First Signs: Recognizing Trouble in Mitchell's Vision
James and Lisa Locke's journey with their son Mitchell's vision challenges reads like a suspenseful tale of parental intuition, medical dead ends, and ultimately, a groundbreaking therapy that turned their fears into a story of hope and success.
Their saga began with a simple, yet puzzling observation: Mitchell's eye alignment was off, which was impacting his love of learning.
Navigating the Maze of Standard Vision Procedures
Like many parents confronting unknown medical issues, the Lockes waded through a sea of standard procedures. A first doctor prescribed patching, a method that showed promise but eventually plateaued, leaving surgery as the daunting next step. The suggestion of surgery struck a chord of panic—was there not an alternative to such an extreme measure? It was this quest for another answer that opened the door to vision therapy.
A Surgeon's Unexpected Guidance
The turning point came from a surgeon who, despite his profession, recommended vision therapy—a term new to the Lockes. This advice propelled them to Dr. Cam McCrodan of Opto-Mization. Dr. McCrodan's approach was revolutionary to the Lockes: non-invasive, educational, and incredibly effective.
Crafting a Personalized Plan for Mitchell
Mitchell's therapy under Dr. McCrodan was not merely a series of eye exercises; it was a re-engineering of his visual processing, tailored specifically to his needs. The results were quick and profound. Mitchell's depth perception, a critical aspect once marred by his condition, began to correct itself, and his reading ability improved.
The Commitment to Ongoing Vision Therapy Pays Off
The outcome of vision therapy under Dr. McCrodan's guidance has been profoundly positive. Mitchell's confidence soared as he became more engaged in learning and exploring his environment with new enthusiasm. The Lockes learned the importance of persistence, research, and advocacy for our child's health. Now, even after relocating to Los Angeles (a 3 hour flight away!), they make annual trips to continue care with Dr. McCrodan, a testament to the trust and value they place in his practice.
Dr. McCrodan's Perspective
Mitchel came to our office with amblyopia, a condition where one eye did not see as well as the other. In addition, his eyes wanted to turn inwards (esophoria / esotropia).
The old-school approach to this is just to patch the strong eye (or use atropine) to force the brain to use the ‘weaker' eye. This can help to a degree, but it never teaches the eyes to work properly together.
So instead we designed a program that helped Mitchel learn to use his eyes together, encouraging his brain to use his weaker eye all the time, and strengthen the neural connections and vision in that eye. This gave him better eye movement when reading, depth perception, and coordination amongst many other things.