TEDxPioneerValley - Sue Barry - Fixing My Gaze
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2012
- Susan R. Barry, Professor of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts talks about "Fixing My Gaze."
"For most of my life, the last place I wanted to be was an eye doctor's office. I had been cross-eyed since infancy, and despite three surgeries, remained cross-eyed and stereoblind. Scientific dogma indicated that my visual deficits resulted from changes in brain circuitry that occurred in infancy and could not be reversed in adulthood. So, when I finally consulted a developmental optometrist and began optometric vision therapy at age 48, I took a significant risk. I had to think beyond the conventional wisdom, abandon old visual habits, and master skills that most children acquire within the first six months of life. As I began to straighten my eyes and see in 3D, I learned that the adult brain is indeed capable of significant plasticity. Rewiring in the adult brain requires the presence of novel and behaviorally relevant stimuli, the conscious abandonment of entrenched habits, and the establishment, through intense practice, of new ones."
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I just wanted to say a BIG THANKS for this TED Talk. When I watched it 3 years ago it COMPLETELY changed my life. I had no idea that I was stereoblind before seing this. It took alot of dedication but 6 months of convergence therapy I finally was able to see for the first in 3D using binocular vision. I recently saw Avatar 2. That was my very first 3D movie. I cried! :)
This video is so powerful in two distinct, but related ways!
First, it perfectly illustrates that science is the systematic process of asking questions and observing reality. It is not a process of creating facts or truths. Here Dr. Barry is, an expert in neurology, who has lectured and tested students on many theories, including the critical period, for years, treating some theories as though they were facts; yet she then finds herself discovering that this 'fact' of critical period is just a theory and that she herself is proof that it isn't quite as true as so many scientists have considered it to be all these years. She's trained her brain to use her eyes differently after decades of not using them in a way that makes detecting depth possible.
Secondly, it illustrates how hugely important it is to find out what vision problems or other physical or mental challenges a child has as early as possible and to try to figure out how to help that child to improve his or her vision (in this case, most other challenges apply here too) so that he or she can have better quality of life. Connected to the first way is that it shows that in some cases, it's never too late to find a solution to what has, to that point, been a life-long challenge.
I listened to this talk with tears in my eyes because I understand what she went through so well. I also grew up with double vision and dealt with all of the difficulties, challenges, and life-altering experiences that go along with it. I know that I would be a very different person today if I hadn't have had double vision as a child.
It took years of eye exercises (like the Brock String and others like Stereoscopic 3D glasses and targets therapy) from the time this was finally discovered in me at the age of five until I was about twelve years old before I could read fluently or catch a basketball on purpose (up until then, I learned through people reading to me, lecturing and books on tape, and if I caught anything, it was pure luck). There are so many things like double vision out there that can shape our lives. What we do about it is up to the people who care about us and ultimately once we are old enough to make our own decisions, up to ourselves.
I grew up struggling with depth perception, hand-eye coordination, making friends (because how do boys usually learn to get along? - through sports and games most of which I couldn't do), helping my family work on our ranch, etc. What I've come to learn finally, is that I may never be super good at any of those things that require good vision and coordination, but I do have strengths. Because I had trouble seeing the world, I focused more on hearing, smelling, touching and remembering it. My sense of hearing is so acute that I can hear when a fan in a computer case is starting to wobble its bearings are wearing out before my coworkers can. I can put my hand on the enclosure of a running hard drive (in this day and age of SD cards and SSD's fewer people know what I'm talking about, but I mean the ones with spinning platters inside) and tell from the vibrations it is making that it is about to fail, even before the computer screen starts showing error messages. I can hold a leaf on a plant between my fingers and tell if it is about to wilt days before it wilts. If I hear a song, or even a short story, more than once, I can remember the whole thing even days later. That really came in handy in school and church choirs since I couldn't read sheet music. I saw a jumbled mess of symbols and lines on the page, but I could remember the pianist playing the bass part and sing that part during a performance with other singers. Those are just a few examples.
I'm very glad that Susan has learned how to see in 3D. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to do! I don't take it for granted either. Thanks to my eye exercises, I can do it too now as long as my eye muscles don't get too tired. I know exactly what she means when she says that she felt her eye muscles moving. When I concentrate and consciously tell my eyes to look at something (yes, I still have to stop and think about what I'm looking at in order to see in 3D) I can feel those muscles working just like you can feel your arm muscles working when you lift a heavy barbell. I'm also glad that she had the courage to share this story with us. Good job, Susan!
Lesson for everyone she gives for learning. Minute 15;45. "Adult brain changes in response to active learning. You have to become self aware, you have to learn how to change old, maybe very entrenched habits into new ones. And these experiences have to be accompanied by a sense of novelty and a sense of accomplishment."
From what I can tell from her descriptions, her strabismus did not lead to amblyopia (loss of central vision in one eye) which is what most of us in this comments section are afflicted with. So her case is not as challenging as amblyopic cases. However, even amblyopes can regain normal vision (regardless of what most optometrists would tell them) through recently developed therapies that involve playing specially designed 3D games.
I second this comment, some docs will tell you there's no hope and that's just not true. There are ways to fix or at the very least make it better so keep looking until you find a doc who does this, they'll change your world!
