Elise grow in so many ways. Not only did she gain the skills and power necessary to adjust her eye and see as she was meant to, but her attention span, hand-eye coordination, patience, and maturity all sky-rocketed! Elise can now explain what she sees and knows how to fix the problems she may encounter. We asked Elise if she though vison therapy had been helpful, and her answer was an emphatic “Yes”! Elise said she sees more clearly, reads better, and does better in school because she can control her eyes.
We would like to express a sincere thank you to everyone who made Elise’s experience such a positive one! Thank you, Dr., Will, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Maddy, Ms. Daphne and the rest of the fantastic staff at HEC!”
Emory G., Headaches, Motion Sickness
Emory: “When I first heard of Vision Therapy, I was a bit skeptical, but now after months of therapy I feel like a new person. I had the worst motion sickness and I never wanted to read because it hurt so much, but now I read all the time. I no longer dread going to school in fear of bad headaches, but now I can go to school, read, and have a great day almost completely free of headaches!
My vision therapist was so kind and patient with me. She always knew how to help me with new, creative home activities. If you are still wondering if you should do this or not, I absolutely recommend it 100%! This therapy could dramatically change when and how often you get headaches, and motion sickness. It will also change your grades in school and even your mood in your everyday life! I am so thankful for vision therapy and my vision therapist! ❤”
Lillianna B., Headaches
Lilly: “Before beginning Vision Therapy, I started developing headaches in school. This was accompanied by visual fatigue and eye strain. I struggled with concentrating for prolonged periods of time. With piled up AP & CE classes and not being able to keep up as I have in the past, I struggled through school my first sophomore semester; constantly stressed and overwhelmed with headaches.
During a routine eye exam, Dr. Kyle Cheatham diagnosed me with Convergence Insufficiency and recommended I do eye therapy at Heartland Eye Consultants. We went and I was re-evaluated and had a confirmed diagnosis of Convergence Insufficiency, along with Exophoria, and several other things. I was told I would start a 26 week-long process to not only correct my eyes, but also my brain’s ability to control them. I really didn’t know what to expect when I started. Many of the exercises I did at home seemed silly and almost irrelevant. Although, I was originally skeptical, I slowly started to see progress. My headaches slowly went from 5 times a week to 3 to 2 to 1, and now I rarely ever experience visually caused headaches. I noticed a higher reading comprehension, improved concentration, and reduced eye fatigue over long periods of time.
Not only did my original goals for eye therapy get me, but I noticed several other improvements as well. My mood was better, and I was less stressed. Working with my therapist helped me correct certain reading habits which in return improved my posture and decreased my back pain. It also helped my awareness in sports activities. I am incredibly grateful for all the staff at Heartland Eye Consultants, especially Dr. Will and my Vision Therapist, Kari, for their attentiveness and dedicated to my care. I can now succeed in school, sports, and everyday life better than before and I attribute that success to them.”
Brayden J., Exotropia
Brayden: “Therapy helped me not to see double, and my hand-eye coordination got better. I can even tie my shoes now. I had fun working with Lauren and showing off my math skills.”
Mom: “Coming to Heartland Eye Consultants was the best decision we had made. We were told to go to a different place, but I got a second opinion and came here. My child’s eye would float outwards. He couldn’t even cross his eyes. With the help of Dr. Ferguson and the wonderful staff, my child’s eye is straighter (less turn), and he improved his reading and speed of reading. His hand eye coordination has improved so much that he loved school by the end of the year, and he has tried so many new sports that he was scared to try before. We are happy with our decision and the results of the eye therapy. Kind of sad to see it end because the staff is great and like family.”
Adalynn Z., Headaches, Motion Sickness
Adalynn: “This year, before Vision Therapy (VT) I got car sick a lot. I didn’t do that good in school when reading and I got headaches. My stomach was hurting too. But when I started VT all those things got better. I was better at school and at home. At first, I didn’t like VT that much. Now, I LOVE IT! I am sad to graduate, and I am excited too. I will miss everybody. I will stop by every time I come to Omaha, if that’s allowed. Anyway, I am so excited!
At first, at home, I didn’t like to do VT, but now it is fun. The first time I went to VT, I was scared, happy, and excited at the same time. I’m just so excited and sad. My family is coming to my graduation, and we are going to eat after. My favorite exercise is the ball catch.”
Mom: “Adalynn had struggled with headaches and stomach aches for quite some time. When she began to complain of seeing colorful dots and black when she would look down, and letters moving when she read, I began to think there was something else going on. Our optometrist, Dr. Sarah Langan, identified a problem of Adalynn’s vision being suppressed and recommended an evaluation for vision therapy. I had no idea all of these symptoms could be corrected with therapy exercises.
The process of the las nine months has not been an easy one, but it has been worth it because we saw so many improvements in Adalynn. Her headaches and stomach aches improved considerably. She began to read more, and read longer books, and it was no longer such a struggle to get her to go to school. While we struggled at times with the willingness to do VT exercises at home, Adalynn absolutely loved working with Ms. Debonnie during her office sessions. Adalynn always came away with a smile from those sessions. We are grateful for all of the staff at Heartland Ey Consultants for their help over his process.”
Zayne K., Reading/Learning Problems
Zayne: “It helped with side vision, reading, spelling, sight words, and confidence.”
Mom: “I was reluctant and not excited about the price and the amount of outside work that needed to be done and wanted to quit about four weeks in. Then Jesse replied to my email of doubt and frustrations with positivity and encouragement to get to week five to see the changes with Dr. Will. And then we got positive results, things were getting better and improving so we pushed through and every five weeks there was tremendous improvement. The therapy and all of the time we spent free of tears, frustrations and anger were paying off.
He is reading and spelling better. There is less frustration and yelling because he doesn’t understand something. He is learning to slow down and visualize things first then act. He is comprehending books he is reading to himself.
Zayne went from a level “A” in reading to a level “K” in a few short weeks. He was doing great on spelling tests with ten plus words. Before therapy he was only getting three words!
We are truly happy we stuck through it. Thank you!”
Reid O., Reading/Learning Problems
Mom: “Vision Therapy has been a great experience for Reid. We were nervous starting the process and how we would fit it into his extremely busy schedule. The staff was great working with our schedule, as well as challenging Reid each week.
Reid had been complaining about words jumping on the page while reading. Within a couple of months, he said that was no longer happening. His fluency has also greatly improved. He no longer gets lost on the page and rarely confuses common words. We also noticed a drastic improvement in his spelling words. He has been able to learn them faster and retain them longer.
As parents, we want to give our kids the best chance to succeed. Vision Therapy improved Reid’s confidence, which directly helps him to be successful in school. It was a lot of hard work for both Reid and us as parents, but seeing his improvements is a huge reward.”
Evan T., Reading/Learning Problems
Evan: “Vision therapy has helped me in a few ways. I used to see lines when using the computer. Now they have gone away. I can also transfer from the white board to near work much easier. Thank you!”
Mom: “Evan was having migraines, so we took him to the eye doctor. They found some issues and referred him on to Heartland Eye Consultants. Dr. Jackson was able to confirm and diagnose Evan’s accommodation spasms. Vision therapy was recommended. Vision Therapy has helped Evan with a few things. He was seeing lines on his computer and could not be on the computer for very long periods at a time. This improved with Vision Therapy. He was also unable to focus quickly from near work to the whiteboard. This has improved also. Thank you to the staff at Heartland Eye Consultants for helping Evan! Also thank you to Dr. McCutchan at Harlan Vision Clinic for referring us there.”
Lake H., Reading/Learning Problems
Lake: “I get better grades on tests. I can build with Lego instructions now. I’m a better reader. I can cross my eyes now and I can tie my shoes.
PS. I highly recommend this for others like me.
PPS. Thanks Mrs. Kari and doctor Will. ❤U.”
Mom: “I remember reading success stories in Dr. Will’s office when we started vision therapy and thinking, I can’t wait to write ours one day! With the help of Dr. Will and his team, we now have our own success story!
Our son Lake is motivated by being a rule follower and a good student, but he was prone to giving up when something was hard, or he found the easy way ours. I knew in my gut there was something Lake needed help with, but it was difficult to identify because he was an easy child. During our eye exam with our optometrist, Dr. Taylor Hall at Vision Specialist of Papillion, she was able to pinpoint the issue and referred us to Heartland. Some noticeable things Lake struggled with were hitting and catching balls, difficulty following lines when reading, trouble tracking, tying shoes, and really any activity that required visual organization. Vision therapy wasn’t easy, but it was completely life changing. Lake’s quality of life improved and now he has a stronger foundation to stand on for his future.
Here are a few special things I heard along the way: My son enjoyed playing catch with me today! I can see the part of the moon that isn’t lit up tonight. Grandma let’s play checkers. Mom, I finished my book! I’m on page 200! I tried something new today and liked it. I’m actually kind of good at shooting a ball. I volunteered to go first for my class presentation today! Can we buy shoes with laces in them? I went up 13 points on my reading assessment! I built this Lego set following the instructions. I’m proud of myself. And my favorite, Mom, I’m proud of US!
It’s really hard to put into words the gift that vision therapy gave us, but I believe it unlocked a better version of our already amazing son! Kari was an awesome vision therapist. She managed to create a fun and respectable working relationship with Lake that made ALL the difference. Dr. Will talked to Lake about things he loved and found common ground with him. The positive relationships built in this office definitely contributed to our success. Thank you, Kari, and Dr., Will! Lake successfully shoots laser beams from his eyes now! HAHA! Just kidding!”
Bennett: “Over the course of therapy, I have accomplished several goals. First, I have had no vision related headaches in the past several months. Second, I have noticed I am not losing my place when reading. This has also helped me with reading comprehension. I have learned to picture what I am reading. This has made reading more enjoyable. I am so glad I had the chance to do eye therapy because it has made a big difference for me!”
