Academy of Vision Development, PLLC

Academy of Vision Development, PLLC Behavioral Optometric Vision Therapy

Dr. Angela Martin, a Behavioral Optometrist, specializes in Neuro-Rehabilitation using OMST and Vision Therapy to help learning challenges, concussion symptoms and complex visual or sensory disorders.

The "Wait and See" approach isn't a plan—it's a gamble. When a child suffers a concussion, the standard advice is often ...
02/26/2026

The "Wait and See" approach isn't a plan—it's a gamble. When a child suffers a concussion, the standard advice is often "rest and wait." But what happens when the headaches, dizziness, and focus struggles persist for months—or even years?

A concussion doesn't just affect one "spot" in the brain; it disrupts the rhythm of the entire system. Vision, balance, and spatial awareness lose their ability to communicate.

This is where OMST changes the game.
At Academy of Vision Development, we use this flagship technology to safely reintegrate the visual, auditory, and vestibular systems.

We help the brain reconnect:
✅ Timing & Balance
✅ Eye Teaming
✅ Body Awareness

We are proud to be the only clinic in Michigan offering this neuro-rehabilitative approach. If your child hasn't felt "right" since their injury, there is a reason—and more importantly, a path forward. 💙

Is there an "Expiration Date" on Neurological Change? 🗓️🧠"Aren’t they too old for vision therapy?""Shouldn’t they have g...
02/25/2026

Is there an "Expiration Date" on Neurological Change? 🗓️🧠
"Aren’t they too old for vision therapy?"
"Shouldn’t they have grown out of it by now?"
"Is my child too young to start?"
These are some of the most common questions we hear at the Academy of Vision Development. As a behavioral optometrist and a teacher of over 25 years, we want to clear up the confusion: The brain does not have an "off switch" for learning.
The truth is, the brain can change at any age. This ability is called neuroplasticity—and it doesn't disappear when a child turns 7, 12, or even 50.
We meet our patients wherever they are in their journey:
• The Early Years: We work with children as young as 6 months to build a solid motor and visual foundation before they even crawl.
• The School Years: We help students who are struggling with reading, sports, or focus because their eyes aren't working as a team.
• Adulthood: We work with college students and adults who spent years believing their struggles were just "who they were."
Vision therapy isn’t about age.
It’s about giving the brain the right experiences, in the right sequence, to build new connections. When the visual system becomes integrated, tasks that once felt like a mountain to climb suddenly become natural.
It’s never too early to build a strong foundation.
And it’s never too late to improve how your brain and eyes work together.

Your Brain is Always Listening! 🧠👂As an educator for over 25 years, I’ve heard "I can’t" more times than I can count. Dr...
02/23/2026

Your Brain is Always Listening! 🧠👂
As an educator for over 25 years, I’ve heard "I can’t" more times than I can count.

Dr. Martin's favorite mantra? "NO self-deprecation!"

When a child’s eyes won’t track or a page of text looks like a jumble, "I can’t" feels like the truth.

But here is the neurological reality: Your brain will continue to repeat what you tell it.
If the internal dialogue is "I can’t," the brain stops looking for the pathway. It shuts down the search for a solution.

But when we shift to "I can try", we keep the door to neuroplasticity open.
In our clinic, we don’t just build visual pathways; we build belief and confidence.
• Every repetition of a home activity is a vote for "I can."
• Every small win integrates the system a little further.
• Eventually, the "I can try" becomes "I am able."

This week, help your child notice their self-talk. Words are the blueprints for the pathways we are building together.

Vision therapy is not about tricks. It’s about building new pathways in the brain.Every time a child’s eyes learn to wor...
02/22/2026

Vision therapy is not about tricks. It’s about building new pathways in the brain.
Every time a child’s eyes learn to work together… every time tracking becomes smoother… every time balance and visual focus improve… the brain is forming new neuro-synapses. That process takes repetition. It takes effort. And most of all, it takes time.
There are no shortcuts to real neurological change.
Progress isn’t always linear. Some days are easier than others. But when therapy is done with patience, intention, and integrity, those pathways become permanent—and that’s when life gets easier. Reading becomes more natural. Confidence grows. Frustration fades.
If you’re on this journey, find people who respect the process. People who don’t rush the brain, but build it the right way.
That’s what we believe in every day at Academy of Vision Development. ❤️
Because lasting change isn’t given, it’s built.

“Is watching videos on a phone in the car bad for my child’s eyes?”This is such an important question—and an honest one ...
02/21/2026

“Is watching videos on a phone in the car bad for my child’s eyes?”

This is such an important question—and an honest one that many parents are asking.

The car is one of the richest visual learning environments your child experiences every day.

When children look out the window, their visual system is constantly developing:
• Judging distance
• Detecting motion
• Using peripheral awareness
• Coordinating the eyes together in 3D space
• Connecting vision with movement

This is how the brain learns to understand the world.

A flat screen cannot provide that same experience.

Screens are 2D. The real world is 3D. They need to learn more about the 3D world by being wholly engaged in it. Actively watching for bicycles, pedestrians, animals, motorcycles and other vehicles helps them learn to pay attention to those things when they become drivers.

When kids spend car rides looking down at a device instead of out the window, they miss thousands of tiny visual lessons their brain is designed to learn.

These moments help build the foundation for driving a car and also:
• Reading
• Attention
• Coordination
• Confidence
• And overall visual-brain development

We understand there are occasional situations—long flights or special circumstances—but as a daily habit, protecting this real-world visual time is incredibly valuable.

Sometimes the best thing for their vision… is simply letting them look outside.

— Academy of Vision Development

Integration is where vision therapy comes to life.Vision isn’t just about the eyes. It’s about how the eyes, brain, and ...
02/17/2026

Integration is where vision therapy comes to life.