I've been stereo-blind since 1965.
That was the last time 3-D glasses/ViewMaster worked for me.
Up to that point all was well, but right around '65.........no good.
As a result I developed a 'lazy eye'.
Surgery 30 years ago re-aligned them, but didn't fix my stero-blindness.
Been doing the Brock String every day during the shutdown.
3-D glasses now work for me!
I'd purchased 2 children's books (with 3-D images & glasses) a while ago.
Maybe 3 weeks ago I was wearing the glasses and looking at the images in one of the books (Thomas The Tank Engine) when I realized something was happening.
One of the characters seemed to pop-off of the page.
(Might have been Sir Topham Hat.........but I'm not sure....)
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I flipped though the book.....and characters in the other images appeared closer to me.
It was an "Oh.....my......God....." moment.
As the days went by entire images began to be raised from the page....as if I could put my fingers behind them.
I was alone in my basement, looking through the glasses and saying: "Wowwwwwww..............Look at this.......it's like I can grab it.........look at this......."
I was actually able to see those 3-D images again...............after 55 years.
I still use the Brock String every morning, and the 'X' is getting a bit closer each day.
Throughout the day I'll focus on a different object in the room and try to get both eyes to focus on it.
Before I take my last breath, I want to be able to see everything the way I did pre-1965.
ps. I'm 63 years old.
This is from 2012, now it's taught in optometry school that you can learn stereo outside of the critical period, and even in adulthood. Prognosis is greatly dependent on MOTIVATION. She had three eye surgeries to fix her strabismus.. now there is evidence that vision therapy BEFORE and after surgery will greatly increase the likelihood that your eyes will stay straight. There are still many old school doctors who will reject this notion, and many doctors that are learning the benefit of vision therapy for their patients.
This started happening to me last year and I'm 36...I feel my prognosis is much more dire. Life is short. Enjoy everything you can.
I just found her book, thankful for it, her journey, and sharing it here as a TED talk.
The exact same thing happened to me at 48. The opthalmologist ruled out everything as the cause and said my eyes were clear of all disease. I had strabismus surgery but I still have double vision. They gave me a prism and sent me home offering no other assistance to me. Thank you for this. I'm going to try this.
I was just told by my ophthalmologist that I need strabismus surgery. I have intermittent hypertropia (almost a combo of exo and hyper, because it's up and out at the same time), but it's only when my head is facing straight or down, if I tilt it up, my eyes can see together. I haven't decided if I should do the surgery or just try vision therapy. What was it like after the surgery for you? Any pain? Not sure what to expect. Also kind of worried they might accidentally overcorrect, and then I'll have a constant strabismus. Lots of doubts in my mind.
Do you have any improvements now?
I emailed this woman a few years back about creating a database to help people connect with resources and professionals who can help overcome this visual condition. She blew me off. You figure that she is a professor and is in the best situation to create such a database, even hire a work-study student to help her develop it and work with a national vision/eye foundation to maintain the database. I am 52 years old and have the same vision problem and also have complex childhood trauma to deal with. I am a civil engineer and am applying to take my professional engineer license. It is unfortunate that the older generations like her won't do more to help people in need when she is in a perfect position to do so. I Hope the younger generations understand that the older generations really don't help like they profess to do. Don't expect me to help you when you are old and feeble because I will be busy doing the work you refused to help me with.
The old lesson of mind over matter is proven again.
Amazing story, thank you for sharing it with us Professor.
I've been fascinated by Sue since her story first appeared in The New Yorker in 2006. I have a similar story to Sue, bring born with strabismus and having corrective surgery at age 5. Her story prompted me to vision one of Canada's 2 binocular vision clinics, at the Université de Montréal. After 3 hrs of testing, I was told I could never acquire 3D vision. Still, I watch this video in awe. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
This is not just about gaining vision, it's about the brain mission!
This video gives me so much hope. I started crying when she was talking about snowfalls. I hope I can train myself to fix my stereoblindness. I want to experience the world the way I was meant to.
Check on you tube Tatiana Gebrael, she has wonderful exercises there.
I wonder how you got on, I saw this was 8 years ago?
Any updates?
Do you wear prism?
This is probably my favorite TED Talk ever! Thank you for uploading this. I need vision therapy and as soon as my insurance will kick in, I will get vision therapy. I am also think of interpreting this talk to ASL. I will give you full credit for this video.
I am a big fan of Dr. Barry and what she has brought to the vision community. I am presently undergoing vision therapy and it's is just like she says you have to train your eyes to point at the correct space of an object. Having had strabismus since birth I did not know this could be changed. Let me tell you it CAN, but it takes literally an open mind and lots of hard visual therapy focus on achieving binocularity. It has changed my life and for this I am thankful to Dr Barry and Dr Hillier
Susan Barry is my hero! I read Fixing My Gaze two years ago and it inspired me to see a specialist after not having been to one in 15 years. I've had four surgeries, two as an infant and two when I was in my 20's. While my eyes looked "straight", I was still only using one at at time. Now I am 37 years old and my one eye wanders a lot. The specialist I am seeing now tells me there is no way the Brock's String works and says only surgery will help me. At the same time he tells me that I have too much scarring to perform another surgery and that I just have to live with it. After watching Susan's video, I want to give this string theory a shot and refuse to give up!
