Searching for Developmental Optometrist

We went to Dr. Witte in Bloomington IL for se veral years. He is deceased but his practice had other partners and may still include a vision therapist.

Dr. Neil Margolis and Dr. Paul Lederer in Arlington Heights are great with special needs kids. They work with my son on the autism spectrum - and are also not afraid to say that they are not the right match for a kid.

Can't find the number, but saw that someone had it in another post.

M.

We see Dr. Ghay-Bhatia at the Aurora Eye Clinic near Mercy Hosp. She's been wonderful with our daughter, since 18 mos. of age.

Good luck!

ive recently been referred to Dr Lederer in Arlington Heights as well for my 7 yr old daughter's lazy eye. He is wonderful and so very smart.. he has been helping kids with their vision and special situations for 35 years at least... my husband actually saw him when he was just starting in 1975. He is very good with the kids and verrry good at explaining everything to you so you learn about all the things you need to know. I have been there twice so far and cant say enough good thing about him, as well as all the other people there. I saw someone say children come from out of state, but I have also heard that he sees children from othr countries. I would recommend anyone to go there. You should know that they take payment for the visit right then, and then submit to your insurance to reimburse you... if that's an issue at all. I was not expecting to spend $165 on our first visit, so want you to know that upfront. I have no doubt her vision is in the best hands there. Good luck :o) T.

Dr Margolis in Arlington heights is amazing

Dr Knupp in Springfield is pretty good. He has a great reputation. I took my daughter who has mild CP. The negatives were that we waited a long time in the exam room and we had to use eye drops twice a day for 4 days to dilate the eyes before we saw him. Her eyes were dilated for many days. Division of Specialized Care for Children will help you to find a specialist, also. You may know about them but if you don't, they are a program in the State that is administered by UIC. A "diagnostic" can be completed on any child regardless of income. They will refer you to the specialist and pay for all of the diagnostic workup regardless of income. Once it is determined that your child has an eligible condition then the specialist care is payed for as well as the recommended treatments based on your income. If you meet the liberal income guidelines then the deductibles and copays are payed for. Here is the link to the website. http://www.uic.edu/hsc/dscc/

I heard one speak at Aspire (where our daughter gets OT/ST). He's works out of Arlington Heights. Aspire also had a female developmental optometrist do a clinic and she checked out our daughter. If you sent me the four names, I could tell you which ones they were, but cannot remember the names off the top of my head.

T.
____@____.com

I am curious as to why you would go to an Optometrist for this severe concern, rather than an Opthamologist, who is more of a specialist in the field? Also, because they are a Medical Specialist, your insurance may cover this differently, in your favor.

I know of two very wonderful Opthamologists and would highly recommend either:

Dr. Audrey Wayne, MD, is in Hinsdale, IL. She, and her staff are very professional. She is very kind and is an amazing Doctor. On a side note, years ago, one of my best friends, whose field was in Optometry, recommended Dr. Wayne to me when I was looking for a Doctor.

http://local.yahoo.com/info-17314068-wayne-audrey-l-md-wa...

Dr. Tim Kisla, MD, has an office out of New Lenox, IL. He has an excellent reputation, as well, has a nice demeanor and professional staff. We started going to him because of the proximity of his office to our home. We've been very pleased with his service.

http://www.advancedeyecaresc.com/

I would highly recommend either Doctor. Both Doctors are conservative in their approach - they are not eager to perform surgery. Should your child ever require surgery to correct the medical concern, an Opthamologist's care would be the route I would take.

Good luck.

dear L., i know how you feel. it is scary and you just want the best for you child. my son who will be 2 in october has been seen by 2 eye doctor's since the age of 6 months.
his right is what they consider to be a "lazy eye". his eye tends to turn out versus in, but it only does that when he is tired.
the first dr. that he saw was dr. suzanne lee in highland, indiana. her number is ###-###-####. she was very good, and very gentle w/ him.
we also wanted a second opionon, so we went w/ dr. alexander khammar in munster, in. he also has a partner in practice w/ him named dr. tiko. i believe they also have offices in orland park or tinley park. i am not sure which one. we only go to the one in munster because it is closer for us. his number is ###-###-####. i really, really like him. he is just wonderful w/ kids of all ages. very patient and very nice. he doesn't really act like a dr. you know, like in a rush or just wants to get the job done. he really takes the time to get to know you and your child. he makes you feel very warm and welcome in his office.
i hope that what ever your decision you make is the best for you and your child. good luck!
C.

