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.

Is Your Child Working Twice as Hard for Half the Results? 📚✍️If your child is bright but struggles with reading or coord...
03/18/2026

Is Your Child Working Twice as Hard for Half the Results? 📚✍️

If your child is bright but struggles with reading or coordination, the "wait and see" approach isn't the answer. Often, the struggle isn't about effort—it’s about a shaky neurological foundation.

At the Academy of Vision Development, we don't just do "eye exercises." We use OMST (Optimized Multi-sensory Systems Training) to integrate the brain and body from the bottom up.

Real Results We See Every Day:
• Reading Fluency: Words stop "dancing," allowing kids to finally keep their place and understand what they read.
• Faster Reading Speed: When the eyes team up perfectly, the brain doesn't get exhausted by the second page.
• Handwriting & Fine Motor: Better body awareness leads to better pencil control and less frustration during written work.

Why We’re Different:
With over 40 years of experience in schools and behavioral optometry, we know that vision is a whole-brain system. We have helped countless children move from "struggling" to "thriving" by treating the root cause, not just the symptoms.

Your child's potential is waiting. Let’s build the foundation to reach it.

📞 Call us at 616-485-9804

20/150 to 20/40: When the Brain Finally "Sees" the Full Picture 👁️✨We often hear that once a child reaches a certain age...
03/17/2026

20/150 to 20/40: When the Brain Finally "Sees" the Full Picture 👁️✨

We often hear that once a child reaches a certain age, a "weak" eye is just something they have to live with. At the Academy of Vision Development, we know that’s simply not true. The brain is capable of change at any age.

Recently, we’ve been celebrating a huge milestone with one of our younger patients. When he first started with us, he could only see 20/150 in one eye. Even with the right glasses, his brain wasn't fully "plugging in" to the information coming from that eye.

How did we help him bridge that gap? Our In-Office Vision Therapy programs treat amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye turn). With home therapy activities built into the program, daily practice at home with weekly In-Office visits allow for neuro-genesis. We're building new neuro- synapses so the brain learns to use the two eyes together properly.
We didn't just do "eye exercises." We also used our flagship OMST (Optimized Multisensory Systems Training) approach to work from the bottom up. By integrating his gross motor and vestibular systems, we gave his brain a stable foundation.
Once the body felt secure, the brain was finally ready to "turn on" the visual processing required to see clearly.

The Results:
• Before: 20/150 (Significant struggle with daily tasks)
• After: 20/30 single letter and 20/40 full line!

This isn't just a change in numbers on a chart. It’s a change in this child’s life. He is happier, more confident, and his family is thrilled to see him engaging with the world in a way he couldn't before.

The REASON 20/40 (to 20/20) is the goal: God forbid something happens to his better eye, he will still be legal to drive a vehicle in Michigan if his poorer eye can AT LEAST see 20/40.

The Lesson:
"Wait and see" is not the answer. When care is treated in pieces, progress stalls. When we treat the visual system as part of a whole-brain, whole-body system, outcomes like this are possible.

We are so proud of this young man’s hard work and grateful to this wonderful family for trusting us with his care.

Bulging Squares. Can you believe it's made entirely of squares? The pattern tricks your brain into thinking the middle i...
03/13/2026

Bulging Squares.
Can you believe it's made entirely of squares? The pattern tricks your brain into thinking the middle is bulging toward you!
Taken at the Optical Illusions Museum in Chicago.

Optical illusions museum in Chicago! The colors you process depend greatly on the color of light with which you are seei...
03/13/2026

Optical illusions museum in Chicago! The colors you process depend greatly on the color of light with which you are seeing.

To God goes the glory, we just do what we're called to do to help people! I woke up this morning to this lovely text fro...
03/03/2026

To God goes the glory, we just do what we're called to do to help people! I woke up this morning to this lovely text from a previous patient:

Good morning!! My husband and I were chatting over the weekend about how differently things could have gone for Jack. He is really kicking butt in life and we know that without working with you, he wouldn't be this successful. We will forever appreciate you!

He is heading to Ford Field this weekend for the individual state wrestling finals!!!

But even more importantly, he is a great human who works hard and is just fun to be around. Again, I don't know if he would have had the same outcome without your help!

Thanks for being you! Just wanted you to know 😘

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

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

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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.