Darlene, you need to see an developmental Optometrist who does vision therapy at his/her office. That is what Sue did. You can find one on COVD.org. It sounds like you saw an Ophthalmologist, who performs eye muscle surgeries but is not trained in vision therapy. The brock string is just one of many activities you would do in a vision therapy program.
***** Thanks for the update DaLi! I will keep checking back to see when it is available! :)
Hope it went well
Wonderful Steffen, thank you so much! :)
But how's it going now? Are you still trying or not? I'm 27 yo and i've had 3 surgeries on my left eye and it doesn't look good after all. I'm trying to find a way to fix it with the exercises, but I hear the exact same things as you from doctors.
I got a little goosebumpy watching this. I can't even imagine seeing 3D. I'm going to make a brach string tonight! I had eye surgery at 6 months and have been stereoblind my whole life. My son has an eye turn, but o far he seems to be able to see 3D which I'm psyched about!
As a developmental psychologist and former faculty member, this Tedtalk content is amazing. Vision Therapy is indeed a neuroplasticity phenomena. There is hope for learning @ any age! Vision Therapy can help many people -- at any age learn more effectively.
One of the amazing things about Dr. Sue Barry is that she breaks through the myths and misconceptions about strabismus in such a powerful way...something that no one else in the history of modern medicine has ever been able to do.
Dr. Barry conveys the essence of vision that comes only from the experience that she herself has had in vision therapy treatment and then communicates that in a way that is so rare because it comes from her heart through her story.
Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D,FCOVD
This is excellent. Great to hear the explanations for the Broca string.
I will have to try these exercises! I can't imagine what it would feel like to experience 3D vision. I love how excited she got about her new way of seeing.
Did you have success?
I read Sue's book at 58 years of age, 10 years ago, and used the resources contained in the book (eventually) to find Leonard Press, the man who literally wrote the book on vision therapy. All my life, I couldn't see with both eyes at the same time - my brain would switch my vision from one eye to the other multiple times a minute, which caused great trouble in school with learning, comprehension and reading music... don't get me started about sports! Unlike Sue, I had no surgeries - I'm certain, if my dad was here - he'd likely admit that he refused to pay for surgeries when we discovered my eye problem at 6 years of age. We just did eye patching, which corrected my lazy left eye's placement but did nothing to help seeing in stereo (3d).
Almost 10 years ago, I called Press's office and, shortly after, began the 64 half hour sessions required. At my 7th session, they worked me so hard that I walked out into the lobby in 3d in a big way! Everything was darker, denser and so dimensional that it took my breath away. I walked out side and saw trees and traffic in 3d for the first time. A hand full of sessions later I again went deep into 3d and stopped off at a mall to walk it off, afraid that driving in 3d might be a problem. I walked thru a gaggle of 6 older women and felt claustrophobic - I've bee in a crowd of 100,000 people at a concert and never felt that way. I walked to the edge to look down at the lower level and felt vertigo... I've never had a sense or fear of heights. When I did chance driving in 3d a couple of sessions later, it was an amazing feeling - like flowing down a stream in perfect control.
I worked thru the 64 sessions, a good many I attended 2 at a time (they keep the sessions short for kids, who make up the majority of their clientele), and my vision only got stronger. I did the Brock string exercises as well as others - stereoscopic photos and everything I could. I did the nightly "home work." Prior to gaining 3d vision, 3d movies looked the same to me with the glasses and they did without - a grainy mishmash of green and red. I learned to avoid 3d movies - the effort it took just trying to see anything, 3d or not, brought great stress-induced migraines. I didn't have 3d vision when "Avatar" came out looking forward to seeing the sequel in 3d. Aside from meeting my wife, putting the effort in to gain 3d vision was the best thing I've ever done for myself.
Congrats. I need this in my life
Hmm.. The woman in the video said she saw double images.. I do not (at least I think so) 🤔still, I can not properly see 3D movies.
Wow , im excited . I need string a and a bead. My left eye looks skyward . Funny , if i cover my right eye , my left looks straight out, but i noticed when i took my hand away, my right eye was looking down, when my right eye is uncovered it looks straight out , but left eye then rolls up !
, almost as if they refuse to work together .. i need more info on the string excercises .
@@akilolostreet2424 Sounds like your brain is moving them to prevent double images... Just like mine did with the lazy left eye (also, my brain turning off one eye at a time). Take a look at the resources in the back of Sue's book - it took me a meeting with a non-believing ophthalmologist (told her she obviously wasn't my advocate and bailed) and a few more calls before I called the Optometry Dept. at SUNY, where I spoke to a very nice doctor who said she and the students could help... and then she said "Don't you just want to see the guy?" I asked who that might be and she gave me Leonard Press's Family EyeCare info (northern New Jersey). She said he literally "wrote the book" and ran the ocular dept. there for 5 years. It was a fascinating journey over the next 6 months.
