Vision and Sensory Center

Congratulations to our most recent vision therapy graduate, Corbin! After lots of hard work and dedication, he has completed the 40-week vision therapy program.

Congratulations to our most recent vision therapy graduate, Tatum! After lots of hard work and dedication, she has completed the 40-week vision therapy program.

Brain Injury Association of America has some great upcoming live webinars for patients and caregivers. The webinars are free to sign up for patients and caregivers. If you or someone you know would be interested, please check out the link below!

2024.08.09 - Persistent Visual Dizziness Post-Concussion: Is it the Ears, the Eyes, or the Neck? (Live Webinar) A Robert Sbordone Memorial mTBI/Concussion webinar featuring Dr. Jacqueline Theis, O.D., FAAO, FNAP. Airs live at 3:00 p.m. ET August 9, 2024.

Please be advised that we have moved locations. Our new address is 3230 Broadmoor Ave SE Suite A Kentwood, MI 49512. We are loving the new location and can't wait for you to see it!

Struggling since a traumatic brain injury? Try implementing these lifestyle changes to assist in your growth.

Getting a beautiful flower arrangement and a heartfelt note of thanks from one of our sensory patients fuels our passion for what we do here!!! (Just seeing lives changed is enough!)

Come join us in changing people’s lives. We are looking for a part-time office assistant to join our team. Must have a compassionate heart, excellent communication and computer skills, be a self starter and able to work independently, excel at detail and data management and willingness to assist where needed.

Message if interested or for further details.

Here’s a recent success story from a college freshman Jamie had the pleasure of working with! Drew’s future is looking bright!

Congratulations class of Auguat 2022!

As we head back to school, just a reminder to make sure your work surface is well lit to alleviate strain to your eyes and to take breaks when studying or reading! Periodically look up and away at an object at least 20 feet away every 10 minutes. It is also recommended that you get up and walk for 5 minutes for every hour of reading or studying.

Just a visual system reminder! Do not sit closer than 6-7 feet from the TV screen. Adequate room light is crucial because watching TV in a dim or dark room reduces peripheral vision sensitivity. Excessive TV viewing reduces total body muscular development which has a carry over effect on visual neuromuscular development. Video game use should be limited to no longer than 20 minute sessions.

A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow. Cheers to all the dads… Happy Father’s Day!

Do you suffer from tension headaches or migraines, motion sickness, or chronic muscle tension in the neck or upper back? These are all symptoms of visual dysfunction. We can help! Give us a call at 616-534-4953 to schedule an appointment!

Check this out. Her Behavioral Optometrist helped her recover in time for Nationals. If you know someone who is still struggling with symptoms of a concussion, contact us at the Vision and Sensory Center. We can help

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollandsentinel.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2F2022%2F05%2F21%2Fchampion-gymastics-sarah-moraw-battles-back-concussion-win-national-title-vault%2F9878120002%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cb7761c7fc69e40f2e9e708da3f63f6cd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637891995816920125%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UHgEo2Jpb8CuuYQmKBxlmXt2DkjcgNhdtBJ0630SwXU%3D&reserved=0

Sarah Moraw battles back from concussion to win national title on vault The West Ottawa senior is headed to Minnesota next year.

Some visual conditions have obvious symptoms, such as blur or double vision. Many symptoms of visual or binocular breakdown create behaviors that normally would not be associated with a vision system problem. Just because an individual has 20/20 eyesight and a current eyeglass prescription is no guarantee that all critical visual skills are intact and functioning efficiently. These behaviors include: headaches, developed or acquired reading disorders, symptoms resembling ADHD or ADD and many others. If you or your child could use our help, please call us at 616-534-4953

Moms often take care of everyone else before themselves. Mothers, as we celebrate you today, remember to focus on your health too.

Did you know that your posture has a lot to do with your visual system? Here are some tips to good visual hygiene in regards to posture:
Sit up straight to reduce muscle tension (stress) in the back, neck and shoulders. Do not read while lying on your back or stomach, or while resting the head on one hand with the elbow on the desk. Keep both eyes an equal distance from the desk or reading material. Keep your torso and hips parallel to the desk surface. The feet should be resting on the floor or on a support. When writing, the elbow should be on the writing surface and the writing arm parallel to the sides of the paper.

Jonathan has completed his vision therapy journey with us! Erwin will miss his buddy though! Congratulations Jonathan!

We want to give our children the world; a comprehensive eye exam can set your child up to see new sights and give you a well-rounded view of their health. Learn more with today. https://bit.ly/childvisionhealth

This is a good read. Overuse of devices is contributing to the problems.:

Dr. Ovid, pediatric neurologist, warns of a silent tragedy that is unfolding in our homes today.

There is a silent tragedy unfolding today in our homes, and concerns our most beautiful jewelry: our children. Our children are in an emotionally devastating state! Over the past 15 years, researchers have given us more and more alarming statistics on an acute and constant increase in childhood mental illness that is now reaching epidemic proportions:

Stats don't lie:
• 1 in 5 children have mental health issues
• A 43% increase was observed in ADHD
• An increase of 37% in teenage depression has been observed
• A 200% increase in the su***de rate among children aged 10 to 14 has been observed.

