Therapy Improves Life of Child With Autism

Eight-year-old Chris Case, a third grader at Arlington Elementary, has been through multiple therapies following a diagnosis of autism.

He received occupational and speech therapy at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, which recommended that Harold and Rebecca Case consider eye therapy for their son.

Chris has delayed speech and was struggling with reading and behavior issues at school.

“We would hear daily reports from his teacher that he got upset when it was reading time and he would run out of the classroom,” Rebecca said.

Still, Rebecca was skeptical when Cardinal Hill recommended Vision Therapy with Dr. Rick Graebe at Children’s Vision and Learning Center in Versailles.

At Dr. Graebe’s office, Chris worked with Pat Thomas, who suggested the use of prism glasses as part of the Vision Therapy program.

Vision Therapy is non-surgerical treatment for many eye ailments and works like a kind of physical therapy for the eyes, brain and body.

The prism glasses can help with issues of convergence – the ability to keep the eyes focused on an object.

“As soon as he started Vision Therapy we saw a big difference in school and at home,” Harold said.

Rebecca pointed out that during reading time in school, Chris would often grunt in response to lessons from his special education teacher, Angie Sidwell.

“But as time passed and the more Pat worked with him, he did more and more reading with Angie,” Rebecca added.

By the time Vision Therapy was completed Chris was reading entire books with Sidwell.

He began to participate in his regular classroom, his reading scores improved and his behavior problems receded.

“It was as if Chris’ world started to open up,” Rebecca said. “He is now talking a lot more and it is actually making sense to others.

“After years of not being able to get Chris to talk, I was devastated. But to see Chris getting better as Vision Therapy went on made me zealous about it all.

“I am extremely excited about Chris continuing to succeed and grow.”

Dr. Rick Graebe
Family Eyecare Associates & Children’s Vision and Learning Center
105 Crossfield Drive, Versailles
www.myfamilyvision.com / 859.879.3665