We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eric Chow a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Eric, appreciate you joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

In March of 2022, a bright 9-year-old girl, whom we’ll call “Maggie” to protect her privacy, walked into my office, accompanied by her determined and hopeful mother. Maggie, who wore glasses prescribed by her ophthalmologist, had been struggling with daily headaches over the past four months, especially after long school days and during reading. Alongside the headaches, Maggie’s academic performance had been declining—she was receiving D’s and F’s in school, and her teacher mentioned that she seems to be struggling with copying notes from the board.

Maggie’s eye exams had always been described as “unremarkable” as her mother recalls. Maggie’s struggles with school led her to get a psychoeducational evaluation, which revealed a visual spatial issue, which led her to me. At this point, Maggie had been receiving occupational therapy, speech therapy (following cleft palate repair), math tutoring, and extra support in reading and math through resource rooms. On top of that, she worked with a private tutor three times a week. It was clear that her mother had done everything possible to help her daughter succeed, and we were their final step in exploring a potential functional vision issue as the missing piece to her learning puzzle.

When I first met Maggie, she was full of curiosity and charm. She greeted everyone in the office with a bright smile and enthusiasm. During our evaluation, I explained to her that what we’ll be doing is to see how her brain controls her eyes, and how they work together as a team. It did not take long for her visual defecits to become apparent.

Her eye focusing ability, which should have been at a level of 16 for her age, was at 9 for each eye. Her ability to quickly switch focus between near and far objects—a skill measured in cycles per minute—was non-existent, scoring 0 compared to an average of 11. Maggie’s left eye suppressed when viewing distant targets, meaning her brain was effectively “shutting off” that eye. Her range of motion, particularly her eyes’ ability to turn in and out, was severely limited. To top it off, her eye tracking ability was in the 20 percentile. The reason Maggie was struggling in school was clear: the mechanics of reading, which many take for granted, were a significant challenge for her.

We completed 24 weekly sessions of vision therapy. Maggie showed improvement—not just in her vision but in her confidence and academic performance.

At the end of the program, her mom shared this testimonial, which can be found on our Google page:

“My youngest has always struggled academically despite all of our best efforts. We have done every test and evaluation under the sun to try to find out why she has difficulty despite obviously being bright. In the middle of first grade we were introduced to Miami Vision Therapy. After a little research I was skeptical because I had never heard of “vision therapy”. Regardless I knew I was going to try anything. Her initial evaluation was comprehensive and found several deficiencies with regards to visual processing. We immediately started therapy once a week for 45 minutes. My daughter LOVES it and has finished her school year on grade level, awarded for most improved in reading and moved up 2 grade levels in math. My only regret is not doing this sooner. We would have saved so much money, tears, and strife. Thank you Miami Vision Therapy and Dr. Chow!”

Eric, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My interest in vision therapy started during my second year of optometry school. While learning to use a slit lamp—a microscope that we use that provides high-definition view of the eyes—I discovered something unusual. Every time I looked through the microscope, I saw double. No amount of adjusting or tweaking could resolve it.

This led me to the binocular vision clinic at my school, where I was diagnosed with convergence excess—a condition where the eyes tend to over-converge when focusing on near objects. I went through a vision therapy program, and before long, my double vision was gone. That experience was transformative. It showed me firsthand the effects of vision therapy.

Today, as a developmental optometrist and owner of Miami Vision Therapy, I specialize in helping patients with binocular vision issues, visual processing disorders, and post-concussion vision challenges. Our services include comprehensive eye exams, vision therapy evaluations, and individualized vision therapy sessions tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Whether it’s a child struggling in school due to undiagnosed visual processing issues or an adult recovering from a traumatic brain injury, we aim to improve their lives by addressing problems that often go unnoticed or misdiagnosed.

What sets us apart is our personalized approach and our focus on educating both patients and other healthcare providers about the importance of vision therapy. Many people don’t realize that vision is about more than just 20/20 eyesight—it’s about how the eyes work together, process information, and impact daily function.

What I want potential clients and followers to know is that vision therapy is a scientifically backed, effective solution for a wide range of vision problems that glasses or surgery alone can’t fix. At Miami Vision Therapy, we’re committed to empowering patients through education, innovative treatments, and compassionate care.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I’m currently reading Pick Three by Randi Zuckerberg, where she introduces the concept of focusing on three priorities each day—Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, and Friends. As busy entrepreneurs juggling countless responsibilities, her approach highlights the unrealistic pressures of perfection and offers a refreshing reminder that it’s okay not to tackle everything at once. This book is helping me reassess my priorities in a new way with greater clarity and balance.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I always remind myself to keep an open mind and accept that it’s okay not to have all the answers right away. As a vision therapy provider, I often work with patients who have been told by other providers that nothing can be done for their condition—such as an eye turn—except to wait until it worsens enough to warrant surgery. Essentially, it’s a “wait-and-see” approach: wait until the deviation becomes severe, then proceed with surgery.

However, from a functional perspective, there are many exercises and therapeutic techniques that can often prevent the need for surgery altogether. When patients come to me for a second opinion, I explain that visual function exists on a spectrum. You can choose to do nothing and allow the condition to progress, or you can take a proactive approach by working on skills and strengthening visual function to prevent further deterioration. In my experience, there is almost always something that can be done to improve visual function. By addressing these issues early and holistically, we empower patients to take control of their vision and potentially avoid more invasive interventions in the future.

I also want to share that the outdated belief that amblyopia cannot be treated beyond the critical period has been thoroughly debunked. Dr. Norman Doidge highlights that while critical periods exist when the brain is especially receptive to learning certain skills, neuroplasticity demonstrates that the brain retains its capacity to adapt and change throughout life, albeit more slowly or with greater effort. My advice to patients is to be your own best advocate and be curious and ask questions about alternative way of addressing your health concerns. Vision is a vital part of the learning puzzle, intricately connected to the brain and, ultimately, the entire human being.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.miamivt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamivisiontherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miamivt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/echowman/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTV8nLMVESk0crPwnwxIQfQ