Mom: “Before vision therapy, Bennett suffered from headaches several times a week and felt sick on long car rides. He also struggled with reading comprehension because he would always lose his place while reading. Because of this he hated to read and would avoid it unless required for school. After 30 weeks of vision therapy, headaches are very rare, and he no longer suffers from car sickness. Reading has become much easier for him because he has learned to visualize what he reads, and he no longer loses his place while reading, which has led to better reading comprehension. He is actually reading for enjoyment now and not just when required for homework, which is amazing! Thirty weeks of therapy seemed very overwhelming at first, but Heartland made it a very positive experience and I am very thankful that our eye doctor, Dr. Klemke, referred us here.
Grayson , Reading/Learning Problems, Headaches
Grayson: “I think I improved so much I loved learning new activities with my therapists even though it was hard sometimes. The only thing that challenged me was the paper circles and just doing the activities. I hated doing them, but it was for my best.”
Mom: “My son had daily complaints of headaches and words “swimming” on pages when reading and trying to focus on schoolwork. He would come home from school and immediately take Tylenol. He also seemed more tired and cranky after a long day at school. After months of therapy, his headaches are much fewer, and he rarely complains of difficulty focusing on work. His attitude has also seemed to improve. Just all-around a happier kid than before we started therapy. It wasn’t easy, but I feel like therapy was worth it. When first started out, the exercises were easy, quick, and fun for my son. However, as time went on the exercises lost their fun and the homework that was sent each week became somewhat of a fight to get done. But, after expressing our concerns, our therapist and doctor came up with a revised plan and weekly goals that were a better fit for my kid. Everyone in the office has the same end goal…success for your child!”
Tyler , Reading/Learning Problems, Double Vision
Tyler: “When doing vision therapy, I fully eliminated double vision. I also saw a tremendous improvement in reading. It stopped car sickness. When in school my grades improved simply by using my notes, which was way easier. Copying from the board was made easier due to vision therapy. It really helped me improve in sports, because if it would double it would become ten times harder.”
Mom: “Tyler has had great improvements since doing vision therapy. The most notable change that we see is he is no longer looking away and blinking his eyes to reset them when he would see double. He also is having an easier time reading without losing his place and copying notes from the board. Vision Therapy is a commitment, but it was worth sticking to and seeing our son no longer struggle.”
Alex , Headaches
Alex: “Therapy has helped me in many ways, not only did it help me with headaches and blurred vision it also helped me to get off tv more. Therapy helped me realize how important my eyes are and that they need to be taken care of too. I enjoyed all of the staff’s attitude in helping me and making therapy enjoyable. Overall, I think that therapy was very helpful and will continue to help me in the future. It also helped me with using my side-vision in basketball.”
Mom: “Alex started Vision Therapy struggling with headaches, and blurred vision when trying to read or focus on her computer or other electronics. She would forget to blink because she was focusing so hard at the task at hand. Dr. Ferguson gave her a full eye exam, her vision was great, but she lacked the ability to control the muscles in her eyes to bring them into focus and also to relax them.
Dr. Ferguson introduced me to vision therapy, which I knew nothing about. We were assigned Debonnie as her therapist and got started. The first session I sat in on, Debonnie did a great job explaining the program and showing me exercises along with Alex that were going to give her the tools to retrain her eye muscles. From then on Alex met with Debonnie once a week for an hour for the next 6 months. She provided us with a binder and tools Alex was using that week to work on her exercises as well as detailed instructions which allowed me to understand and work with Alex at home. She spent the last 10 minutes of Alex’s therapy session also physically demonstrating what the exercises entailed.
It has been a long six months and you have to be willing to put in the work, but I am very happy with the progress and results. The headaches are gone, and Alex makes Honor Roll every quarter. Even though Alex is graduating from therapy she will still have exercises to continue to work her eyes at home and follow up appointments with Dr. Ferguson to make sure she does not regress. Thank you to all who were involved, and I highly recommend this program to anyone who is considering!”
Eli , Reading/Learning Problems
Mom: “I would 100% recommend getting vision therapy for a child who needs it. It’s been amazing to see the difference it has made for my son, especially in school. He used to get so frustrated and needed a lot of help.
Now I see his confidence improved and he’s doing a lot more work independently. It was so cool to watch his expressions and the smile on his face as he would notice himself being able to do things like math problems in his head that he never was able to do before vision therapy. The work paid off and I’m so glad we did it. It was completely worth it. Thank you, Dr. Will!”
Kalin , Reading/Learning Problems, Esotropia
Mom: “I used to worry so much about Kalin’s vision. Reading was hard and school was hard. I never knew you could retrain your eyes. From day one of coming here everything has gotten better. Kalin’s eyes no longer cross. She has confidence. She reads without a fight. She is doing so, so, so much better in school. When she did the statewide testing at school, she passed the goals her teacher set for her. Her balance has improved when she does volleyball and softball. Heartland has been an answer to a prayer. She how has the skills to make life so much easier now and I am so grateful!”
Margaret (Maggie) , Amblyopia, Esotropia
Maggie: “Lauren has helped me to use different ways to make my eyes not blurry. It is easier for me to see the board for math time. It is also easier for me to catch things when I’m playing.”
Mom: “Maggie started therapy to help strengthen her left eye and over the course of her sessions, I have noticed that she is able to focus quicker with not only her left eye, but also her right eye. She is able to see the board much better at school. I could tell that she was frustrated at school some days, because she was having a hard time seeing certain things. I have also noticed that she has much better hand-eye coordination when playing catch and she is able to use her side vision to help her catch objects.
Lauren made things fun and engaging for Maggie. She always looked forward to going to her sessions. As time went on, all of the activities got easier, because her left eye was improving so much.
Maggie wouldn’t be where she is at if it wasn’t for Lauren and Dr. Jackson.”
Blair , Headaches, Confidence Gained, Adult
Graduation Date: 4/10/23
Blair: “I started therapy due to migraines, not only have these lessened from once or twice a week to maybe once a month, but I have seen a decrease in symptoms with things I didn’t realize were due to my eyes. I don’t walk into things anymore, which is something I have done my whole life. My eyes no longer hurt causing me to rub them all the time. I also have seen my motion sickness become almost non-existent. When I told my neurologist about my vision therapy, she encouraged me to keep doing it and has also been impressed with my results.”
Evan, Double Vision
Evan: “I am Evan and I enjoyed eye therapy. The staff were super nice and friendly. The challenges and the easy things were fun and not fun. Eye therapy builds friendship with your parents. You can make new friends possibly because there are other kids doing eye therapy too!”
Dad: “Evan started eye therapy because he was having an issue with double vision. When he would focus on an object 4-6 feet way, he started to see two objects. He was having difficulties reading because he would frequently lose his spot on the page. His eye doctor suggested vision therapy.
It was great to see the progress Evan made each week. He would always struggle with the exercises at the start of the week, but you could see his progress each day. By the end of the week, he could easily do each exercise.
His reading has improved a lot. He is not losing his spot on a page. He also isn’t as frustrated when he reads.
I am really happy that we decided to go through eye therapy. I think it will improve my son’s grades and overall happiness. The staff are amazing and great to work with.”
Maheen: “I think Eye Therapy has helped me with my lazy eye and I don’t realize it that much anymore! It helped me read, spell, and see. Each time I see double or feel that my eye feels weird, I know that my eye is floating out! When I used to not do eye therapy, I looked like a really dumb monster. Luckily, now, I don’t look like that anymore! But now since I’m done with eye therapy I don’t look like a dumb monster or miss playdates or birthday parties! I am happy I went to eye therapy. Thank you very much!
Allison, Reading/Learning Problems
Allison age 10: “Miss Kari taught me how to control my eyes when they were blurry or doubled. It was hard work and there were activities I didn’t want to do, but the work paid off. I rarely have blurry vision anymore!”
Mom: “We are very pleased with our decision to have our daughter complete vision therapy. Her frustration level at school has greatly decreased, and she is a more confident reader. She no longer complains about headaches daily and is able to read for longer periods of time. She is able to track print, does not have double vision, and rarely has blurry vision. When she does, she has strategies to help her refocus.”
Chelsie, Reading/Learning Problems, Adult
12/28/2022
Chelsie: “Since my youth, I have always recommended eye therapy based on my brother’s experience and outcome. When I worked for an elementary school, I knew that so many children would benefit from eye therapy. Even in my studies to become an Occupation Therapy Assistant, I knew so many patients with various conditions, at various ages would benefit from eye therapy. Still, I never received it for myself.
Before receiving eye therapy, I would see shadows behind letters, and I would lose my place while reading. These occurrences would cause confusion, fatigue, frustration, and discouragement. After many years of dealing with a visual stigmatism, I finally consulted my eye doctor about eye therapy. She then referred me to Heartland Eye Consultants.
The therapist and their team have been a tremendous encouragement in helping me achieve my goals and succeeding beyond my own visual expectation. Although, I still require glasses, I have noticed that my eyesight has more endurance and strength. I am now able to read for longer periods of time, where before, I would fatigue after twenty minutes and still struggle to comprehend what I had just read. By providing me with tools and exercises, I can read the Bible, look at a white board, take notes, and not lose my place. Oh, and no more shadows behind letters. (Small and little things.)
Now, I can say that eye therapy has helped my vision while engaging in my most meaningful occupations as a student, an employee, in my private time, and in my everyday life.”
