Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic
Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury ∙ Learning Disabilities ∙ Autism ∙ Infant and Visual Development ∙ Neuro-Degenerative Diseases ∙ Visually Evoked Potential ∙ Visual Information Processing Testing ∙ Kinetic Color Visual Field ∙ Optometric Phototherapy
48189 Van Dyke Ave, Shelby Township, MI 48317
Phone: (586) 731-9725
Fax: (586) 488-0006
Dr. Aaron Nichols, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
Dr. Nichols purchased Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic from Dr. Danna Haba in December of 2022 and is excited to continue the legacy of Excel as Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation!
He has a passion for teaching, lecturing, and research. Dr Nichols has a clinical interest in behavioral optometry, traumatic brain injuries, and optometric phototherapy. He has been selected to be an annual speaker at the Michigan Vision Therapy Study Group in Grand Rapids. Additionally, the College of Syntonic Optometry has invited him to speak at their international annual meeting. He continues to break the barrier about the importance of vision and lectures at meetings regionally, statewide, and nationally. If you are interested in having him lecture or present for you, please click the link for more information.
Dr. Nichols is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and
a Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
My Story
Dr. Aaron Nichols is a metro Detroit native and attended Ferris State University as an undergraduate. After graduating from Ferris in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, he enrolled at the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO). He graduated from ICO in 2018. At ICO, he became interested in binocular vision (eye teaming) and vision rehabilitation. There, he was an executive member of the Student College of Optometrists in Vision Development member. He was so eager to continue learning that he attended the national meetings in Jacksonville, FL, and St. Louis, MO, for the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. This eagerness led him to pursue options of residency programs to improve his knowledge and skills in vision therapy, rehabilitation, and vision development.
In July 2018, he was matched with a private practice residency in Connecticut affiliated with the State University of New York School of Optometry. The residency program focused on all areas of vision rehabilitation, including but not limited to autism, traumatic and acquired brain injury, pediatric vision, strabismus and amblyopia, and neurodegenerative disorders. As part of the program, Dr. Nichols was required to provide a COPE-approved (continuing education credits) lecture. He decided to lecture on the importance of the visual system and traumatic brain injury. His passion for lecturing and learning more also led him to start a career in research.
Once he finished his residency, he moved back to Michigan to join Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel (Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic). After joining GLVR, Dr. Nichols pursued two fellowships. He became a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry in 2021 and a fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. The fellowship processes are post-graduate training and require additional years of training to complete. His FAAO distinction shows his dedication to practicing optometry within the guidelines of evidence-based medicine, as well as growing optometry through research of his own. His FCOVD distinction is board-certified in vision therapy, vision rehabilitation, and vision development, and it ensures he provides the highest level of therapy to his patients and continues to expand his knowledge in those areas.
His passion for research has grown since his residency days. He helped create the Optometric Phototherapy Investigator Team (O.P.I.T.). This team of doctors consists of private practice optometrists who have partnered with some of the optometry schools to help provide evidence and promote the use of optometric phototherapy. The team has published their first study in the Vision Development and Rehabilitation Journal and is currently assisting clinical trials at their private practices and at Ohio State University and State University of New York.
When Dr. Nichols is not working in the clinic, working on publications, or researching, he enjoys golfing, exercising, watching sports, and going for walks. In addition, Dr. Nichols enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, family, and friends.
Below are the links to Dr. Nichols research and publications:
1. Automated Functional Field Tester (FCFTester) Trends and Reproducibility - A Multicenter Pilot Study
3. Click to read from Dr. Nichols.
He is actively working on more research and publications! Please stay tuned...