@@gregvoth3903 i am trying the string thing. Im not sure how to do it myself, because u have to hold one end, and move the bead ...i tied it to a doorknob ...but she had it 14 feet. Thanks for info
I'm 30 years old and was diagnosed with amblyopia when I was 14. Even though the tests I took in gradeschool showed that I had two vastly different visions they dismissed it as me goofing off because I never complained about a lack of vision. I've been unable to see in 3d my whole life and have never learned to drive because of it.
My vision has been getting worse and worse as I get older and everything I've heard was that the only treatment for this condition was early detection and I was too late for that.
I started crying when I heard your story about being able to see in 3d. I'd probably start crying if I ever got to see in 3d myself. To see the world the way everyone else does.
Michael Freeman are you there?
are you able now tu see in 3d??
@@lbg-ij3hn I have not done anything to correct this. I did hear about a program that can help train my eye to see in 3d through virtual reality but when I applied covid hit which basically shut it down. I should really look into it again.
@@michaelfreeman3189 i'been reading about some exercices, and there is an easy and cheap one called The Lazy Eye Tetris which you can play with any 3d glasses
if you start playing could you respond to ths comment telling me if have worked
@@lbg-ij3hn I believe that's what the program i was looking up would do. But with an headset instead of glasses.
She is truly inspirational. She gave me hope and so I started amblyoplay. I am 44 and I have been on Ambloplay for 1 month. I just went for a glasses prescription yesterday 5-25-2021. For the first time in my life, they have written me a prescription for my Amblyopic eye. They believe it will get me to 2020 in that eye. The glasses are in the mail.
Update---more failure. A perfect prescription will not fix amblyopia.
I have amblyopia as well and I can tell you that the glasses alone won't fix things. What the glasses do are take an image and make it larger so you can see it more easily, but in doing that (because we have different prescriptions on each eye) our brain is getting two different images from each eye that it's unable to layer together, forcing it to have to pick an eye to see out of and shutting off the other eye. In fact some eye doctors will just keep giving you stronger and stronger glasses and it can make a huge mess. If you can try to find an eye doctor that does therapeutic vision care, I swear it will make a world of difference and you'll see the world like you've never seen it before. Don't let them tell you there's no hope or it can't be corrected, it can, just not with glasses
Great video. I just love Sue. I've had strabismus surgery today on both eyes, I think that this will be one of the best things that I'll ever do for myself. Thanks Sue!
How did surgery go? I'm thinking about it.
I feel like this will change my life because I always hated my eyes because I couldn't and can't see people directly into their eyes, and I'm crying because I will be able to love my eyes and I'm 23
Me too I switch between which eye I’m using
@@D1llt3r I always thought it was only me
no name nope im with you, hopefully this can help everyone like us fix our vision 😭
how are you doing now?
@@sixteenninenine1614 good I guess I haven't tried it yet
A great talk, thank you for sharing!
this is amazing, im in middle of trying to deal with issues surrounding eyes and driving
Visual Therapy needs to be treated as a proper science in a lot of countries still... hope this topic continues to get the attention it deserves.
Amazing. No other words!
OMG.....this gives me so much hope for my Godson. Thank you for this testimony.
You just saved my life today. With hope I am going to find a doctor who is trained in these therapies and maybe at 60 get my vision acuity back
In 2013 I started my Vision Therapy (VT) and it changed my life. This video helped me in the time I found out about VT and when I could afford it. Thank you TEDx and Sue Barry.
So expensive!
@@YHWH101 Yes it is expensive and many insurance plans don’t cover it. But it is worth it. Plus when you pay so much for each session you are more willing to do the exercises that you are asked. With insurance people are less likely to do what is asked of them.
Thanks for your splendid and generous no pun meant observations!
I feel I have a similar problem.
Given the lack of depth of vision.
There is also the problem o looking for something.
With little or no depth, such as it's in the fridge. All one sees is the frontal image of the fridge.
Really there is no depth.
As a child it's so frustrating to be told to look properly!
Thanks for you terrific discovery!
I have 3D vision, and like most people, I take it for granted most of the time, but I have learned to take note of it, to enjoy it as the amazing phenomenon it is. I'm sure my experience is not as vivid as Susan Barry's when she first started seeing stereoscopically, but it is wonderful nonetheless, to see the faucet arcing toward me, to see the branches of trees occupying space. Touch and hearing are equally awesome when we learn to pay attention to them, to not take them for granted.
I too suffer from amblyopia. I had an idea just the other day.
I thought, if I rely on my left eye to look in, what if I patch off half of my vision field of that eye, and so I did. When I looked up and around, I was amazed at what I saw. The spacial recognition was almost too much. I started laughing in amazement
Thank you amazing!
thank you!
Thank you!
So nice an experience, so unique!
Sue,
I am so happy for your success in finally being able to see in 3D.
You are an inspiration to those coming after you with the same issue.
I have my own issue that I am compelled to share tonight after watching your video.
This is to give hope to so many out there who are suffering from a brain injury.
In Dec of 2007 (it is now Aug 2016) I was in a horrific double explosion. Was I in the military you ask yourself?
