Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel est. 2004
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
Patient Testimonials
See what our patients are saying about their experiences at GLVR!
Great Lake Vision Rehabilitation Patient Testimonials
Addison came to us at 3 years old through Foster Care. Addison was drug addicted at birth and had suffered severe neglect and trauma. She was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and depression at 6 years old. In the sixth grade, having just moved to middle school, her grades and behaviors were suffering tremendously. That year she failed an eye exam at school. Her vision was OK, however her ocular nerves were not talking to the brain correctly. She had trouble "tracking line to line" and missing words while reading. She suffered through school hating reading and writing and struggled with comprehension. On her 12th birthday we met Dr. Nichols. The test revealed that strengthening her ocular nerves would greatly improve her vision system. After vision therapy provided by Dr. Nichols and his staff Addison has greatly improved her vision systems and is now excelling in school (straight A's this semester), she is doing well in school and her behaviors are improving daily. She really took control, stuck with all of the therapy, and stayed committed even during the at home program, I would say her persistence paid off and she is more confident and doesn't even mind reading out loud. She and I started reading out loud together a book called "Winning the War in Your Mind" and together we are learning how to overcome the lies we tell ourselves. She is a rock star and will do amazing things as she grows older! Thank you, Dr. Nichols, for putting Addison on a path of healing, not only her vision system but her confidence and self-esteem!
Dr. Aaron Nichols helped me improve my vision and coping skills. I suffered a medical emergency that impaired my vision and caused a 40% loss of vision. After going to two board certified ophthalmologists, no techniques were given to me for navigating my environment or cope with this affliction, until I saw Dr. Nichols. Fortunately, my physical therapist suggested Dr. Nichols because of great success with other people she has as patients. My nurse confirmed that their methods would improve my physical, mental, and self-care health and she was right.
I brought my six-year old son, Matthew, to NeuroExcel for an assessment due to concerns that Matthew was not yet reading. Matthew was diagnosed with moderate convergence insufficiency, mild accommodative insufficiency and severe saccadic dysfunction. He was also identified as having bilateral integration difficulties and retained infantile reflexes which played a part in behavior and impulse control issues. During initial assessment, he was unable to sit still to complete the entire set of testing. He was unable to blend sounds to form words. Completing both vision therapy and physical therapy for retained reflexes resulted in significant improvements in Matthew's attention and ability to perform activities for extended periods of time. He is now reading at grade level and is writing fluidly with little correction. He has gained confidence due to his expanding academic abilities. Further, since my son’s behavior has abated, it has greatly improved the dynamic of our house. I am forever grateful to Dr. Gietzen and Vision Therapist Stephanie for their expertise, patience, and perseverance in achieving a better quality of life my son.
Hi, I’m Lilly, and I want to share my journey with eye therapy and how it transformed my life. Before I started, I had really bad near-sightedness, slight tunnel vision, nystagmus, and astigmatism, which made it difficult to see clearly, whether I was reading, studying, or even just going about my day. It was frustrating and often affected my confidence, making school and everyday tasks more challenging than they should have been. That all started to change when I began working with Colleen, my incredible eye therapist. She introduced me to a series of exercises tailored to my specific needs, and through her guidance and support, I began to see gradual improvements. As my vision sharpened, so did my confidence. I could focus more in class, my grades improved, and I felt more engaged in life. Colleen’s expertise, patience, and dedication truly made all the difference, and I’m so grateful for the positive impact she’s had on both my eyesight and my overall well-being.
I had come to GLVR as a result of having a stroke and suffering with double vision. Needless to say, I was hoping to improve my condition. I was assigned to Dr. Damien Gietzen. After an extensive evaluation of my condition, I understood that with eye therapy consisting of specific eye exercises there could or would be improvement in my double vision.
Kevin was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication. However, his mother reported that over time nothing had changed, and she discontinued his medications. His mother was not sure if he truly had ADHD. He was behind in reading and English, which was attributed to his dyslexia. Because he could not read like his peers, he lacked confidence and had poor grades. On the other hand, he excelled in science and math, and was in advanced classes.
I presented to GLVR with the hope of improving my debilitating symptoms that were affecting my daily activities after being struck by lightning. I noticed substantial positive changes throughout my time at GLVR, and I feel so fortunate have found them on my path to recovery. I was referred here after countless doctor evaluations and months of various therapies. My goals were to improve my visual snow and other visual changes that left me feeling overwhelmed. I am incredibly grateful to have worked with Dr. Nichols, who consistently takes the time to learn about my symptoms and diagnoses. As someone with a unique injury who has seen many doctors, it felt like a breath of fresh air to work with someone who has extensive knowledge and stays updated on new approaches to my therapy. Their approach is not a “cookie-cutter” method, which I had experienced in the past. I was shocked and amazed at the improvements I noticed in areas beyond vision, including dizziness, headaches, and my writing and typing skills. These were all pleasant surprises and benefits to my therapy program. My journey is not complete, but I will always be grateful to Dr. Nichols and GLVR for helping me reach goals.
Kayla presented to GLVR after being prescribed prism glasses for 2 years. She had sudden onset double vision in the distance and was given prism to alleviate her double vision. Unfortunately, she liked to wear contact lenses but could not wear just contact lenses with the need for prism. Eventually her doctor referred her for a vision therapy assessment. She found GLVR and presented with the hope of eliminating her double vision and need for prism glasses.