Wow Vision Therapy Blog

Achievements in Class, Confidence for Sports – Carter’s Success Story

In this Success Story, Nicole explains how the Wow Vision Therapy, Grand Rapids team was able to treat the underlying vision issues associated with her son’s Sensory Processing Disorder.


By: Nicole (Carter’s Mom)

At the beginning of 2018 when Carter was in first grade, we learned that he had Sensory Processing Disorder. We knew nothing about sensory issues or where to begin to get help for him. A therapist referred Carter to an Occupational Therapist, and we saw improvements, but we could tell that he needed more help and something different; OT was helping with certain aspects, but issues involving his vision were not improving.

School has always been a challenge for Carter, and he was starting to realize that he wasn’t as great at sports like the other kids. Challenges at school involved writing letter reversals, and he would lose his spot or skip lines while reading. In spring 2018 Carter wanted to play baseball for the first time. Batting and catching, basically anything that had to do with his vision, was a struggle for him. I reached out to his coach, explaining that he has SPD and he struggles with hand-eye coordination. Despite Carter having “perfect” eyesight, he struggled with aspects that involved vision. Carter’s baseball coach told me that his son had similar difficulties and that they had enrolled him in vision therapy. I called Wow Vision Therapy after being referred there by a co-worker who also had a child enrolled in vision therapy. I am so thankful for everyone who helped us learn about Wow Vision Therapy.

Dr. Bartolini did Carter’s evaluation, and she was amazing! She made him feel so comfortable, and she explained everything to me. Any questions I had she was able to answer and provide me with research as to where the information is coming from. Dr. Bartolini continued to do all of Carter’s assessments. I informed her that my son does best with consistency and she insisted on being the one to do his evaluations.

Carter was estimated to need over 30 therapy sessions, and he worked with Julie. I could not have asked for a better person to work with my son. She was so patient and kind to him. Julie is the reason my son loved coming to therapy; she would always welcome him with a huge smile. This made us feel like she was excited to be working with Carter. She was great with checking in with me after visits.

I loved the evaluations that happened throughout his 30 plus visits. It was nice to hear how his numbers were improving, and the results were being made. Dr. Bartolini was really excited about the numbers, which was exciting to see her so happy! For me, I did not notice the results until I saw his second report card for the year. Carter improved in writing, reading comprehension, and math. It was so exciting to see all of these achievements on his report card! I can say with all my heart that he improved this much all because of vision therapy. Carter recently started baseball again, and he can now hit the ball every time! These small victories make a huge impact on Carter and the confidence he has in himself. I cannot thank Wow Vision Therapy enough for helping my son begin to feel confident and help him to realize his worth.

Thank you to Dr. Bartolini and Julie for all of your hard work!


Concerned you or your child may be struggling with a vision problem? Schedule an appointment today with one of our teams.

Disclaimer: The patient, parent or guardian in this story has authorized the use and disclosure of the patient’s name, photographic/video images, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment plan, and/or patient testimonial.