Surprisingly, no. I was just your average, able bodied, construction contractor, certified teacher in Technological Engineering ( The first and only to graduate that year in ND AND the only female in the entire state, also one of very few women with that degree throughout the entire US at that time), adult education instructor, to include how to use tools safely, how to speak Spanish and to teach others newspaper advertising salesperson, parts salesperson for car and truck parts, then marine parts and then for manufactured and modular homes, school bus driving,
As someone who has had strabismus since birth (I'm now 24), I've never experienced stereovision. This talk was very inspirational though. I'll be going in for eye surgery in 6 days time in an attempt to correct the worst of my condition, and this video has definitely given me something positive to grasp on to.
Now, ten years after, do you see in 3D?
Very inspiring!
Let me cover double vision in the distance after cataract correction of myopia that had been corrected with a diverging lens for so long. Both eyes should point at what is being looked at. If a dominant left eye points at an object and the second right-eye points to the left of the object, there's double vision, the object being to the right of where the right eye points. The effect is to see a second image of the object to the right of the one the dominant eye is on. (100% sure.) "Muscle-memory' must be how the bead-string works that's a term used in piano lessons.
Doctor Berry, a set of glasses that obscure vision of a non-dominant eye periodically may help. The non-dominant would be found to be looking the wrong way every time that that lens becomes clear, it would then learn to shift to the object of interest. The dominant eye not being obscured, would stay locked on the object. Please send this to people to check if it will work.
Very interesting. I find it very moving when she says the sink faucets were sticking out at her but the audience laughs. But then I've never had stereo vision and I was born before Jack Kennedy was shot.
This women is wonderful. I can testify to this as a strabismus sufferer. I've gained some 3D from having none at all using a Virtual Reality program.
This is really inspiring to me, as a young scientist with strabismus. While I plan to go into microbiology rather than neuroscience, I really identify with her story. I hope one day I will be able to make this life improvement too!
please Olivia. Find some treatement. Its really hard to survive with it.
Wow! So glad I stumbled on this video. I can relate so much! I've had Strabismus all my life, in fact both of my eyes drift. I'd love to have some ideas/thoughts on what people think about vision therapy!! I don't have double vision, but I need to learn how my eyes work. Suggestions please!
For the most part I can control it (Until I get tired then I can't) but my left eye is more dominant. As a result I've learned how to do things differently. If something's on the left side of my body, I use my left eye, my left hand to do it. Same with the right side. As a result, I have similar strengths in both eyes, but my right is a tad weaker. And while I've had surgeries it has taken a toll on my confidence and presentation. I really can't stand to look people in the eyes when I talk because I'm self conscious at what they'll see and honestly people can be extremely rude about having "crossed eyes".
I have wanted to see 3D my entire life and I can relate so much! The first time after my surgery last year when both eyes moved at the same time to look at something, I burst into tears. But that didn't fix the vision part, just the muscle alignment. I want nothing more than to see a single snowflake for once in my 25 years.
Hi Patricia,
Glad you got your eyes straight.
Actually I'm suffering from the same problem i.e, I hv Ambloypia. I can see clearly with my right eye and my left eye is dominant. Do you hv some suggestion.
Both of you guys habe situation similar to
'transient alternating strabismus, with one eye slightly more dominant than other'
Above is exactly the problem i have
I have 3d vision, both of my eyes are aligned,
Bit only when I'm not consciously paying attention, one of my eye wanders outward.
When I work on screen, my dominant eye does all the work,
If i observe carefully, i realise subtle frustration due to same.
I have started doing brock string method from today, recommend you guys to do it too
@@shashwatpuri6182 any updates??
Hi everyone, I just want to comment as someone who has had to deal with exactly what you all have had to deal with and done therapeutic vision care/vision therapy. I swear by vision therapy and I think it's the best thing that ever happened to me. I did it when I was younger and they got my weaker eye so strong that I no longer classified as a person with amblyopia. I did have trouble later in life again after an accident but I'm back in vision therapy and it's going amazingly well. If any of you can I really really would say give it a try, it will change your whole world. I didn't realize I hadn't seen in 3D in years until a few weeks into the therapy. I went into my doctor thinking something was wrong "I feel like things a pop-ing out at me! I feel like I'm walking around a pop-up book" and then he told me "Congratulations, you're seeing in 3D" it was such an amazing moment
I don't have the problem she describes myself and have alwys had normal vision but i'm captivated by her description of what it's like to see the world in 3D for the first time.
Great talk. I have just started doing the Brock exercises....and am looking forward to strengthening my eyes!!!
any updates bro ?
Thank you🤍🤍
I'm almost the same age born, similar history of eye correction. Didn't learn I was absent binocular vision (to use the original term for it) until my late 30's. I have a trace of 3d-vision in my periphery. The expert eye-doctor then also told me it was incurable. Happy to have come across Mrs Barry's book via a Aleph-Beta course suggestion. Starting the retraining today.