Vision isn’t just about the eyes. It’s about how the eyes, brain, and body communicate—reaction time, peripheral awareness, eye tracking, teaming, focus, coordination, and the vestibular system all working together as one.

That’s why the most powerful therapy starts with the individual. When we tap into what someone loves—sports, movement, or play—we can strengthen these systems in a way that’s meaningful, motivating, and lasting.

Because when the system is integrated, performance isn’t forced… it emerges.

— Academy of Vision Development

Some things on this door are more than paper hearts. ❤️Each name represents a story. A child who struggled to read with...
02/14/2026

Some things on this door are more than paper hearts. ❤️

Each name represents a story. A child who struggled to read without headaches. An athlete who finally trusted their body again. An adult who got their confidence back.

Vision therapy is personal. It takes trust, hard work, and courage. And somewhere along the way… patients stop feeling like patients and start feeling like family.
We celebrate every step, every breakthrough, and every name on this door.

Happy Valentine’s Day to the families who trust us with their journey. You mean more to us than you know.

— Academy of Vision Development

If the foundation isn't stable, the most clear 'eyesight' in the world won't help a child track a line of text. We don't...
02/13/2026

If the foundation isn't stable, the most clear 'eyesight' in the world won't help a child track a line of text. We don't just check for 20/20 clarity; we look at how the whole body and brain work together to make sense of the world.

👁 Ocular Motor & Visual ProcessingThis is where the eyes and brain truly learn to work together.Ocular motor skills help...
02/10/2026

👁 Ocular Motor & Visual Processing

This is where the eyes and brain truly learn to work together.

Ocular motor skills help the eyes:
• track smoothly across a page
• jump accurately from word to word
• maintain focus without fatigue
• work as a coordinated team

Visual processing helps the brain:
• interpret what the eyes see
• make sense of letters and numbers
• improve attention and comprehension
• respond quickly and efficiently

When this layer is weak, kids (and adults) may struggle with:
• losing their place while reading
• slow or choppy reading
• headaches or eye strain
• poor copying or spelling
• difficulty with sports or reaction time

But when we strengthen these systems from the bottom up, everything above gets easier.

Because reading, learning, and performance don’t start at the desk…
They start with how the brain interprets the information from the eyes and then moves the body in response.

At the Academy of Vision Development, we integrate visual skills with auditory, balance and proprioception, to incorporate the whole neurological system — building skills in the right order so progress actually sticks.

Stronger foundation → better visual control → confident learning.

— Academy of Vision Development

💬 Does this sound familiar in your home?Why “sitting still” is actually a gross motor skill 🪑🤸‍♂️Does your child constan...
02/06/2026

💬 Does this sound familiar in your home?

Why “sitting still” is actually a gross motor skill 🪑🤸‍♂️

Does your child constantly wiggle in their chair… lean their head on their hand while writing… or seem a little “clumsy” on the playground?

It’s easy to assume it’s attention or behavior — but often it’s the body.

If posture, core strength, and coordination aren’t fully developed, the brain has to work overtime just to stay upright. Sometimes retained primitive reflexes are still driving movement behind the scenes, making it harder to sit still, keep the eyes steady, or focus on schoolwork. When the nervous system is stuck in “survival mode,” learning takes a back seat.

That’s why at the Academy of Vision Development, we don’t jump straight to eye exercises. We start with the foundation — integrating reflexes, building balance, and strengthening coordination — because when the body is stable, the eyes and brain can finally do their job.

Strong body → better vision → easier learning.

— Academy of Vision Development

Most people think vision therapy starts with the eyes.But it often starts with the body.Before the eyes can track smooth...
02/06/2026

Most people think vision therapy starts with the eyes.

But it often starts with the body.

Before the eyes can track smoothly across a page or focus comfortably in the classroom, the brain first needs stable posture, balance, and body awareness.

If a child’s nervous system is working hard just to stay upright or coordinated, there’s less energy left for reading, attention, and learning.

That’s why our approach to vision therapy begins from the ground up — strengthening gross motor control, balance, and spatial awareness first — so the visual system has a solid foundation to build on.

When the body is stable, the eyes work better.
And when the eyes work better, learning feels easier.

— Academy of Vision Development

You can’t put the roof on a house with no foundation. 🏠When a child struggles to read or an athlete misses their mark, w...
02/04/2026

You can’t put the roof on a house with no foundation. 🏠

When a child struggles to read or an athlete misses their mark, we often try to "fix" the eyes first. But vision is a whole-body system.

If the Gross Motor and Vestibular systems are shaky, the eyes have nothing to balance on.

At the Academy of Vision Development, we don't treat symptoms in pieces. We integrate the entire system—from the ground up—so that ocular skills and visual processing actually have a foundation to stand on.
Integration before performance. That is how we get sustained results.

Address

6617 Crossings Drive SE, Suite 102
Grand Rapids, MI
49508

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+16165417080

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Academy of Vision Development, PLLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Academy of Vision Development, PLLC:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category

Behavioral Optometric Vision Therapy

Academy of Vision Development is joyfully committed to helping patients reach their full potential and improve their quality of life!

We offer individualized Vision Therapy Programs to help each unique patient improve their visual efficiency and eye coordination, regardless of age or previous eye muscle surgeries.

AVD Vision Therapy is a holistic therapy that integrates Vision with other neuro-sensory systems including: auditory, vestibular, proprioception, gross and fine motor. We utilize the latest Vision Therapy research and technology, integrating retained primitive reflexes and incorporating real life-skills and patient goals for treatment of Vision Related Learning Problems, Concussions, Motion Sickness, Headaches, Strabismus and Amblyopia.