All I can say is that vision therapy MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE for my son. We were told he needed VT when he was in the beginning of 1st grade. His school in NJ didn't catch it because he saw 20/20. He could read very well, but didn't like to. He was a boy. His grandmother luckily was a Montessori teacher and had recently seen some kids at the school she taught at, who were attending VT. She had even gone to a seminar to learn what to look for. Thank goodness she recommended, no inisted, that we take him to be checked by a VT trained eye doctor. He was prescribed glasses to wear at school to help cut down on the eye fatigue, and we went for VT for about 9 months (once a week for an hour + practice at home). Our insurance company would not pay either, although I would not give up trying on that one. For us it has been worth every penny and more.
What an incredible difference it has made for him. By the end of VT he had turned from a very capable reader to a voracious reader. The VT doctor encouraged him to use his glasses for the next couple of years, but by 4th grade he really had no need for them. He has continued to excel and now as a 7th grader reads on a high school level consistently, and tackles books that his peers turn away from.
We have recomended VT to several friends over the years. Some were told not to worry and others were thrilled at the difference VT made for their child. We are now in PA and by chance our eye doctor here is a HUGE VT FAN.
If you do a search for VT online, you will find lots of very good information. There are also checklists that teachers can use to pinpoint if a child has certain characteristics/symptoms pointing to a VT need. You can also find sites that list doctors who are recognized by their State for VT. In the State of California, there is actually a group of parents who are trying to have it mandated that children must get their eyes checked by an eye doctor not just by their primary care doctor specifically so that VT issues can be caught early.
Good luck in your quest with insurance and $ help. All I can repeat is that VT is not some quack remedy. The VT work they do with your child really does make a huge difference.