Just to note I believe my mono-vision had a number of impacts: Creating 3d mentally at higher brain levels takes huge brainpower. Thus overall I have a more powerful brain. I ALWAYS work my way into any problem, intellect or tactical, by circling in on it, that is I CRAVE PERSPECTIVE, the big picture. Co-workers tell me 'get right to the point'. That's the kind of approach 3D enabled people take, as to them the "point" always stands out. I only see it in reference. I always took my eye of the ball in Little League, the worst advice, for me, the 2D visioned, was to keep my eye on it! I was a failure at tennis, but curiously great at racquetball, but only when playing on white walled and lined courts. When the club tournament level got towards the finals, that meant the transparent walls, far less 2D cues, and I'd lose. It was so frustrating! AND I CRACE TO DRIVE FAST. VERY FAST. DANGEROUSLY FAST. (That took a lot of retraining and ownership of cars that do not go fast to correct.) Fast driving makes the 2-D cues much stronger. I also learned to mentally model every other vehicle in the driving lanes in the front or mirror. This is very helpful to someone lacking 3D vision. My worst driving situation: bumper to bumper, cattle shoots, in rain. VERY FEW 2D cues. Absolutely stressful to me. Far more than all the 3D folks.
The biggest impact is in the sense of and need for perspective. 2D vision forces that. I have to think differently, I simply can't follow the herd.
This is very interesting, thank you for sharing! What you describe about brain power and mental precision reminds me of my husband, who also has never seen in 3D.
Exactly the same feeling here!
Great presentation on the power of brain adaptation. Popular dogma ain't necessarily so!
I have mild strabismus (turning in of one eye) which developed into amblyopia (the brain essentially shutting off input from the one misaligned eye in order to prevent seeing two disparate images), similar to Dr. Barry. Her story has been familiar to me and many since it first appeared in the New Yorker 8 years ago, and then we read her book. Vision therapy of course requires diligence, and compliance is where most who attempt it fall short. It's also quite costly. The concepts are simple, so...
Moral of the story, doctors tell you things with great certainty that may not be true. Shocked :)
True, lot's of arrogance going on medicine
Doctors are mostly educated to keep their license, not discover new things. That means being able to parrot what's in the textbooks. They can't be liable for going by the book.
This is great I would like to do these therapies
Super exciting
Its sickening that Optometrist still say Vision Therapy does not work and just want to do surgery! I read and watch real life stories like this all the time. I actually had to explain to my daughters Optometrist what vision therapy is and syntonic light therapy is and she laughed. I almost believed her that Vision Therapy didn't work but I am glad I pursued VT. My daughter is 8 and developed intermittent exotropia of her eyes at 4. I wish insurance would recognize that Vision Therapy is necessary and that surgery is just cosmetic. I have now paid of over $8,000 out of pocket in the past year for VT and will have to continue to do so until my daughters eyes develop binocular vison and 3D.
8k is the going rate for a year of vt
I wished I could see the world in 3D. I don't really 'suffer' from stereoblindness as it does not cause any kind of pain or strong deprivation, but there are so many situations where I recognise what's missing. I practice fencing and getting into the right distance to attack is absolutely vital in this sport, I'm crap at it. Then there are the incredibly fast moving blades, sometimes saddens me to see how disadvantaged I am compared to other people, even if they have less experience.
I am medical student and I have the same condition, one day , i will discover a cure for that and i will present it on TEDx ,,insha'allah
Do you get any cure yet?
I have amblyopia:(
well.?
@@sole9ify LOL
She showed you the cure 9 years ago! The fact that you weren’t able to see it tells me that you might have a much worse condition than you think!
This is very interesting to me as well. I lost full vision in my left eye at 17 years old due to damage to my optic nerve. I had already learned to navigate the world , i.e. catch a ball and drive a car (for 6 mos!), etc.
I supposedly don't have 3d vision now (impossible without two eyes), however it didn't affect my ability to do these things much. In fact (though I have nothing to gauge against but memory) I still feel like I see in 3d - can differentiate between near and far objects. I still drive (at 47) and have never been in an accident. I don't have full peripheral vision on my left. I turn my head slightly to compensate (for my nose!).
Perhaps my brain had already learned. My non-functioning eye still dilates/moves according to what the working eye is doing.
The brain is amazing.
myradioon so your blind eye doesn’t go outward it moves with the other?
"A research team led by Dr. Robert Hess from McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) has used the popular puzzle video game Tetris in an innovative approach to treat adult amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye”. By distributing information between the two eyes in a complementary fashion, the video game trains both eyes to work together, which is counter to previous treatments for the disorder (e.g. patching). Published in Current Biology."
After Retinal Detachment, and having a scleral buckle in place for over a year, and finally removed, I had sever double vision. I had strabismus surgery, but have had to re-train my brain to use both eyes. These techniques are really helpful, as well as some other therapies. I'm a believer!
So inspiring! Can you pls tell hoe much time it took?
Exacte same sensation here. I'm getting an eye chirurgy in a few month and I will train this every day after that until I'm cured. I have never wanted anything this much in my entire life.
Hi are you done it how it is now?
@@mediakayitana9409 Funnily enough, I took orthoptist sessions and she so strongly told me not to do it because it could cause double vision that I gave up =/
Today you gave me hope to seek out a doctor proficient in these therapies who may help this 60 year old regain 3D visual possibilities
I love the way she described this whole.
I'm 20 and suffering from Ambloypia (Lazy Eye). Doctors hv denied. Do you guys hv any suggestions for me? please help me. I am depressed.
exercises are on yt
(cont. from below). I believe the guidance and structure of professional vision therapy is perhaps overemphasized today, and that thousands are going untreated due to a) lack of awareness regarding the plasticity of adults in retraining, and b) costs involved for professional VT. With the groundbreaking new study from McGill (April 2013), it's becoming clear that new technologies can vastly simplify and more effectively treat stereoblindness. I would like to see new approaches made available.
