Sari R. Schwartz, OD, FCOVD, FAAO

225 Millburn Avenue, Suite 208 B
Millburn, NJ 07041

Request an Appointment

Sari R. Schwartz, OD, FCOVD, FAAO

(973) 804-6565

225 Millburn Avenue, Suite 208 B
Millburn, NJ 07041

It's Never Too Late to Improve Your Vision

We Help Adults Too!

Many parents often discover that they too have vision problems similar to their children and ask us if it is too late for them to get help. The answer is - it is never too late, we can help!

While scientists used to believe that there was a limit to the critical period for treating patients with eye turns and lazy eye (strabismus and amblyopia), research has found that this is not true. Thanks to Optometric Vision Therapy, vision disorders of this nature can usually be treated at any age.

Dr. Barry, interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air program and a speaker at TEDx Talks, is famous for gaining 3D vision as an adult and sharing her experiences in her book, Fixing My Gaze.

Signs of a Vision Problem

Tiring quickly while reading
Avoidance of near work
Frequent loss of place when reading
Omitting, inserting, or rereading words in a paragraph
Confusing similar looking words
Poor reading comprehension
Jerky eye movements, one eye turning in or out
Blurred or intermittent double vision
Headaches, dizziness, or nausea after reading
Red, sore, tearing, or itching eyes
Squinting, eye rubbing, or excessive blinking
Head tilting or closing or blocking one eye when reading

Cross-eyed since early infancy, Dr. Barry had three eye muscle surgeries to straighten her eyes as a young child. After the surgeries, she had “20/20” vision, meaning she could clearly see the letters on the eye chart from a distance of 20 feet. Everyone incorrectly assumed that meant she had perfect vision. Yet, when she tried to read, the words appeared to her to move on the page.

It wasn't until Dr. Barry went through a program of Optometric Vision Therapy as an adult that she understood why the words appeared to move on the page when she was in grade school. It was because her eyes weren't working together correctly when she read.

As a professor of neurobiology at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, Dr. Barry speaks regularly to scientists, eye doctors and educators on the topic of neuronal plasticity, or ability to adapt and reorganize.

Unfortunately, most binocular vision disorders go undetected and people faced with those conditions struggle all their life, despite many attempted remedies. If you, or someone you know, have difficulty with reading and learning, please call our office today at: (973) 804-6565