Olivia , Reading/Learning Problems
1/19/2023
Olivia: “Hello, my name is Olivia. Before vision therapy, I had a very poor attitude to school and anything that required reading. But now that I had to go to vision therapy, I am very confident that my reading has gotten better. I have a better attitude towards schoolwork and reading is not that hard anymore. I am so glad for the eye therapy that helped me to get better at reading. I love reading now and it’s not bad and I know that it’s very good for me to read books and to read the Bible that God gave. So, thank you very much for showing me that I should love to read and that I got more confident in myself. Thank you miss Lauren and Dr. Will and a special thank you to miss Daphne, who checked me in every week. I am thankful for all of you, and I will never forget you guys and the great things you taught me.”
Mom: “We came to Heartland Eye Consultants seeking help for our 13-year-old daughter, Olivia. She has struggled greatly from a young age with memory, communication, reading, math, etc. We have sought help elsewhere through the years, but it wasn’t until vision therapy that we have seen her motivation and self-confidence bolstered. Dr Will’s thorough assessment and explanation of her deficiencies let us know she was in good hands and Miss Lauren’s patient work with her each week kept her motivated and progressing.
We have seen much improvement in our daughter’s ability to retain information, learn spelling words, communicate more clearly, and read more comprehensively. Perhaps most important of all, she finally sees what she is capable of and is motivated to work hard to continue overcoming her obstacles. We are very thankful for the role Heartland Eye Consultants has played in one precious daughter’ life!”
Dezirae , Reading/Learning Problems
1/4/2023
Dezirae: “Vision therapy has helped so much in school, but also in daily life. I am now able to read a chapter in minutes, before it would take me days. I have improved dramatically, but if I had figured out that I had a processing disorder I would have fixed it sooner. Vision therapy helped so much. Thank, you Dr. Jackson and Dr. Will for helping me in vision therapy.”
Mom: “We were frustrated trying to get homework done with Dezirae each night. We noticed she was really struggling with reading, spelling, and math. Homework that should have taken no more than 1.5 hours would take her all evening with constant redirecting. We had her hearing checked and her eyes checked several times with no answers. After the initial testing we finally had answers. Dezirae worked hard most weeks to complete her therapy. Within a few weeks, we noticed we didn’t have to hound her to get her homework completed. She would even start it without being asked. Her reading speed improved, she wasn’t losing her place while reading, as frequently, and switching and reading letters backwards almost stopped altogether. Her reading fluency increased, and she is more confident. We would recommend Heartland Eye Consultants vision therapy program. We have been pleased and believe it is worth the time and investment.”
Jude , Reading/Learning Problems, Double Vision
Jude: “I have noticed my eyes have got better, because when I first went to the normal eye doctor, they recommended me to do eye therapy. So, my parents signed me up. At first, I was enjoying it. Then it got boring, so my mom said she would give me candy if I did eye therapy. Eye therapy helped because now I can see the whiteboard. Eye therapy has helped in many ways.”
Mom: “We were not aware of any eye/vision problems with Jude until a routine eye exam with Dr. Matthew Klemke. After his convergence issue was brought to our attention, we were referred to Heartland Eye Consultants and that is how we were introduced to Dr. Will Ferguson and Dr. Nathan Jackson.
We were hopeful after the initial testing that we would be able to improve his desire to read and even improve some behavioral issues that we had been noticing. He had also started having headaches. We drove in to a weekly sessions with Dr. Jackson. Over the weeks and months we worked and practiced his exercises at home and slowly we started noticing improvements.
He was excited when he was able to “see” objects and improve his times with the home exercises. He was squinting less. He wasn’t losing his place while reading and his reading assessment scores at school improved!! Dr. Will explained his improvements every eight weeks and it was awesome to see how proud Jude was of himself. We are very hopeful that vision therapy will improve and make so many things easier for future endeavors such as motocross, basketball, football and accuracy when practicing targets with his BB guns. Thank you, Dr. Will and Dr. Jackson!!
Henry , Reading/Learning Problems, Confidence Gained
Henry: “I can cross my eyes now. I can throw and catch now. I can read books.”
Mom: “Henry’s confidence has soared since he started his vision therapy. Getting him to practice reading every night was such a struggle, but now he reads without any prompting and genuinely finds joy in the act. He’s also become so much better at catching and throwing. He loves playing baseball and is much more at ease wen up at bat. I can tell that he’s so proud of himself and all that he’s accomplished these last few months. It’s been such a joy to watch him flourish.”
Linda , Dry Eye Treatment, Adult
Linda: “I didn’t realize what I was experiencing was dry eye. I thought it was from long, busy days, and/or because I was so tired at the end of the day. They would itch and burn only at the end of a long busy day. As soon as I stepped outside my eyes would start tearing up and not stop. I thought that the swollen eyelids were because of the papillae that I get. My swollen eyelids are why I stated the treatment.
After my first treatment, it was a week before I realized my eyes didn’t itch, burn, or tear up when I walked outside. The swollen eyelids were gone. The treatment appointment was anywhere from 20-30 minutes. Most of that time was getting the eye area ready for treatment and the clean up afterwards. The actual treatment was 5 minutes. They tell you what they’re going to do every step of the way.”
Brady , Headaches, Strabismus
10/13/22
Brady: “Vision therapy was a great because all the people that work there are so nice. The therapists do their best to help. At first, I had a headache like three times a week. Now I only get, like two a month. At first, I always couldn’t read the white board at school. Now I can without getting double vision. I can also read without losing my place. They also do their best to make it fun and they do a great job at it. I am so glad I did vision therapy and everyone who works there does such an amazing job.”
Mom and Dad: “Vison therapy has been a very positive experience for our family and the results have really shown. We noticed around a year ago that Brady’s eyes were often not straight forward, and he was having frequent headaches. He was squinting really heavily on one side, and he was not getting what he needed from his glasses, so he wouldn’t wear them. After vision with Dr. Will, we got the proper prescription for his glasses, which got him to wear them consistently. Ms. Kari helped Brady in so many ways. He now keeps his eyes straight and has way fewer headaches. The whole team at Heartland was wonderful to work with. Ms. Kari and Dr. Will were great with his diagnosis and therapy. While Jessie and Daphne were always so accommodating when it came to scheduling. We also, thank Dr. Shannon Schaeffer for referring Brady to Heartland. We are so happy with our experience there.”
Aeric , Reading/Learning Problems Success Story
What do you want for Christmas? Too soon a question? Not for Aeric, he already knows he wants BOOKS! Thank you, Dr. Annette Astuto, for your referral that allowed us to help Aeric succeed.
“Before COVID, Aeric disliked school but could not explain why. WHen I homeschooled him, we discovered many issues & really, deeply struggled with learning. We sought help in many ways & landed at Heartland Eye Consultants. Here we found real answers, a solid game plan, and caring/dedicated support. Dr. Will made a good connection with Aeric right away. Lauren was patient and supportive. The road was long & there were struggles with staying on track, but the benefits were… amazing.
Aeric went from hating to even try to read, to asking for books for Christmas! He finally understood why he had such vision issues and was able to see clearer, better, and experience the world more fully. I won’t forget the day he said “I can see the leaves, not just green blur” & “there’s a pattern – its texture” as he looked around. And the day he got another set of glasses & could see depth better – he was astounded & could barely explain, but it was so profound for him. Realizing what he’d missed… and that he was not “different” or “broken” or “dumb”… Learning how to make his eyes listen to him better & all the homework changed him. He likes school now. He likes to read. He is able to play more video games now that he can read better.
I am so proud of his progress… and so very thankful we found Heartland Eye Consultants. Our lives were blessed & grew. Thank you so so much!”
Aiden , Motion Sickness Success Story
30/10/2020
What’s eye therapy and does it work? Aiden and his family are celebrating his success in his school work and in his daily quality of life. They have a short little story to tell of his huge accomplishments with eye therapy. We appreciate Dr. Carole Linn for sending us the referral.
“When we first approached eye therapy we were a bit skeptical but I am happy we made the decision to see this through. Aiden has made huge strides in school, especially with writing. He rarely gets sick in the car anymore which has been one of the best improvements. His confidence is stronger & he overall is doing better in school. Thank you for all your help!” – April
Ariel , Adult Success Story
14/02/2020
Ariel Says: “What’s on the menu today! Ariel can now tell you that seemingly useless bit of information; useless maybe. But, having to ask someone to read the menu for you can be frustrating. Still, Ariel had more urgent concerns to struggle with that Vision Therapy helped her conquer. She has them detailed for you in her brief but inspiring story.”
“Therapy helped me so much with work and my personal life. I was constantly bumping into things and losing my place reading. Neither of these happen anymore. I no longer have headaches and I can read in the evening without my eyes getting extremely tired. Another big thing that therapy helped me with was reading menus or signs that are posted places. I can actually read an entire menu before I get up to order.”
Aubree , Reading/Learning Problems Success Story
01/06/2022
Mom did the exercises, too. This family worked together to succeed in Vision Therapy. They have a wonderful story to tell. Thank you, Dr. Elwood, at Good Life Eyecare for your referral.
“When I started therapy, I could not balance for 20 seconds on one leg but by the end I could do it with my eyes closed. When I got glasses and had to do therapy I thought it was going to be bad and hard I never thought I would have glasses but with help from all the people that care like my teachers my parents my grandma and the best therapist I made it through and I am here today I am so happy to be here and get to graduate it has been a long journey but everyone in it has been so nice and so helpful. When I started off my math was not going so well, but every now and then we did a math problem and it made a difference and after that I had made a lot of progress. I love to do therapy and I am so happy to graduate. I love when I get to skip school, but at least I have no more homework.” – Aubree K.
“Vision Therapy has been a blessing for Aubree! When she first told us things looked blurry, we took her in for a full eye exam. Her doctor suggested it was childhood cataracts, but immediately referred us to Heartland Eye Consultants for further evaluation.
The professionals here soon realized Aubree’s situation was more difficult than cataracts; she had a scar on her cornea which made her vision in her right eye only 20/70.