Susan, thank you so much for your story! Did you just complete in office therapy and home exercises, or did you also try the computerized therapies? My doctor just started me on a computerized vergence program. It's much slower going than I had hoped though! How long until you started seeing/feeling results? Either way, glad to hear it is possible for an adult!
Jess, computer only programs have a lot of limitations. A big part of vision is its relationship to your vestibular system and motor systems. Computer programs do not address that. Find a doctor board certified in this area on this website: www.covd.org. Best of luck!
Every film I've wanted to see in the last 4 years has only come to town in 3D. New Blu-Ray players and televisions are in 3D. I never learned to catch a ball and found more pleasure in books than the "real world" because in books I could experience a far richer world than the "flat" world I live in. A natural academic I suppose. Still, I get a lot out of photography and 2D film since it seems the same as everything else.
My wife has a similar condition. She also can't see through both eyes at the same time. I don't think she has crossed eyes but one pupil is bigger than the other. Having her drive the car is a scary experience. I'll be researching this further.
Is the bigger pupil on the dominant eye?
An eye doctor told me I have monofixation syndrome. I tried the string trick, I see no crossing. I can willingly switch my focus from one eye to the other, so I only see one string and bead. I don't know if staring at the bead with one eye or the other will ever cause me to see them crossing with both eyes. Seems kinda pointless to me at the moment.
Where can I find that string with beads? I'm desperate to improve my gaze.
I suffered from the exact same problem for some time, and i have tried so many things and currently i have went through multiple surgeries and trying to fix this issue for good.
I got cured from getting cupping on my head alhamdulillah
@@Somalia91 Şaşılıktan mı hacamat ile kurtuldunuz
key point however: she was able to see the crossed string from the start of doing the Brock string exercises (ie when she first focused on the near bead). How do you induce eye convergence when you can only see a single bead and a single string?
So you dont have any vision in your weak eye?
I'm curious too. I did have eye surgery at 6 months on my left eye.
Hey Amy, Did the surgery help when you grow up? I heard when you had surgery before you turn 1, it helps eyes to gain normal binocular vision. Can you please share your experience?
Using the brock string, but I keep seeing just one bead/string, no x :(
When I switch the eyes the bead and string moves. Am I using it wrong? How do I direct both my eyes to the bead? Should I just keep switching eyes? I want to see 3D so bad! Any ideas?
Firkloveret use an eyepatch on your strong eye to force the weak eye to catch up
I too have this kind of vision.. But I don't see every single thing in 3D, the trees I do!! I can see a tree in distance or close by while passing by or while standing still in 3D..
+Ravi Parthasarathy If you would like to improve your vision, please contact me at doctorstern@gmail.com and I will suggest someone to see near you.
Tinha como colocar a legenda em portugues? Por favor
This is a old video but I am about to start therapy. Just curious how long it took for you to get 3d vision?
how’s v t going?
10:50 could anyone tell how much time did it take her to get her initial 3d vision? I'm suffering from the same condition.
Just out of curiousity, have you ever had eye surgery to correct the strabismus? I too have strabismus (since birth) and it developed into amblyopia but have never had surgery to align my eyes, I want to know whether vision therapies would still work even on uncorrected eyes.
Yes, vision therapy works. My son has amblyopia and we found out when he was seven in a half years old. We started vision therapy 6 months ago and now he is 8 years old now. We are still not where we want to be, but we have seen much progress through vision therapy in the past 6 months since we started. We will continue with the therapy. Sue Barry's story gives me inspiration and I am not giving up as a Mom. I am determined to help my son get there.
Hello I was wondering if this would work for me. My eye turned in when I was a baby I had surgery when I was 2 I should have went back when I was 5 I never did. I went back had surgery when I was 25 surgery went well my eyes were great for a long time. About 7 years ago my eye I had surgery now goes out and it seems to be getting worse. I wonder if this would work for me. I just bought the book.. Thanks
Heidi Smith Dear Heidi, If you like, write to me at stereosue@gmail.com and let me know where you live. I can ask optometrists I know well for a good developmental optometrist in your area. These are the clinicians with expertise in binocular vision and vision therapy. All best, Sue Barry
Theres a story about a guy who made a pair of glasses that made evrything appear upside down. He wore the glasses all the time for several months after which he had become so accustomed to an upside down world, when he REMOVED the glasses he saw everything UPSIDE DOWN. Thankfully putting them on again he saw the world right side up.
I dont know if its true...
(cont from below). After years of hearing Stereo Sue's "wow" story...it's all but lost its novelty now, and I would hope to see her, as a figurehead who has brought widespread awareness to stereoblindness, become involved in democratizing and making readily available the treatment, developing therapies in conjunction with new technologies based on recent research to help those who suffer. Vision therapy is not magic. It's been years since her publications (New Yorker, her book). What's next now?
