Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel

01/09/2026

Our doctors will often recommend this book to parents, teachers and other doctors to help explain the connection between eyesight, education, and behaviors in children. It is a helpful resource to the following for these reasons:

TEACHERS - Discover a missing piece of the visual learning process. Help your students learn to see so they can see to learn. Reach those bright children who struggle to read. Understand the relationship between eye-teaming and stress in children.

PARENTS - Does your child struggle at school? Are they frustrated and have difficulty concentrating? Has your child been identified as having ADHD? Is your child on an IEP? Learn what else you can do to help them reach their potential.

DOCTORS- How does visual processing connect to ADHD and other learning challenges in children?

To get a proper diagnosis of your child's visual system we recommend a Complete Vision Evaluation here at GLVR. To learn more about this appointment please call our office and let our Patient Care Coordinator answer any questions you have about this type of appointment. Call us at 586-731-9725.

01/05/2026

At Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation, collaboration is at the heart of how we care for our patients.

We work closely with physicians, rehabilitation facilities, therapists, and nurse case managers to ensure every patient receives coordinated, comprehensive care. When providers communicate and work together, treatment becomes more effective — helping patients make meaningful progress toward improved function and quality of life.

We’re grateful to partner with so many trusted professionals who share the same goal: putting patients first and we look forward to continue working with them throughout the new year.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year from all of us at Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation!

12/31/2025

Join us in wishing Dr. Nichols a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY today! 🥳

12/24/2025

12/22/2025

🎁 Still looking for a few last-minute holiday gifts? Don’t forget gifts that support vision development! Simple activities can help strengthen important visual skills —all while kids are having fun. A gift that’s fun and functional is always a win and these are easy to grab while you’re out shopping!

12/18/2025

**THERAPY THURSDAY**

In today’s session, a patient practices saccadic (eye movement) exercises while incorporating movement. Recent studies suggest that including movement is beneficial for brain injury rehabilitation. Saccadic dysfunction affects at least 20% of patients with brain injury, significantly impacting daily activities, such as walking. Therefore, it is essential to integrate movement into saccadic training during rehabilitation.

To enhance engagement, a busy driving scene is displayed on the TV whenever the patient moves in a specific direction. These activities are personalized for each patient and aim to improve daily tasks outside the clinic, like grocery shopping or driving.

We encourage you to review the recent research, and please get in touch with us today if you are having difficulties navigating busy environments after your brain injury: 586-731-9725.

1. Office-based therapy with MOVEMENT:https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2025/09/30/bjsports-2025-109807.full.pdf
2. Poor saccades are correlated with slower gait velocity (walking slower):https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8602343/pdf/fbioe-09-701712.pdf

12/17/2025

Last night we gathered for our annual Christmas party and took a moment to truly celebrate. 💙 We celebrated another incredible year — one filled with teamwork, hard work, growth, new beginnings, and the moments in between that make it all worthwhile.

We kicked things off at an escape room, putting our teamwork to the test as we solved the case alongside Scooby and the gang to help the Baroness just in time (and yes… we nailed it! 😉). The evening continued with a wonderful dinner filled with games, great conversations, and so many laughs — the kind that remind you how special this group truly is.

A huge thank you to Dr. Nichols for treating us to such a fun and meaningful evening. Together, we make an incredible team, and last night was a beautiful reflection of the connection, dedication, and joy we share together every day. 🎄✨

12/08/2025

We get this question a lot — “Why don’t you accept insurance?”
These slides walk you through the reasons and show how even though we do not accept it, we’ve made it easy for you to still receive outstanding care, including possible reimbursement and flexible payment options. Your health and results will always come first at GLVR. 💙

12/01/2025

Learn Why Normal Vision Isn’t Always Functional Vision

“Normal vision” typically refers to having 20/20 eyesight on a standard eye chart. That measurement only tells us how clearly someone can see a single line of letters at a distance. But functional vision is much more complex—it’s how the eyes, brain, and body work together to make sense of the visual world in real time.

A person can have perfectly normal 20/20 eyesight and still struggle with everyday tasks like reading, focusing, tracking words on a page, judging distances, or handling the visual demands of school or work. That’s because functional vision relies on many skills beyond clarity, including:

Eye teaming (how well the eyes work together)

Eye tracking (how smoothly the eyes follow words or moving objects)

Focusing (how efficiently the eyes shift from near to far and maintain focus)

Depth perception and spatial awareness

Visual processing—how the brain interprets what the eyes see

If any of these systems are out of sync—often after a concussion, stroke, neurological event, or even without injury—people may experience headaches, dizziness, double vision, reading difficulties, poor balance, or overwhelming visual environments.

In other words, having 20/20 vision does not guarantee that your visual system is functioning properly. Functional vision testing looks beyond the eye chart to evaluate how your visual pathways support learning, balance, movement, and daily life.

That’s why at Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation, we assess both clarity and how the visual system performs as a whole—so we can uncover the root of symptoms and help patients reach their full potential.

If you are interested in learning more or have questions about symptoms that you or a loved one have been experiencing, we encourage you to speak with our Patient Care Coordinator who can help answer what questions you may have. Call our office today at 586-731-9725

11/27/2025

Sending warm Thanksgiving wishes to our patients, families, and community. May your day be full of gratitude, kindness, and moments that make your heart feel full. Happy Thanksgiving from ALL of us at GLVR🧡🦃

Our office will be closed Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th and will reopen Monday, December 1st.

11/18/2025

What if the problem isn’t effort… but vision? If this school year has felt like one long uphill battle — filled with frustration, arguments, or maybe even tears — you’re not alone. Many parents find themselves wondering why their bright, capable child suddenly struggles to keep up, loses focus, or avoids reading and homework altogether, causing a drop in their grades.

A child can pass a regular eye exam with 20/20 eyesight and still have hidden visual issues that make learning feel nearly impossible. When the eyes and brain aren’t working together properly, reading and schoolwork can become exhausting — not because they’re lazy, but because their visual system is working overtime.

These challenges can show up in subtle ways, such as:
✅ Skipping words or lines while reading
✅ Confusing similar letters (like b, d, p, and q)
✅ Rubbing eyes or closing one eye to focus
✅ Holding books too close or tilting their head
✅ Complaining of eye strain or headaches
✅ Trouble remembering or understanding what they just read
✅ Blurry or double vision during near work
✅ Fidgeting or appearing inattentive during homework

When these visual skills aren’t functioning properly, even simple schoolwork can feel overwhelming. Kids might start to avoid homework, lose confidence, or seem easily distracted — behaviors that are often mistaken for laziness, defiance, or even ADHD.

The truth? They may be trying as hard as they can… their visual system just isn’t keeping up.

The good news is, these visual processing issues can often be treated and improved through Vision Therapy — a customized program that helps retrain the eyes and brain to work together more efficiently.

Imagine your child reading comfortably, focusing longer, and finally feeling confident again at school. That’s what we help children achieve every day at Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation.

If your child has been struggling despite tutoring, effort, and encouragement, it may be time to look deeper. A comprehensive Vision Evaluation could uncover what’s really going on — and open the door to lasting improvement.

Call our office today and speak with our Patient Care Coordinator who is available to answer your questions and set you up an appointment that is convenient for your schedule. 586-731-9725.