The first step was to get glasses, and we did see an improvement in Aubree’s vision, but Dr. Will suggested we can do more to help improve her vision by getting BOTH eyes to work together. Up to this point, her left eye had been compensating for the lack of vision in the right eye.
Aubree has issues with math and sometimes lacks coordination in sports activities. She has always struggled with her left and rights too, and we weren’t sure why.
Ms. Jesse had reading resources available in her office before we committed to vision therapy, and reading them really enlightened me as to how Aubree’s vision affects other aspects of her brain. I was curious to see how therapy could improve the issues we’ve been seeing.” Bobbi
Charlie , Headache Success Story
Daily headaches after school are over for this lovely young lady through her efforts in Vision Therapy. Thank you Dr. Meduna for your referral!
“I think Vision Therapy helped me a lot! The biggest difference I noticed was no vision headaches. Before Vision Therapy I would get headaches almost everyday and I would be tired after school. Now when I get home, I have more energy and no headaches. Vision Therapy has also helped me not lose my place when I’m reading. My balance is a lot better and helped me play better at sports” – Charlie
“Vision Therapy helped my daughter tremendously. Before starting Vision Therapy, I was becoming worried about Charlie. She was not acting herself. She was getting headaches everyday and coming home from school exhausted. She wasn’t her happy, energetic self. All she wanted to do was rest on the couch. After completing therapy, Charlie now has no vision headaches and has her energy and upbeat personality back! Charlie has also improved with her balance and coordination. I have noticed her improving in all the sports she plays, especially basketball. We are very grateful for Dr. Bridget Meduna for identifying Charlies visual disorder and referring us to Heartland Eye Consultants. Kari, Dr. Will and Dr. Jackson have been great. Charlie never complained about having to go to the eye therapy every week. She actually enjoyed it. We greatly appreciate all of their hard work in helping Charlie be successful. We can’t thank them enough for giving Charlie her energy back & helping her achieve no vision headaches after a long day at school.” – Andrea
Cindy , Adult Success Story
03/02/2020
Cindy Says “This has helped me with my job reading reports and being able to separate information. I no longer experience eye strain at the end of the day.”
“I started eye therapy at the recommendation of Dr. Bob. He thought that Dr. Will and his staff would be able to help me improve the vision in my left eye. I met with Dr. Will over the summer and began therapy in August. The enthusiasm which he and the vision therapy staff have is incredible. With the help of Kari and Dr. Will, I was able to improve my vision in the left eye. This has helped me with my job, reading reports, and being able to separate information. I no longer experience eye strain at the end of the day. I’m still working on using my improved vision with driving in construction and parking. This will be an ongoing process for me, but I am more aware of it now.
I’m so glad that I took this journey with such a great group. I would definitely recommend it. Thank you all for your time and caring!”
Colin , Double Vision Success Story
08/02/2021
Faster and further focus for today’s vision and for his future thanks to his efforts in Vision Therapy! Much has improved in his daily functioning as well. He and his mother recount his journey in their stories below.
“Before I started therapy, I was having trouble with my eyes. While I would read words would move on the page, I had trouble seeing in the distance and couldn’t cross my eyes. After vision therapy words stopped moving on pages, and my eyes became less sensitive to the sun. Overall therapy has helped my eyes a lot and made me happier.” – Colin
“Colin is able to focus faster from far away. While reading, the words don’t move on the lines, they remain stationary and he is able to read faster and stay focused on comprehension.
Headaches are much better overall too.
The training he is able to do to make his eyes more cross, more peripheral vision and be able to read while working on motor skills is really great.
I am excited to see the longterm effects of his vision therapy, overall it has helped his quality of life. Thank you!” – Rhonda
Elly , Family Success Story
07/04/2020
Elly Says: “I am done and I am very glad I did this because now I can read and don’t struggle trying to do so.”
“I had a great time in vision therapy and it has helped me a lot. I used to have a ton of headaches and didn’t want to read ever. Now that has all changed. I can remember what I read. My headaches are no longer vision related, and I am better focused on things such as reading. Even though I didn’t really like doing the home activities, I would still suggest it. It has helped me in so many ways. If you put forward effort, you will get something in return and thats exactly what happened. I put in the effort in the home activities, and now I am done. I am very glad I did this because now I can read and don’t struggle trying to do so. I hope lots of kids can have the opportunity to have this chance and help them all do way better in school and everyday life. That was my success story and I hope more people have a great outcome just like me!” – Elly
“Elly struggled with several items that we found out were all related to the same issue – headaches, car sickness, and a dislike of reading. When our eye Dr. Laura Schindler first said that Elly could benefit from Eye Therapy, I was skeptical. But after meeting with the staff here it all became very clear as to what the issues were and how much it would help her by going through this process.
It was a long road, many nights of therapy and work on her part. As she started noticing the changes and the improvements she was making, she really began to work hard. It didn’t take long for her headaches to quit and the discomfort she had during car rides. She has not had these issues for quite some time.
Elly also complained frequently when required to read and many times had to reread her assignments. That was very frustrating for her. This has improved greatly and she even asked for a book!
Kari has been great to work with and always found ways to keep Elly motivated and really cared about how Elly was doing. Thank you to everyone here for making this a success” – Connie
Evelyn , Reading/Learning Success Story
22/01/2022
Mom was heart-broken, but it was soon restored. This is quite a story. Thank you Dr. Langan @EyePhysiciansNorfolk for your referral!
“Vision Therapy has been such a blessing for Evelyn. Throughout the process, school has transformed from a constant source of frustration and tears to one of independence, resilience, and confidence. Before VT, my sweet, smart and sensitive Evelyn was losing her battle with staying afloat in school. Every school day was an overwhelming mountain of mental & emotional work that left Evelyn exhausted, defeated, and frustrated. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, she just wouldn’t get to where she needed to be. Specifically, Evelyn struggled with reading, task/time management, car sickness, and a dwindling sense of self confidence.
I can’t thank Dr. Will, Debonnie and the entire team enough. Today Evelyn’s little light is back and shining brightly. She prides herself on getting most of her work done in class, improved reading skills, and no more car sickness. She is much more relaxed overall and is able to enjoy her school day. At home, Evelyn has a new found independence that mom is loving!
Dr. Will, thank you for stepping in & rescuing this heartbroken mom. You were able to find and fix what I couldn’t. You easily pinpointed those things in Evelyn that just needed a nudge of encouragement. Your insight, guidance & expertise has been life changing. Our profession is truly lucky to have you!”
Grayson, Reading/Learning Success Story
02/02/2022
Whose fault, is it? Grayson’s parents didn’t find fault they found an answer to the struggles their son was having. I enjoyed their story and am sure you will too.
“Our son has always had struggles with reading and focusing in school. One teacher even mentioned having him screened for ADHD. Sometimes we thought it might be the teacher, sometimes we thought maybe we sent him to school yoo young, other times we thought maybe he was just being a boy his age. His 5th grade teacher recommended we research Vision Therapy. I had mentioned it in passing to another mom and she told me a great story about how her son had recently graduated and all the benefits he experienced. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but also desperate to find tools to help our son do better in school. His initial assessment showed he would benefit from the program so we opted to make the commitment. I will say it’s definitely an undertaking; the time commitment comes from both the child and the parent. There were tears at times, but many more laughs. The best part is we really do see improvements. He is more focused in school; he has jumped up to his grade level on his reading assessments and is actually reading more than ever. Before VT he struggled with headaches and motion sickness and this has stopped as well. We even see him getting better in his sports. I think the hardest part was making the time to do the lessons. If your child is experiencing any of the symptoms I would strongly encourage participating – now that we’ve completed the program I have no regrets – and the time spent on lessons will continue to pay us back for years to come.”
James, Scleral Lens Success Story, Adult
6/14/2021
He got his Scleral Contact Lenses! Have you been told you can never wear contact lenses? James found out that is not always true, and he has a great story to tell you about his journey into scleral contact lenses.
“I no longer have to wear very thick glasses. I had always been told that I could not have contacts because I have astigmatism. Recently, I was told that since my astigmatism was so severe, that no one would be able to give the proper prescription for a lens for my left eye.
I was referred to Heartland Eye Consultants because they might be able to help. Dr. Holly Ternus was not only able to fit me with contact lenses that were comfortable, but I was able to see 20/20 in both eyes, even the left eye that had previously had a cornea transplant. My vision is the best it has ever been.
I would recommend this doctor and clinic to everyone with astigmatism or who has been told they cannot wear contacts.”
Lucas , Confidence gained! Success Story
14/02/2022
Lucas rose to the challenge! Now, he is more confident and thankful for all his improvements. Thank you, Dr. Cain, at Malbar Vision Centers for your referral!
“Therapy has helped Lucas become more confident with things that he does. He is able to tie his shoes more easily. He is able to catch objects better with less drops. He is also better with his handwriting. This has been a very pleasant experience, if a little challenging for him. I am thankful that he was able to complete this therapy that will help him for the rest of his life.” – Scott
Mack , Confidence gained! Success Story
10/12/2021
They didn’t understand why he struggled to read. One visit to Heartland Eye Consultants started them on a journey that changed that and more. What an amazing story they have to tell.
“Reading was always hard for me. I feel more confident reading in class. I can follow my music in band class much better. I also learned to ride a bike. I also share my ideas in class more” – Mack
“Reading was very hard for mack. He had great grades so we didn’t understand why reading was so hard for him. We researched and found Heartland Eye Consultants.
Dr. Will and our sons therapist Kari were absolutely amazing… Mack really felt comfortable and became quite fond of them… Mack’s confidence level is so much better than before he started therapy. He wants to be involved in class discussions. His reading has gotten much better even his penmanship is legible now. Mack’s also learned to ride a bike which we thought would never happen but now it’s something FUN he can do outside in the summer. We would definitely refer parents to take their child to Heartland Eye Consultants. Kari and Dr. Will have given our son Mack the confidence and knowledge he has neede. We are so blessed… Thank you!” – Mindy & Danny
Ryder , ADHD & Vision Success Stories
18/12/2020
They came back for more! It turns out vision therapy’s great results can run in the family! From reading to calf roping, this is a story to be told!