I wish this lady had been my teacher
They found me ambylopia at early age ,but i never used to wear my glasses.However are this exercises helpful ,can they build my abillity to see normal with my lazy eye.From the moment when i found my left eye is lazy i don't think there is much change in the diopters i mean i can still read if the letters are larger i can see stuffs but its verry blur...(sorry for bad english it's not my main)
Spread if there is hope for people like us (Not interested in any lazer surgery)
Kindly help me out , I have gone through surgery 3 years back, now I want the stereovision by doing these excercise, it is possible for me in the age of 28 years ?
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story!
I can not see in stereo, but once I went to a 3D movie where they had these electronic shutter glasses, and these films don't look different for me, just like 2D ones. But this was different I had to take the glasses of several times cause it was so strange! It only worked with the electronic ones though. (I went to other 3D movies with the family-it didn't work for me)
There was some confetti in the movie and it was between me and the screen! It was like in the air! I am still super excited about experiencing that. It was the only time ever.
And I asked several people if that is how the world looks. Like in a 3D movie, where stuff is just in the air coming to you. :D but many said no in the movie it's different. (They probably didn't really understand what I was experiencing)
But now I saw your speech and it makes me super happy! Because what you described about objects floating in the air was what I had moments of during the movie.!
I want to look into vision therapy now. It seems awesome! And the part about the snow! Oh god I love snow. It must be even more beautiful then.
Thank you a lot for this speech and you did a great job!
Annika
I had to wear eye patches, and glasses as a child, until I had surgery in primary school. I spent a LOT of time in the "Sehschule" (the paediatric ophthalmologist is called seeing school in German) but they never told me about the possibility to train the eyes and brain to see 3D.
Annika Vogel Dear Amika, Send me an email at stereosue@gmail.com and let me know where you live. I can ask optometrists I know well for a good developmental optometrist in your area (even outside the US). Shutter glasses, like the ones you had in the movie, switch the image so rapidly from one eye to the other that they may prevent one eye from being able to suppress the other. This may help explain why you were able to see some 3D. All the best, Sue Barry
Annika Vogel the VT doctors are only just experimenting with this. It is amazing that it too so long for even the behavioral doctors to accept their equipment was outdated and a bit tedious. There is another young man who has surgery but VT di dnot work. He created a VR game called Diplopia game www.diplopiagame.com/ . He has a tedx talk as well. He is in the research phase now of seeing if he was just a rare case or if it works for more. Of course the VT doctors are going to charge you to use this in their office but his original plan was to make it available to all. Now scared by legal, he said they are working on a scaled down version. This would be different than shutter glasses. That is another one a few VT people have invested in. They can control the flashing rate and make you draw or trace. It makes me wonder why other active glasses for computer or TV could not be used and why one should pay the rates they charge. In my state they charge $150 per 30 min once or twice a week for 9 months after the initial $1200 screening to tell you if they can help or not. Then I read stories of people doing this for 3 years running and paying all that time but no fix. I just want to meet other adults that never had surgery and it worked.
Well what they meant when they said it's bit the same in the movies is that the movies is a little bit exaggerated (or at least it's what it feels like to me) like the objects travel further than they normally would but apart from that it's basically the same. I do not know what your eye condition is but I hope one day you will be able to see in stereo :3
Susan Barry thank you very much! (Sorry for the late answer!)
What if your bad eye only has limited vision? Like being half blind. The only way I can describe the type of vision I have in the misaligned eye is that I see the way you would peripherally out your side vision, except I see that panoramicalley around the whole field of vision in that one eye. Can you still fix it? The vision AND the alignment? 😕
Ive never seen anyone describe the vision problem so accurately. I also realized that my left eye sees everything, including the part i focus on, the same way my right eye would see the side vision that im not focusing on, which is basically just unclear but not blurry. So its like the central vision that is bad, at least i dont notice any problems in my peripheral vision.
Hi Susan,
I live in England UK, and am a long term sufferer of a lazy left eye. I am 29 years old and have had several "corrective eye surgeries". The first time i had it done i had a turn in the left eye that would go outward a little.
The surgery made my eye stable for a more straighter look but a slight inward turn.
ive have had surgeries since as the turn inwards would get worser.
Currently i had one last year and its worse than ever - because of surgeries i have scarring etc that makes my restricted in movement thus my double vision gets worse.
in certain positions ive always been able to see single images but that was very specific, otherwise its double vision. Now theres very tiny positioning where id see one vision.
Id like to know is it that simple to train my eyes to work together? even 1 lazy eye that has very poor vision like i can see detailed very close only ? what technique would work?, urgh this problem has always destroyed my life, my confidence, taking pictures of my self everything just wish there was some hope to get towards a sort of "cure" to fix it, this curse...
You ever get it fixed?
any updates bro ?
I dont rly understand the exercice here, someone explain me, it's just back and forth moving object ? how am I supposed to try to see with both eyes
Where is the best place to get a good Brock string?
thanx so much now i am not sure if i see 3D or not bcz i am not sure what is she exactly explaining or saying :/
I wish to do and feel the same
Hello.Could you tell me how to contact with Sue Barry.I wanna fix my gaze.If possible plz help me.Please!!!
Your eye condition sounds just like mine: misaligned eyes, double vision, specialists, surgeries, no success. I'm 59, but the exercises are worth a try.
Any updates?