Vision therapy helping kids with learning disabilities

Posted: Feb 21, 2014 1:06 PM HKTUpdated: Feb 21, 2014 1:18 PM HKT

By Andrea Hubbell, Reporter – bio | email

NAPLES, FL –

There’s new hope for parents whose child may have been diagnosed with a learning disability or ADHD.

Fort Myers Eye Association is one of only a few in Southwest Florida that offers vision therapy. According to Developmental optometrist Dave Dalesio, it’s an alternative method that was developed before the 1940s. It can treat an array of learning-related vision problems.

“Their eyes don’t work together. They don’t focus well. They’re not perceiving things, something is going on.” Dalesio said.

Chloe Dold, a third-grader, is one of only 16 children Dalesio is treating right now.

For years she struggled with migraines, watery eyes and fell behind in school. Chloe was falling fast in school and her grades showed it. “I didn’t know what to do, my eyes tickled,” Dold said. Her family tried everything from different eye doctors to eyeglasses and more.

None of it was working. Then they found Dr. Dalesio. Chloe was in second grade at the time. “I couldn’t see the board. And it was really frustrating because I didn’t know what to do. It was really hard for me.” Dold said.

Chloe and her family learned she suffers from a learning-related vision problem. It’s often mistaken for children being lazy, off task, and sometimes even diagnosed with ADHD. “Low and behold she did have some vision issues that we could work with,” Dalesio said.

After three months of therapy and a grade later, Chloe’s grades skyrocketed.

“They were a C, now they’re an A,” Dold said. Her migraines and watery eyes soon disappeared.