“Vision Therapy helped Ryder improve his balance, coordination and improve his hand writing. He is better able to answer questions or retell a story even when I don’t think he was paying attention. He shows improved ability to focus and maintain concentration for longer periods of time. He likes that he has improved football and calf roping skills.”
Lynn , Scleral Lens Success Story, Adult
10/18/20
“I have been wearing hard contact lenses for 54 years. The last 15 years, I have been wearing the scleral lenses. When I first started with these lenses, I was training a young horse on some very dusty dirt roads in Washington State and immediately realized I was not having the constant painful problem of getting dirt in my eyes. That alone was a real plus for me.
I have had problems off and on with the fit of the lenses until I moved to Omaha and came to Heartland Eye Consultants. Dr. Ternus showed me the pictures of my eyes, explained exactly what had been going on and then fit me with the most comfortable lenses I have ever worn.
My vision is changing as my eyes heal and I feel we are getting close to the final prescription, as close to perfect vision as I can get, and the happiest eyes I have had in a long time.
I have nothing but praise for Dr. Ternus and Heartland Eye Consultants.”
Gloria , Scleral Lens Success Story, Adult
12/03/2020
“I was referred to Dr. Ternus because of my eye issues with Keratoconus. After cataracts were removed, she fitted me with the new lenses. At first I had difficulty with them because I had worn the gas permeable lenses for years. I started wearing contacts at age 17 and I got new lenses at age 74. So, there was an adjustment to be made and old habits retired and new ones learned. I truly enjoy these lenses. My vision is so much better and I can even put them in without a mirror! I love them and wish that I could have had them earlier. Dr. Ternus and her team really care about the patient.”
Kate , Double Vision Success Story
15/07/2021
By the end of therapy, Kate had cut her testing times by more than half, her headaches were gone, and so were her progressive lens glasses!
“Katie had been having problems with her vision since 3rd grade, but it wasn’t until 5th grade she was able to put into words what was happening when she would read. The words would move around on the page; she would completely skip over words and have to reread sentences several times before they made sense. She took 4 times as long as her peers to take tests, and testing would physically exhaust her. She was at the top of her class grade-wise, so it really frustrated her that it was so hard for her to take these tests, and by 7th grade, she had had enough. When we first visited Dr. Will at Heartland to discuss vision therapy, we were not convinced the therapy would work or would be worth the money. We didn’t have a clear understanding of what was wrong with Katie or how the program would help. We were also worried about the 8 month commitment; would Katie stick with it? After talking through our reservations with Dr. Will, and reading through parent and patient testimonials, we decided to take the plunge. Within a couple months, we started seeing small changes. Katie had less headaches after reading. She could focus words on pages/screens for longer periods of time. By the end of therapy, she had cut her testing times by more than half, her headaches were gone, and so were her progressive lens glasses (an added bonus)! We even think her cursive handwriting improved because of therapy. We are glad we made the choice to put Katie through therapy, and we would recommend it to any parent who is struggling with the commitment” – Stacey
“Before vision therapy, words would move around a page and would make reading a big hassle. Not to mention all the huge headaches I would get. Before vision therapy tests, especially online, would take me an hour or more to finish. Now after completing therapy, I can say that I read much quicker, enjoy reading, and have blown away my school counselors with how quickly I test. I also don’t get headaches nearly as often and severe as I would. Vision therapy was fun and I would totally recommend it” – Katie
Chase , Scleral Lens Success Story, Adult
11/17/2020
“My vision without scleral lenses makes day to day activities difficult and driving at night nearly impossible. A scar on my left cornea causes intense dazzling at night when driving and I was told surgical correction would have to remove a large amount of my natural material and wouldn’t guarantee an improvement. I was then referred to Dr. Ternus and her team at Heartland Eye Consultants. My first visit was to be evaluated to determine if I was a good candidate for scleral lenses and every person I interacted with was kind, caring and professional. I’ve never been treated so well at eye/vision appointments and this team was amazing. During my initial evaluation a set of test lenses were fitted and for the first time in two years my blurry vision in my damaged eye was clear and crisp! The scleral lens fluid reservoir filled in my scar imperfection, and protected it from my eyelid which would cause pain before the lenses. My other eye was fitted with a toric lens, and made my vision better than it ever has been.
My lenses are extremely comfortable and my vision is great. I’m so grateful for Dr. Ternus and her amazing team, Scleral lenses have changed my life.”
Rowan , Headache Success Story
15/11/2021
Rowan is playing ball at the top of his game thanks to his work in vision therapy. Dr. Toelle, we thank you for your referral! His parents are now believers that vision therapy works!
“Initially, my husband and I were very skeptical and hesitant to start this “Vision Therapy” that my son’s optometrist had recommended. We continued to think that he would “grow out” of this so called condition that was causing him to cross his eyes. We finally took a leap of faith and went to his consultation appt. From the moment we first arrived, my son was treated like a VIP! The positivity and welcoming personality already set us at ease. Once we started to visit with Dr. Will, he knew how to “sell” his program by talking sports. This made Rowan motivated to do well. Our therapist, Kari, made out son feel good, keep a positive attitude and engage in it with full effort. Looking back, we are onl regretful for not having started the journey sooner. It was a significant financial commitment for us, however. With hardwork, investing our time and effort made every penny well worth it. My sons headaches, reading skills, and sports have all improved significantly and for that we/I am eternally grateful.” – Sally
Salem , Motion Sickness Success Story
What is your favorite therapy game? Please share with us and join us as we celebrate the efforts Salem achieved through vision therapy. Can you guess her favorite game? No worries, if not, keep reading, Salem and her mom have much to tell you.
“My favorite part of therapy was getting to see Ms. Kari every week. My favorite therapy was the games. My favorite game was ET. I feel like I improved most in reading, drawing and hand writing. I think has helped me with my school work. I loved vision therapy” – Salem
“When Salem started Vision Therapy, she was reading at a first grade level at the fourth grade. She was receiving IEP services, but the words were still moving around on the page, and she was getting frequent headaches while reading so, she was not making any progress. Vision Therapy has helped Salem read for longer periods without headaches and, for the first time Salem is making steady progress on her reading. Therapy also improved other things like her balance and motion sickness during gymnastics and her handwriting. The best part about vision therapy is that it gave Salem the tools and strategies she will need to continue to improve after graduation and into the future.” – Jamie
Stone , Double Vision Success Story
09/04/2021
Less is more in Stone’s case. He and his family are celebrating his achievements through his work in Vision Therapy. Please join us as we celebrate Stone’s success by giving him a like or comment. Great job Stone!
“I got less double vision, remember what I read, and can find things easier. Not as frustrated and less carsick. More relaxed.”
Julia , Family Success Story
21/02/2019
Mom Says: “She is now able to read for longer periods of time without skipping words and lines or having to go back and re-read constantly. Her headaches are few and far between and her eye strain is close to non-existent.”
“I’ve had problems with my vision for as long as I can remember. Then I was told there was a possibility that I could improve the way my eyes work, I immediately jumped on the opportunity.
Although there were moments where I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, and that this was all a waste of time, I am thankful that I continued and completed the program. My advice to anyone else going through vision therapy is to trust the process.
I’d also like to thank Dr. Laura Schindler for referring me and my other therapists and of course Dr. Will Ferguson. Lastly I’d like to thank my parents for giving me rides to my appointments, making sure I completed my home activities (mostly) and overall giving me the opportunity to better my vision” – Julia
“After being the 3rd immediate family member and 8th extended family member to complete vision therapy, I’d say we know it works!
My daughter was increasingly complaining of headaches, eye pain, not being able to read for long periods of time, issues with looking from distance to close up, all of which led to eye strain and frustration.
She is now able to read for longer periods of time without skipping words and lines or having to go back and re-read constantly. Her headaches are few and far between and her eye strain is close to non-existent.
Needless to say, we are more than happy with her outcome. Dr. Will is extremely knowledgeable and is able to explain eye issues (or I should say vision issues) in a relatable and understandable way.
I would absolutely recommend vision therapy for anyone who would benefit” – Jessica
Kalla , Learning/Reading Success Story
8/22/22
My name is Kalla K. I’m in the 3rd grade. Vision therapy has helped me read better. My advice: if you have to do vision therapy is to listen to your therapist.
Kyleigh , Reading/Learning Success Story
8/25/22
Kyleigh: “Heartland has helped me so much! I was not very confident at reading, but now after therapy, I am very confident. Debonnie and all the therapists are very nice and sweet. Debonnie was very kind and patient with me. I really will miss her! If you do therapy, you will get better at things you struggle with and you will get a good outcome. Heartland has helped me so much and I really recommend it!”
Mom: “Kyleigh has always struggled with reading and math. She was tested at school for a learning disability, and she is a high risk for dyslexia. Her eye doctor recommended we look into vision therapy. I was a little hesitant thinking maybe it wouldn’t work, but I am so glad we looked into it! Kyleigh’s reading was below grade level at the start of last school year and now after therapy she is where she needs to be. What a huge accomplishment for her! Also, her confidence level in reading and math has improved as well. We owe this success to her therapist, Debonnie and to Dr. Jackson. They both were wonderful, and we can’t thank them enough? It was a huge time commitment and we struggled at times to get the work done, but in the end, it was all work it. We are so proud of Kyleigh and the hard work she put into this and the progress she has made! We are so thankful for all the wonderful people at Heartland Eye Consultants! Thank you so much!”