Dr. Paul Lederer is a developmental optometrist that my daughter has worked with for a similar eye problem. Great doctor, has an office in Arlington Heights.....people from out of state come to see him b/c he's so good! My daughter did vision therapy through his practice and it was and still is very helpful! His number is ###-###-####

Try the Illinois Eye Institute, 3241 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616. Tel ###-###-####. I have been taking my daughter there for 2 years now after we discovered that she has severe vision problems that were not diagnosed at the regular 'store front' eye doctors. The Eye Institute is one of the best places in the city to take children. Good Luck

Our daughter (now almost 7) has been seeing pediatric ophthalmologists since age 3. We recently searched for second and third opinions as she has shown signs of double amblyopia (both eyes intermittently) due to poor vision,crossing eyes, and a stubborn brain. For the past year we have been seeing Dr. Kimberlee M. Curnyn. She's at Suburban Associates in Ophthalmology. Here is her Arlington Heights number to get you started:###-###-####. She can be difficult to schedule appointments with...for new patients the wait can be as long as 3 or 4months. However, she is worth the wait! She has been thorough, persistent,and effective in caring for our daughter. She is also EXCELLENT with kids.(The wait is always longer to see the good specialists!) Before Dr. Curnyn, we were under the care of Dr. Deena F. Leonard for a few years. She is also patient and calm with kids, and overall I really trust her. Dr. Curnyn just seems to approach amblyopia from a different angle that was a good fit for our daughter. Either doctor would be good opinions to add to your search for care. Dr. Leonard can be found at their website:www.eyesbypremier.com. Their offices are called Premier Eye Care andSurgery, Ltd. Hope this helps! Good luck!

What about Dr. Kipp at the Wheaton Eye Clinic?

http://www.wheatoneye.com/doctors/m_kipp.htm

You could try Plano Optometrics. They are located at 5401 S. Wentworth Ave in Chicago, Illinois. Their number is ###-###-####. Call ahead, of course, and let them know you want to speak with an optometrist directly (before going in).

One of my daughter's needed to see a specialist when a regular vision center could not find a prescription to improve her sight. A friend of my sister's referred me to Dr. Stephanie Johnson at this location and it worked out beautifully.

Good Luck!!

I can speak very highly of Dr. Yuri Kern out of Arbor Centers for EyeCare in Homewood, IL. She also sees patients in their Orland Park office. (as a side note, she was recently married and used to be Dr. Kim). Their number is ###-###-####. In Homewood, the office is on 183rd and Governor's Highway. In Orland Park, they are off of La Grange Blvd. and 165th. She is a pediatric specialist and also specializes with children with disabilities. I used to work for this company before having children and now take my children to them. Good luck!!

i took my son to an optometrist for a small cyst above his eye....he seemed to be very knowledgeable & kind to a 2 yr old child.......my son is now 5 & starting kindergarten so i took him back to the optometrist for his school eye exam.....his name is Dr Bienvenido Castillo.....his location is at Dreyer Medical near the Fox Valley mall....best of luck, i hope this helps

L.

Call Gurnee Sam's Club and ask Dr Nast if he knows someone. He helped me a lot with my son. He goes to many meetings to learn. I am think he may know someone. It is so hard to find good medical help. Enjoy your daughter. I only had boys.

Hi L.,
I take my son to Children's Memorial Hospital, we see Dr.Rahmani. You might need to wait for the first appointment, call 800-kidsdoc to find out more.
There is also a children's division at Lutheran Hospital, I have heard really good things about them too.
Good Luck,
D.

I am an optometrist and we do some vision therapy, however I do refer my more severe cases to Dr. Paul Lederer and Dr. Neil Margolis.

1120 N Arlington Heights Rd
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
###-###-####

They do great work and only specialize in helping children like your daughter.

Dr. Bruce Smith in Crown Point is good. He specializes in children. Also I have amblyopia and as a child wore a patch to strengthen the eye--I don't know if they do that anymore or not. One thing I wish I would have know growing up was that by depth persecption is off. Would have been great to know that since ball sports never worked for me. I just knew that most of the time I missed the baseball but when I did hit it I got a homerun every time. I learned about the depth perception issue sitting in my college psych class!

Dr. Marilyn Mets at Children's Memorial Hospital is fantastic!