What's going on and what's wrong with us?

Kids these days are over-Stimulated and over-given material objects, but they are deprived of the foundations of a healthy childhood, such as:

• Emotionally available parents
• clearly defined boundaries
• Responsibilities
• Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep
• Movement in general but especially outdoors
• Creative gaming, social interaction, informal gaming opportunities and spaces for boredom

Instead, the last few years have been filled with the children of:
• Digital Distracted Parents
• Pampering and permissive parents who let children "rule the world" and be the ones who make the rules
• A sense of law, to earn everything without earning it or being responsible for getting it
• Inappropriate sleep and unbalanced nutrition
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Endless stimulation, technological teddy bears, instant gratification and absence of boring moments

What to do ?
If we want our children to be happy and healthy individuals, we need to wake up and get back to the basics. It is still possible! Many families are seeing immediate improvements after weeks of implementing the following recommendations:

• Set boundaries and remember that you are the captain of the ship. Your children will feel safer knowing you have the government in control.
• Offer children a balanced lifestyle filled with what children need, not just what they want. Don't be afraid to say "no" to your children if what they want isn't what they need.
• Provide nutritious food and limit junk food.
• Spend at least one hour a day outdoors doing activities such as: Cycling, hiking, fishing, bird / insect watching
• Enjoy a daily family dinner without smartphones or technology distracting them.
• Play table games with the family or if the kids are too small for board games, let your interests be carried away and let them be the ones sending in the game
• Involve your children in a task or housework according to their age (folding clothes, ordering toys, hanging clothes, unwrapping food, setting the table, feeding the dog etc. The whole world
• Implement a consistent sleep routine to ensure your child sleeps long enough. Times will be even more important for school-age children.
• Teach responsibility and independence. Don't overprotect them from frustration or error. Being wrong will help them develop resilience and learn to overcome life's challenges,
• Don't load your children's backpack, don't carry your backpacks, don't take them the task they forgot, don't peel their bananas or peel their oranges if they can do it themselves (4-5 years old). Instead of giving them the fish, show them how to fish.
• Teach them to wait and delay gratification.
• Provide opportunities for "boredom", because boredom is the moment when creativity awakens. Don't feel responsible for always keeping kids entertained.
• Do not use technology as a cure for boredom, nor offer it at the first second of inactivity.
• Avoid using technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, shopping malls. Use these moments as opportunities to socialize by training the brains to know how to function when they are in "bored" mode
• Help them create a "Boredom Bottle" with activity ideas for when they're bored.
• Be emotionally available to connect with children and teach them self-regulation and social skills:
• Turn off the phones at night when kids have to go to bed to avoid digital distraction.
• Become an emotional regulator or coach of your children. Teach them to recognize and handle their own frustrations and anger.
• Show them to greet, to take turns, to share without being left without anything, to say thank you and please, to recognize the mistake and apologize (don't force them), be a model for all these values that it instills.
• Connect emotionally - smile, kiss, kiss, tickle, read, dance, jump, play or spoil with them.

Article written by Dr. Luis Rojas Marcos, psychiatrist.
http://palermonline.com.ar/wordpress/?p=65783

Barrio Palermo | Palermonline Noticias | Información del Barrio de Palermo | Desde 1999. Barrio Palermo | Palermonline Noticias | Información del Barrio de Palermo | Desde 1999.

If you have any concerns regarding your child, give us a call! 616 534-4953

Happy Halloween 🎃 from us to you!
Kris as Red Riding Hood, Abby as Eeyore, Dr Burgess as Tigger, Jamie as Mike Wazowski, Erwin as Piglet and Trinca as Pooh

Learning disability or vision problem?

Don't assume your child has a behavior issue or learning disability if they're having trouble paying attention or following directions in class - an eye problem may be the culprit. About 80% of how children learn is through visual processing of information, so an undetected issue can severely affect that, experts say. Warning signs include: squinting, closing or covering one eye, constantly holding books, papers, and other materials close to the face, tilting the head to one side, rubbing eyes repeatedly all day, one or both eyes turning in or out, constant redness or tearing.
If you notice any of these, please call us at 616-534-4953, we can help!
credit: Your child's health by Madonna Behen

Vision and Sensory Center The Vision and Sensory Center is an internationally recognized leader in Optometric Vision Therapy,

There is help for struggling children. Give us a call at 616 534-4953!

We had another graduating class of 2021 from our Vision Therapy Program!

Did you know that the eyes themselves are not what actually allow you to see? They are simply the tools for messages sent to your brain, via the optic nerve!

Did you know?
The shark cornea is nearly identical to the human cornea, and has even been used in human eye surgery!

Last week we had our first graduation ceremony of 2020! Congrats to our grads!

We are looking for someone to help run our sensory learning therapy bed. Very part time, hours are very sporadic. Could be 2 hours, could be 6, depending on the patient load. Our therapy runs for a 12 day span, so weekends may be necessary.
Please call us at 616-534-4953 if you are interested!

Check out this link to see what is being asked of your child's visual system in school. Is your child struggling in one or more of these areas? WE CAN HELP! Give us a call at 616-534-4953 for more information
https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/school-aged-vision?sso=y