Lucas , Reading/Learning Problems, Sports Vision
8/10/22
Before vision therapy I had horrible handwriting and hated reading. Now after vision therapy my handwriting is a lot better and I like reading a lot better. I also went from having the worst batting average to having the best on the team.
Brooks , Reading/Learning Problems
9/9/22
Brooks: “I called Vision Therapy eye workouts. It helped me get better at reading. I don’t have as many headaches. Miss Kari makes it fun.”
Mom: “We came to do testing with Dr. Will after prompting by teachers and our son’s eye doctor, Dr. Amy DeVries. Our son was significantly behind with reading at grade level, getting headaches daily from visual strain and exhibiting distracted behavior and lack of focus in the classroom. We knew he did not have an attention disorder but struggled to know how to help him.
We were reluctant to embark on the journey of Vision Therapy, because of the cost, commitment, time missed from school, and not knowing if it would really help. We made the decision to give it a try and drove every Friday morning 40 minutes to receive therapy. The drive, homework and time away from school was a lot to balance. However, there is note one day we regret any part of this journey from this side.
Our son was consistently without headaches after 3-4 weeks of therapy. He is able to track words on a page with his eyes without using his finger, he is able to read smaller print, copy from the board, give attention to activities for a longer period of time, and overall feels more confident in the classroom. We learned tools to help him with reading, spelling, and attention. Eye workouts, as we called them, are worth the time and money. It’s an investment you won’t regret, and the staff is top notch!”
Liviana , Reading/Learning Problems, ADHD
7/18/22
Mom: “Before Vision Therapy (VT) Livana struggled so much. Not just with reading, but attention and focus plus coordination. A year ago, we thought she was having seizures (mini ones) after her teacher shared some observations with us, we let her pediatrician know. After extensive testing, it was determined that she was not having seizures. The following school year her teacher made similar comments about her focus and spacing off. As a long time, SPED (Special Education) teacher, I could not figure out what was going on. I shared with her pediatrician my frustrations and concerns and she suggested we have her evaluated for SPL, OT, and PT before settling on ADHD. Long story short, one of the evaluations determined she had CI (convergence insufficiency). This was something I had never heard of!
After getting another opinion from Dr. Smith at Children’s it was recommended, we come to Heartland Eye Consultants. I am so thankful we did! Over the last year Liviana has begun to thrive! She loves to read and can now do so for longer periods of time! Prior to VT, she would get frustrated and say her eyes “hurt” or were “tired” after reading a single page. Now, she is reading 20-30 pages a night and finishing books! Her confidence is so much better when it comes to school. We are so thankful for Heartland Eye Consultants!”
Kenndell , Reading/Learning Problems
Kenndell struggled in school before therapy. Now, she is recognized for how well she is doing which is a breath of fresh air as described by her parents. We appreciate the referral from Dr. Kelsey Jennings at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.
Dad: “Kenndell’s progression has been amazing! When we first began this process, she struggled with taking notes in school, reading from the board, and from books. The team at Heartland Eye Consultants took the time to assess her needs and formulate a plan to address her vision issues. Although, some of the activities were performed in the office, much of the plan required at work at home. The activities to be done were explained prior to taking them home and further clarified with handouts stored in her progression notebook. The continuous follow-up sessions ensured she remained on the path to success and tracked her positive performance. The notebook and journal entries kept us (the parents) accountable and allowed us to see the forward motion through the program.
Additionally, the staff remained flexible with scheduling. They tried and succeeded by accommodating any external issues, such as vacations, sickness, and conflicting appointments. Their willingness to adjust their schedule truly demonstrated the level of care they provide to their patients. Your hard work and dedication have made a profound impact on Kenndell’s life and her future success. For anyone debating this program, please remember that you are investing in your child’s success with school, college, and adult life.”
Mom: “Kenndell has had major success in vision therapy. When we started, she could not copy from the board quickly, did not remember her left from her right, and had very poor eye-hand coordination. She is now able to do all of these much more easily. She had moments of being tired of doing the therapy. They proved to me that when you put in the work you can be successful. This was proved to Kenndell as well. She has received recognition at school regarding how well she is doing which is a breath of fresh air compared to the beginning of last year.”
Dylan: “For me at first it was hard, and it felt like it was going to take forever. Eventually, I did get done with eye therapy. All the people who work at the eye place are great people and are very nice (fun environment in the eye therapy room). For me as I went through eye therapy, I slowly started to notice improvements. Now, I can process information better and faster than before. If eye therapy gets tougher and you don’t want to do it just think about how easy it will be after you are done with it. For sports-wise in hockey, I felt like I’m much more aware of what’s happening and who is where on the ice. I feel like I can make much smarter choices much faster, instead of running my brains wheels. I don’t have to because I can figure stuff out faster. I can now also, concentrate better and work more efficiently as well.”
Mom: “Eye Therapy can be a daunting experience, but it is so worth it. This is our second child to go through it and we have had zero regrets. Watching them progress and be able to accomplish things that were once hard for them is a great. The day-to-day therapies can be hard but reminding them of the end goal makes the difference. Watching Dylan be able to work through all distractions and stay focused made it all worth it.”
Clare , Reading/Learning Problems
9/29/22
Announcement! Clare now loves to read. Great work Clare!
Mom: “Vision Therapy has most helped my daughter, Clare, with her reading ability. When we started therapy last year, she always complained that she “hated reading” and now she is looking forward to what comes next in either her A-to-Z Mysteries or Boxcar Children series books.”
Jaxson , Reading/Learning Problems
10/03/2022
Jaxson: “Before I started Vision Therapy, I didn’t like reading, practicing my sight words, and I couldn’t see the board very well. Now I can do all these things! When I met Dr. Jackson, I didn’t like doing all the tests he had me do because they were hard, but now I can do those things really easy. Dr. Jackson is nice, and I like seeing Him! When I started vision therapy with Lauren, I had a hard time doing the tasks she gave me and doing the work at home wasn’t fun. But Lauren helped me so m much, that I am reading books on my own now! I earned a lot of gold stars because she helped me see things better. She had lots of fun games I like to play at home now.”
Mom: “My son struggled with learning his letters, which grew into struggling to learn sight words and learning to read. I had him in extra programs at school, doing extra work at home, but until our eye doctor, Troy Currier, referred him to Heartland Eye Consultants, we weren’t gaining anything. When Jaxson was first recommended for Vision Therapy, I was skeptical and unsure the money was worth it. But I quickly learned it is worth every penny and every minute of extra work. My son is loving reading now and asks to read to me and I wasn’t sure he would ever get to that point! His therapist Lauren was amazing at keeping Jaxson excited about coming to therapy and explaining the home activities to me and sharing his progress. Dr. Jackson was great at making sure I understood his diagnosis and what we needed to do to help him. Jaxon and I both look forward to our visits to Heartland Eye Consultants. I would highly recommend Heartland and their Vision Therapy Program to anyone. They have changed my son’s life for the better and I can’t than them enough!”
Bree , Reading/Learning Problems
10/26/2022
Mom & Dad: “After five months of vision therapy the words are no longer jumping around on the page which is a huge ‘win’ for our nine-year-old daughter! Bree is excited about reading chapter books now and can comprehend the passages. The homework was a struggle on some nights when she was tired, but she persevered and pushed through even when it was hard. As parents, you will grow tired as well, but the end result of seeing your child grow is well worth the short-term pain, effort, and expense. Thank you, Heartland Eye Consultants, Dr. Jackson, and Dr., Will for a successful outcome and a great experience!”
Jayla , Reading/Learning Problems
10/31/2022
A change for the first time in her life! Jayla did a lot of work in Vision Therapy and reaped a lot of benefits. Thank you, Dr. Hedquist at Hedquist Eye Care, for your referral!
Jayla: “Before Vision Therapy I did not like to read, and my words would move around, or my eyes would get tired of reading. Also, I wouldn’t remember what I read. I have frustration when I get stuck on a word. Now, vision therapy helps me because I did all that work and now I like to read, I have less frustration. Also, I have no more tired eyes and my words do not move around. Vision Therapy helped me because I did the string and the story cubes. That is how vision therapy helped me.”
Stepmom: “It started with an eye exam at school then onto our family optometrist, Dr. Christ Hedquist. He referred Jayla to Heartland Eye Consultants. It was here that it was confirmed that Jayla had convergence insufficiency. Jayla didn’t show any signs of an issue with her eyes. She was behind her grade level in reading. While reading her fluency suffered and she didn’t like to read at all.
After being enrolled with vision therapy, her mood has changed for the better. Her fluency and comprehension have grown leaps and bounds. She is where she should be at for her age for reading. For the first time in her life, she enjoys reading.
The work put into therapy is well worth all the time! Jayla was always a happy little girl. Now she’s even happier. We as a family still know that we need to stay on top of the maintenance therapy so Jayla can continue to go.”
Caroline , Reading/Learning Problems
11/04/2022
Caroline: “It helped me read faster. I learned how to use my side vision to help me see around me. I learned to control my body better. Vision therapy helped me become more happy with homework.”
Mom: “I would tell the parent that they should go through the process of having their child in vision therapy because it gave our child the “confidence” she desperately needed to overcome many reading and involuntary body movements. Caroline found out that she was falling behind in school when she couldn’t pass regular reading check-ups. We as her parents were asked to get her vision evaluated where we found that she not only needed glasses but would benefit from vision therapy. We were greeted with a team of wonderful, educated, and compassionate people who were ready for my sweet child’s needs. We are happy to report that after 38 weeks of “dedicated” therapy Caroline is doing much better with reading, but also body control! We are so grateful to have found this program and will cherish these memories.”
Reagan , Reading/Learning Problems
8/3/22
It didn’t take long to make remarkable changes for this young girl! Thank you, Dr. Petska, @gretnavisionsource for your referral.
