Spring 2023 Newsletter
Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation News
Meet Dr. Monroe
“When I realized how vision therapy could absolutely change people’s lives, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Dr. Kacie Monroe grew up in the Conrad area and graduated from BCLUW. She went on to University of Northern Iowa and finally Indiana University for optometry school. It was at an externship in an optometry practice in Kentucky that Dr. Monroe discovered the power of vision therapy. “I was amazed that vision therapy could help an adult who had a concussion return to work without feeling dizzy and help a child who was struggling with reading reach grade level.”
After graduating from optometry school in 2011, Dr. Monroe worked in a private practice in Cedar Rapids where she oversaw vision therapy. In 2021, Dr. Monroe and her husband decided to move to Marshalltown to be closer to family. She is excited to offer vision therapy and rehabilitation to central Iowa at Eyecare Associates.
When she’s not at work, Dr. Monroe can be found spending time with her husband, two kids, and golden retriever. She enjoys bowling, golfing, and craft projects.
Vision Critical for Success in School
Studies suggest that as many as one in 10 school-age children may have a vision problem that is significant enough to affect learning. Most people assume that if kids pass a vision screening at the pediatrician or at school, their vision must be fine. However, there are many different visual skills required for academic success.
Having 20/20 vision isn’t enough. 20/20 measures how small someone can see, but doesn’t assess other skills needed such as: focusing, eye teaming (binocular vision), coordinated eye movements, or tracking ability.
Up to 80% of a child’s learning in school is through vision!
Many kids and adults with vision problems can be misdiagnosed with ADD/ADHD or other learning disabilities because they often:
- Skip and reread lines
- Reverse letters like “b” and “d” when reading
- Have poor reading comprehension
- Take longer to do homework
- Have a short attention span for close work
If you recognize some of these symptoms, the first step is scheduling a comprehensive eye examination. Schedule an appointment today.
Success Story
We are excited to share the success of one of our recent vision therapy graduates! This 14 year old came to see us having struggled to read her entire life. She had double vision when she read, her eyes hurt, she often skipped lines and lost her place. She was learning to drive and really struggled understanding directions. Here’s what her mom had to say after she completed her program of vision therapy: “I have noticed that she has improved with school work. She also never used to read unless she had to, and now I see her reading more often and enjoying it.” She is thrilled that she no longer has double vision when reading, and homework that used to take her an hour to complete only takes 20-30 minutes. While driving, she is now able to navigate and follow directions accurately. Congratulations!
Struggling in School
Skipping Lines when reading
Eyes hurt or feel tired
Did you know these symptoms (and many others) could be a sign of a vision problem? Just like our 14 year old vision therapy graduate, many people don’t realize that vision could be the cause of their struggles. Kids often don’t realize it isn’t normal for words to be blurry or move around on the page while reading.
If you or someone you know isn’t performing up to their potential, take the symptom quiz by or schedule an appointment. Vision might be the key to unlocking their full potential!
Visit bit.ly/symptomquiz to take the symptom quiz.