The following story was featured as a case for study for an Internet seminar called Learning Problems: The Visual Connection. For more information, please go to http://www.digevent.com/events/client/COVD/02-01-31_visual/index.asp.
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I don't know if you've heard this from me, but our family is very proud of a young man who is in his first year at the United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point. My son Elliot, is doing very well in the program and enjoys traveling to tournaments where he competes for the USMA debate team (a skill that all teenagers learn through years of verbal jousting with their parents!)

But this story is not about Elliot. It's about a young man from St. Joseph, Michigan, whom Elliot became fast friends with at The Academy. Trent was a popular football player on a high school team in Michigan and was looking forward to his appointment to USMA. But the euphoria of being accepted into the program was short lived. Before receiving Trent's schedule, his family received a phone call that dashed their dreams: Trent did not meet the physical requirements because he had amblyopia, ("lazy eye").

As I sat at the table during Plebe Parent Weekend, listening to Trent's dad tell the story, my heart warmed. The family wasn't positive that my colleague, Dr. Dan Fortenbacher, could help Trent with vision therapy, but they had little choice. Other eye doctors simply said he couldn't be helped. So Trent went to a local college for freshman year and commuted to Dr. Fortenbacher's office twice a week for six months to improve his vision. At the end of vision therapy, Dan called the staff physician at West Point. Based upon his documentation, Trent was appointed to the USAM class of 2004. Vision therapy can make a profound change in people's lives. While many children can benefit from vision therapy in the early stages of life, there are bright kids like Trent who compensate for and mask their vision problems to a point. Eventually, undetected or untreated problems take their toll. Fortunately for Trent, Dr. Fortenbacher was able, willing and ready to help when others said that no help was possible.