Reagan: “Vision therapy has helped me in reading better, because I know how to control my eyes from jumping around while reading. I went up in my MAP testing scores, especially in reading. I went up 25 points 25 points! Thank you, Ms. Debonnie, for helping me with using my eyes the right way.”
Joel , Amblyopia, Exotropia
11/14/22
Joel: “Dear Doctor Will, thank you for spending your time to help me improve in all of my eye activities. Since I have joined vision therapy everything has gotten better. I would highly recommend this for someone who is having trouble with seeing and would like to improve. I will say it took hard work and commitment, but in the end, it was all worth it. Thanks again Doctor Will. Sincerely, Joel”
Mom: “Vision therapy has been one of the best investments we’ve ever made! Our son has been suffering from exotropia, strabismus, and amblyopia for many years.
We started vision therapy in February 2022 after a recommendation from Joel’s optometrist, Dr. Russell Crotty. Since completing 32 sessions of vision therapy, Joel has shown great improvement. His double vision is gone, and his near/far vision is clearer, overall. His motion sickness has also improved. Joel loves to read and is excelling in school and sports!
We can’t thank Dr. Will enough for his expertise. Heartland Eye Consultants is the best and I would recommend any adult or child in need of vision therapy to come here. Thank you so much for all you’ve done and continue to do.”
Jacob , Reading/Learning Problems
11/15/22
Would you enjoy more free fun time with you child in place of homework wars? Jacob went from the lowest-scoring student to being right on track! Homework wars are over ?
Mom: “When my son was in kindergarten, he lacked focus in school. By 1st grade, the teachers suggested that he may have a behavior disorder and it would be beneficial to investigate further. After multiple test and six months of visits to a behavior therapist, it was ruled out that he did not have a behavior problem. Even after this, his academics continued to suffer making him, per the school, the lowest scoring 2nd grader” in this school. While he was very intelligent This learning delay allowed him to stat an Individual Education Plan at this time.
While Jacob dealt with family life changes that suggested that these distractions were causing academic and behavioral issues, he persevered with different people who came into his life: occupation therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), a private tutor, and a change to a different school that would work better with him. Within four months of OT his therapist referred us to see Dr. Will Ferguson at Heartland Eye Consultants for peripheral vision and saccade issues. After testing with Dr Will and his wonderful staff with Developmental Vision Associates, Jacob was indeed an excellent candidate for vision therapy.
Jacob worked hard alongside me and benefited each week from the therapies with Lauren and home exercises. Jacob called some of them ‘annoying’ while some he looked forward to doing. The reward goals set for gave him incentives before he even noticed the changes in his eyes. Even before he was halfway through. His teachers could tell a difference in his confidence, reading and physical abilities. He learned, after three years of attempts, how to ride his bike!
By the end of vision therapy, we have seen a huge improvement in his schoolwork and grades. It takes less time to work on homework than before vision therapy. Jacob picks up books on his own at his grade reading level. He is more coordinated physically and looks forward to the recreational sports teams he signed up for. He is a more confident child and pays attention to the teacher so well that his resource teacher has needed to tap on his shoulder to get his attention for his small group sessions. Ultimately, he has gone from being the ‘lowest-scoring’ student in the school to being right on track with his classmates in all his studies.
If there is any doubt in your child’s coordination, behavior, or academics, don’t wait to get tested. IF it is determined as a vision problem, starting earlier will optimize your child’s future success. Vision therapy will help them to focus rather than see double, allow them to keep their place in books, and find it enjoyable to read. They will be able to use these strategies not only in school, but on the playground as they will be able to catch and throw balls more accurately, trip less, and become more confident in their abilities. It is amazing what your child and you will get out of it. Just be prepared to spend time on home exercises during the process for the reward of even more free time from the benefits of vision therapy.”
Aiden , Reading/Learning Problems
11/17/2022
Aiden: “It has helped so so so so so so much in school. Also, I know it has much improved my vision. I like football and when I play now it is easy to catch, because I can track the ball.”
Mom: “Vision therapy was a challenging journey for us, but we are very happy that we went through with it. When Dr. Meduna first recommended therapy, we were hesitant. But after evaluation s with Dr. Will, we became aware many of the struggles Aiden had been due to a vision problem. A problem that could only be corrected with therapy. Aiden’s reading skills and comprehension have dramatically improved. His BB gun shooting skills also improved along with his ability to focus and shift his focus.
Kari was great to work with and helped us get through the times that were a struggle. IT is a lot of work for both the patient and parents. Vision therapy required a large investment of both money and time, but it was worth it. Hopefully, the next several years of school will be much easier for Aiden!”
Daniel , Reading/Learning Problems
11/26/23
Mom: “When Danny was initially referred to Heartland for Vision Therapy. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Danny has worn glasses since kindergarten and is now in 6th grade. His grades weren’t the best, but his teachers could read test or assignments to him and he would do great. Any close up work, he did not want to do and would avoid it as much as possible . He would see numbers wrong and skip over words when reading.
Just after the first month of sessions, his grades started improving. My husband was pretty skeptical at first, but once he saw the improvement, he knew this was going to be so beneficial for Danny.
I will say going through Vision Therapy and doing the at home activities is a commitment. It is imperative that parents are willing to help their child with their activities. It’s not all on your child. Like any other homework, Danny wasn’t very fond of doing some of the at home activities but reminding him of his goals and motivating him helped quite a bit. The activities that Danny was given were easy for us parents to comprehend, so we knew exactly what to look for. There were also some activities that were a lot of fun, and we will continue with after Vision Therapy.
Now that we are at the end of therapy, Danny is doing much better in school. He is willing to sit and do homework and actually enjoys math. When he reads out loud now, it’s like listening to a different kid. I would highly recommend going forward with vision therapy. It has made such a difference in our household. Even Danny says he’s glad to have gone through it.”
Ellie , Amblyopia
12/08/22
Mom: “We began Ellie’s vision journey with a number of frustrations as she did not like to patch her left eye. Our referring doctor, Tammy Richert, suggested we look into Heartland Eye Consultants to get Ellie some additional help. After meeting with Dr. Will we determined Ellie was ready for vision therapy at six years old. Ellie’s vision was 20/60 with a depth perception distance of four feet. When we started vision therapy. Ellie looked forward to her weekly visits with Kari and her progress appointments with Dr. Will. The homework kept Ellie engaged and was appropriate for her age. Kari also incorporated some fun games that Ellie really enjoyed and were still helping improve her eyesight.
As a result of six plus months of vision work, Ellie’s vision is now 20/20 in her right eye and 20/25 in her left eye with a depth perception of nine feet. Ellie’s eyes are working together, she’s less frustrated with wearing her glasses, and she has better vision in her left eye. We are very happy with the results and will continue to work on the maintenance therapy provided.
We appreciate Dr. Richert referring us on to Heartland Eye Consultants and the work of their team. Dr. Will was always willing to answer our questions and help us fully understand the obstacles Ellie faced. Kari was excellent, she always had Ellie’s best intentions in mind, knew what worked best for her vision, kept her engaged, and really built a wonderful relationship with Ellie and our family. Thank you to the whole Heartland Eye Consultants Team!”
Gabriel , Reading/Learning Problems, Motion Sickness
01/24/2023
Gabe: “When I started vision therapy (VT) I wasn’t very hopeful nor optimistic, but looking back at that I was wrong. Vision therapy has changed my life. Before I stared vision therapy, balancing, reading, comprehension, etc. was very bad, but after months of work it’s a million times better. After the first month of VT, I already started seeing small changes like reading is easier and less motion sickness. I will say you definitely have to put in the work to see the changes. But, after a while if you start to think “this is stupid”. Just you wait it will completely change your life! I want to thank my teacher. I am ridiculously grateful for her and VT. And for anyone who is maybe sad or nervous or who are about to start this will completely change your life. You may not think it will, but it will! I was in your position once, trust me it’s worth it!”
Mom: “At the beginning we did not know what to expect, but looking back, it’s exceeded all expectations. We never understood how many different things Vision Therapy would impact and change. The positive impact we’ve seen in Gabe’s life has been significant. I hope incoming parents and children trust the process. We have seen vast improvements in Gabe’s confidence. Gabe’s self-confidence in day-to-day activities such as reading, and athletics are most notable. Gabe is more willing to read, and his handwriting has improved. He started VT in the summer and by the time he hit the Fall sports, we saw an obvious difference. From the basics of running and balance to the more specific skills, he has blown us away. While it was not always easy and the commitment is high, we are extremely proud of how Gabe persevered. We are extremely grateful for all the support and encouragement Heartland gave us. The widespread impact VT has had on our lives is beyond words.”
Ashley, Reading/Learning Problems
4/18/2023
Hello, my name is Ashley. I am 7½ years old. I am doing better in school and like to read. Thanks for all of the work you did for me. I like Ms. Debonnie, Ms. Kari and Dr. Will. Hope you have a great summer. Love Ashley.
Makenzie, Headaches
4/28/23
Makenzie (13): “Vision therapy helped me in reading, improving in subjects, and helping me learn my lefts and rights. But most importantly my vision improved greatly, and I can see things clearer. I enjoyed vision therapy because I liked working with Debonnie and I liked seeing what I accomplished each week. I recommend it for others because it truly does help with things like headaches, eye strain, and way more.”
Mom: “Makenzie would have headaches after school on a weekly basis. She never complained about her vision, but during her sports physical in middle school, she barely passed the eye chart. The doctor suggested that she have an eye exam. After her eye exam, the doctor suggested that she should go to Heartland Eye Consultants because her left eye was weaker than the right and she didn’t know how to relax it. It was always flexed.
