At 10 years of age, Azadeh Kelly, OD, overcame an eye coordination and movement disorder, known as strabismus, with the help of a Developmental Optometrist. She and her parents visited nine different doctors before they found one that could correct her vision problem without surgery. This life-changing experience led Kelly to become a Doctor of Optometry, a specialist in Optometric Vision Therapy and the founder of the Sunshine Vision Development Center.

Strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes, affects approximately 4 percent of children under the age of 6 years. One eye may look straight ahead while the other eye turns in, out, up or down, which is why the condition is commonly called “wandering eye” or “crossed-eyes”. Six muscles attached to each eye control its directional movement, and in order to focus on a single image all six eye muscles in each eye must work together. Both eyes must aim at the same spot together to see properly. Misalignment affects depth perception and eye-hand coordination, as well as reading, writing and the ability to focus and pay attention.

“I wondered why my cup never made it to the table and instead ended up on the floor,” says Kelly. “The neurologic signals between my brain and my eyes were not communicating properly. I was having trouble with reading and activities like catching a ball.” Kelly’s specialty in neuro-optometry goes well beyond the eyeball. She explains, “When the two eyes are not teaming together, this will lead to each eye sending different signals to the brain. In a young child, the brain learns to ignore the image of the misaligned eye, and it will only process the information from the straight or better-seeing eye. This can affect a child’s life on many different levels.”

Most eye exams check how well someone can see the letters on the eye chart (aka the 20/20 eyesight) which is only one of 17 skills that a person needs to have a fully functioning binocular visual system. Many related visual deficiencies can often be mistaken for ADHD or other learning challenges, because the symptoms can manifest in similar ways. A patient may be experiencing blurred or double vision, discomfort when reading, decreased attention span and deficiencies in eye movement or coordination. Sunshine Vision specializes in diagnosing a wide range of binocular vision deficiencies and treating them with Vision Therapy and neuro-optometric rehabilitation.

Vision Therapy, founded in 1928, works with the brain’s capability in neuroplasticity—its ability to learn and create new pathways and to automate the new pathways. The brain is able to replace old pathways that are not functioning properly, and Vision Therapy gains will be maintained in the future.

After obtaining and assessing a comprehensive Binocular Vision Evaluation, Kelly can develop an individualized vision therapy plan, prescribing specific exercises to help the patient develop the visual skills necessary for a better quality of life, including participation in academia and sports. Kelly explains, “In order to change the neurology of the brain and to create new skilled pathways, we need to be novel to the brain and be able to change the perception of the brain. Vision therapy is founded on neurofeedback and retraining the brain.”

She adds, “There are no two brains that are wired the same way and that respond to the same treatment. Therefore, treatment is personalized for each individual depending on the patient’s visual deficiencies and needs. The goal of treatment is to train the eyes to communicate better with the brain and to team, focus and track better together.”

Problems with eye coordination, movement and focusing disorders and mixed-up brain signals stem from different causes. There could be a genetic component and/or a developmental one. Kelly asks a lot of questions during her initial evaluation to uncover when the problems first became noticeable. She is interested in the timing of developmental milestones, because this can provide valuable clues. For example, did a child creep and crawl or did it skip that milestone? Infants begin to develop reading distance and gross motor movement at this stage. Details may provide clues as to why the child developed visual deficiencies that are interfering with their reading and learning. Adults can also develop visual problems due to traumatic brain injuries, concussion or age-related conditions, and Kelly helps them find solutions through customized Optometric Vision Therapy plans to optimize their visual function.

Having experienced firsthand what life can be like with eye coordination and eye movement disorders, Kelly relates extremely well with her patients. After she was able to correct her vision, she could enjoy competitive sports, reading, improved reading comprehension and other activities which demand functioning vision and proper eye-hand coordination. Kelly is passionate about her work and about offering hope to individuals of all ages. Kelly’s mission is to “bring out the sunshine in your vision.”