Meet Noah.

Noah’s life was never easy.

Years ago, Noah’s mother Shelley was told that her baby boy had torticollis, a condition that causes stiffness in the neck making it difficult to move one’s head. He also was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and ADHD as a child. He was given ankle braces to help with his severe pronation and wasn’t able to play sports.

As a little boy, Noah had trouble walking straight. He frequently ran into walls and would even fall over when hunting for Easter eggs. He was easily disoriented by noise, had trouble navigating his world, experienced blurring while reading, and struggled to keep his handwriting neat. 

One day, Noah walked into the kitchen to ask his mom a question. Shelley noticed that her son was looking at her sideways with his neck tilted. 

She asked, “Noah, what are you doing? Why are you looking at me sideways?” 

Confused, Noah replied, “I’m not. I’m looking you in the eyes.”

That was the moment that Shelley knew in her heart something was wrong. She scoured the internet to find possible reasons why her son might be looking at her sideways which led her to a NeuroVisual clinic based in Michigan.

Immediately, Shelley had Noah fill out the Binocular Vision Dysfunction Questionnaire (BVDQ™). Shelley was pleasantly surprised when the optometrist called on a Sunday saying that she didn’t want Noah to suffer any longer and to come in as soon as possible. 

Shelley was hopeful that this optometrist would be able to help her son experience life more fully. Noah had seen countless doctors, undergone vision therapy, visited the hospital, and seen neurologists without success. No medical professional had ever said anything about Binocular Vision Dysfunction potentially being the culprit.

During Noah’s appointment, his optometrist put the test glasses on him and instantly he could hold his head up straight. He exclaimed, “I never knew the world had so much detail!”  It turns out, Noah had been seeing double vision his entire life.

After receiving glasses to correct his vision, Noah’s life was changed forever. Now, Noah stands up tall, is more confident than ever, no longer loses his balance, writes neater, and can even catch a ball. Before, Noah would cower away when a ball was tossed to him because he couldn’t see it clearly enough to safely catch it.

After listening during Noah’s exam, Shelley asked if the glasses could work for her too. She’d never had glasses that fully corrected her vision. Now, Shelly and Noah both wear microprism lenses and are living more clearly and experiencing a new normal.

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Sadly, Noah’s story is not that uncommon. Many children unknowingly have Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD) and struggle with things like hand-eye coordination with sports, writing neatly, fatigue with reading, and even car sickness. BVD symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions and aren’t properly treated. If you aren’t screening and offering treatment for young patients showing signs of BVD, it is vital you take this step.