My husband and I were skeptical about eye therapy, but after a few months her headaches went away. She was able to complete tests at school within the given time. She was getting her reading done without straining her eyes. We are at the end of eye therapy, and she has had maybe three headaches in a seven-month period. She used to have them consistently. She is much happier and doing great in and out of school. We are thrilled with her progress and happy she has gone through the program.”
Evan B., Amblyopia, Esotropia
04/14/23
Mom: “We really saw a lot of improvement with Evan’s reading and focus in school. His teachers said they definitely saw an improvement. The activities were fun. It was definitely a lot of work and a big time commitment, but it really paid off. Evan’s right eye no longer “shuts off” and he can really see better out of it. Lauren was a great instructor and was really patient with him. I would very highly recommend eye therapy.”
Michael Tecchie, Double Vision, Headaches, Adult
7/12/23
Michael: “I struggled with double vision, headaches, and off-balance dizziness for the past six years! I thought this was going to be my new normal after trying many things that did not work. Thankfully my eye doctor, Dr. Kyle Klute at Good Life Eyecare, referred me to Dr. Will Ferguson at Heartland Eye Consultants. I was still skeptical in the beginning, but that changed almost instantly when I started therapy.
9/8/23;
Throughout my therapy program, I could tell that my symptoms were going away a little more week after week. We worked on areas that were causing the most problems for me. By the end of therapy my headaches, that I would get normally, were gone along with my double vision.
The knowledge I have gained through this process has been amazing. My day-to-day life has been great since completing therapy. I can’t thank the whole Heartland Eye Consultants staff enough for helping me have a better quality of life. I have improved in my work and personal life as a direct result of therapy. I worked directly with Lauren and Dr. Will who were both amazing. They both listened to me for any thoughts, questions, or ideas I had about therapy. I recommend therapy to anybody who is considering it.”
Avery S., Amblyopia
8/23/23
Avery: “Before I started vision therapy my vision was blurry. Everything was blurry, reading was hard, and it was difficult to recognize who was who. So, my mom took me to the eye doctor (Dr. Kruger). I had many visits to the eye doctor for my prescription with my glasses that weren’t working. So, my doctor recommended me to go see Dr. Will Ferguson. After three eye tests Dr. Will recommended Vision Therapy and said my brain needs to work with my eyes. So, I started vision therapy with Lauren!
After about maybe two to three weeks, I got the hang of it! I did activities like flippers to get a chart clear and clear and paper cards to relax and work my eyes. I also always got smiley faces on my recording sheet for good attitude. Two things I love are the stickers for smiley faces to earn goals and my necklace I made. After weeks of therapy, Dr. Will decided I should graduate! So, I graduated and succeeded in vision therapy!”
Mom & Dad: “I thought the day we picked up Avery’s glasses would be mind-blowing for her, but that was not the case at all. She still couldn’t see. After several more appointments with her eye doctor (Dr. Jaimie Kruger), we were referred to Dr. Will Ferguson. Avery really didn’t need glasses at all, but instead, her poor vision was due to over-focusing and her brain wasn’t talking to her eyes. An issue most people don’t even have to think about. Skeptical at first, we quickly realized that vision therapy was just what she needed. After several weeks of therapy and lots of at home activities, Avery’s vision made a complete 180-degree turn.
We were thrilled with the results, but even better, Avery was ecstatic. She could read the board at school and see faces without blurred vision. If you are on the fence about enrolling your child in vision therapy, don’t hesitate. Their vision is priceless. Not to mention Dr. will, Lauren, all the therapists, and the rest of the staff are amazing. They want your child to succeed. We are so relieved that Avery’s vision has corrected and would recommend vision therapy for anyone.”
Elizabeth M., Motion Sickness
8/18/23
Elizabeth: “Before I knew what problems I had with my eyes I struggled with bad headaches, blurry and double vision, and bad motion sickness. It would get worse through the day, and it ended up making it hard to focus in school. During vision therapy, I noticed very small changes at first, but near the end my eye problems were disappearing fast. I am now able to function inside and outside better.”
Noelle W., Reading/Learning Problems
8/8/23
Noelle: “Vision Therapy helped me because now I can focus better when I’m reading. Now, I can read for longer periods of time with no eye strain. I have clearer vision when looking at the board at school. Vision Therapy helped me use both eyes and not let one swim. My vision therapist, Debonnie, always had a positive attitude while working with me. Debonnie and I would always joke and laugh. Dr. Will helped at Progress Exams and always helped me with what my eyes were doing.”
Dad: “If you can instill a culture of daily activities and stay on point this program can be very rewarding. There are struggles and with a busy schedule there may be times when you fall behind. Don’t be discouraged and stay the course. The staff do a great job helping you in this journey!”
Adrienne: “I felt heard, that there was a reason for why my vision was troubling me. Dr. Schindler tried but wasn’t able to pinpoint the reason. She referred me to Heartland Eye Consultants, where Dr. Will examined me with many different methods, both high and low tech with analysis.
Once a plan was made, my vision therapist was consistent in asking for my feedback and adjusting as needed. She helped tailor the exercises to my unique requirements. It was interesting to see which ones were similar to when my daughter did Vision Therapy at Heartland, and which were changed or completely different for me. My therapist let me know what the hoped-for range of achievement on each exercise was, so I didn’t get frustrated. I knew how to judge my rate of progress and level of difficulty with each exercise which was important to me. I now have a much better understanding of how my eyes work, what is happening if I am not seeing clearly, and what I can do to successfully address that area. I have significantly less double vision and methods to maintain that. I really appreciated how much my vision therapist listened to and made sure my concerns and needs were addressed.”
Matthew C., Reading/Learning Problems
8/8/23
Matthew: “I noticed vision therapy helped in two major ways. First, I can understand better what’s happening in books. Second, my eyes are more relaxed than they were. Vision therapy made a big difference in my life! Thank YOU! Special thanks to Dr. Will, and Ms. Debonnie!”
Vision therapy is an effective, non-surgical, doctor-supervised treatment that retrains the brain and eyes to work together more efficiently. Rather than compensate for vision problems, vision therapy aims to treat and correct the visual system itself.
Discover how we can help you or your child overcome vision problems such as strabismus and amblyopia, and build a greater sense of confidence. Take our vision therapy quiz today!
What do you want for Christmas? Too soon a question? Not for Aeric, he already knows he wants BOOKS! Thank you, Dr. Annette Astuto, for your referral that allowed us to help Aeric succeed.
Aeric P.
Rowan is playing ball at the top of his game thanks to his work in vision therapy. Dr. Toelle, we thank you for your referral! His parents are now believers that vision therapy works!
Rowan U.
He got his Scleral Contact Lenses! Have you been told you can never wear contact lenses? James found out that is not always true, and he has a great story to tell you about his journey into scleral contact lenses.
Aeric P. , Reading/Learning Problems Success Story
What do you want for Christmas? Too soon a question? Not for Aeric, he already knows he wants BOOKS! Thank you, Dr. Annette Astuto, for your referral that allowed us to help Aeric succeed.
“Before COVID, Aeric disliked school but could not explain why. WHen I homeschooled him, we discovered many issues & really, deeply struggled with learning. We sought help in many ways & landed at Heartland Eye Consultants. Here we found real answers, a solid game plan, and caring/dedicated support. Dr. Will made a good connection with Aeric right away. Lauren was patient and supportive. The road was long & there were struggles with staying on track, but the benefits were… amazing.
Aeric went from hating to even try to read, to asking for books for Christmas! He finally understood why he had such vision issues and was able to see clearer, better, and experience the world more fully. I won’t forget the day he said “I can see the leaves, not just green blur” & “there’s a pattern – its texture” as he looked around. And the day he got another set of glasses & could see depth better – he was astounded & could barely explain, but it was so profound for him. Realizing what he’d missed… and that he was not “different” or “broken” or “dumb”… Learning how to make his eyes listen to him better & all the homework changed him. He likes school now. He likes to read. He is able to play more video games now that he can read better.
I am so proud of his progress… and so very thankful we found Heartland Eye Consultants. Our lives were blessed & grew. Thank you so so much!”
James S., Scleral Lens Success Story
6/14/2021
He got his Scleral Contact Lenses! Have you been told you can never wear contact lenses? James found out that is not always true, and he has a great story to tell you about his journey into scleral contact lenses.
“I no longer have to wear very thick glasses. I had always been told that I could not have contacts because I have astigmatism. Recently, I was told that since my astigmatism was so severe, that no one would be able to give the proper prescription for a lens for my left eye.
I was referred to Heartland Eye Consultants because they might be able to help. Dr. Holly Ternus was not only able to fit me with contact lenses that were comfortable, but I was able to see 20/20 in both eyes, even the left eye that had previously had a cornea transplant. My vision is the best it has ever been.
I would recommend this doctor and clinic to everyone with astigmatism or who has been told they cannot wear contacts.”
Rowan U. , Headache Success Story
15/11/2021
Rowan is playing ball at the top of his game thanks to his work in vision therapy. Dr. Toelle, we thank you for your referral! His parents are now believers that vision therapy works!
“Initially, my husband and I were very skeptical and hesitant to start this “Vision Therapy” that my son’s optometrist had recommended. We continued to think that he would “grow out” of this so called condition that was causing him to cross his eyes. We finally took a leap of faith and went to his consultation appt. From the moment we first arrived, my son was treated like a VIP! The positivity and welcoming personality already set us at ease. Once we started to visit with Dr. Will, he knew how to “sell” his program by talking sports. This made Rowan motivated to do well. Our therapist, Kari, made out son feel good, keep a positive attitude and engage in it with full effort. Looking back, we are onl regretful for not having started the journey sooner. It was a significant financial commitment for us, however. With hardwork, investing our time and effort made every penny well worth it. My sons headaches, reading skills, and sports have all improved significantly and for that we/I am eternally grateful.” – Sally