Visual Health & Learning Center | Dr. Jenna McDermed

Dr. Jenna

Dr. Jenna Williams-McDermed is a board certified Optometric Physician providing Developmental Optometry and Optometric Vision Therapy.

Dr. McDermed graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, with a concentration in Neuroscience. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Vision Science and Doctorate in Optometry in 2006, graduating with honors from Nova Southeastern University.

To stay at the top of her field, Dr. McDermed continually pursues post-graduate education in Developmental and Behavioral Optometry as well as Vision Therapy through the College of Optometrist in Vision Development (COVD) and the Optometric Extension Program Foundation. Dr. McDermed is a Fellow in COVD which means she is board certified in vision development and vision therapy.

She is an active supporter of community programs including the Florida Special Olympics.

Dr. McDermed currently lives with her husband, young daughter and three dogs in East Orlando.

Dr. Chi

Raised in Saint Petersburg, FL, Dr. Chi graduated from St. Petersburg High School’s International Baccalaureate program. He received his Bachelors of Science in Human Nutrition at the University of Florida. Following his education at the University of Florida, he received his Bachelors of Vision Science and Doctorate of Optometry at Nova Southeastern University in 2013. During his doctoral education, Dr. Chi completed an externship in Primary care with an emphasis on pediatric and developmental optometry.

Dr. Chi commits to pursuing post-graduate education provided by the College of Optometrist in Vision Development (COVD) and the Optometric Extension Program Foundation (OEP) in order to remain distinct and knowledgeable within his field. Dr. Chi has completed over 100 hours of continuing education in vision development and neuro-visual rehabilitation.

Dr. Chi finds great joy in aiding the pediatric and special needs population with working towards attaining their highest visual potential. He is passionate about providing adequate visual health care to every individual in order to facilitate appropriate vision development throughout this critical period in their lives. Dr. Chi currently lives in East Orlando with his wife and son. He enjoys cooking, watching movies, and spending time with his friends and family.

Vision & Learning

Most children have no idea how they are supposed to see. Therefore it is vital that you know the signs that a vision problem is interfering with your child’s ability to read and learn.

Do You Know Your Vision Facts?

One out of four children struggle with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.

It is estimated that over 60% of problem learners have undiagnosed vision problems.

80% of learning in the classroom is visual.

The majority of the vision problems that interfere with reading and learning are very treatable.

Seeing clearly (“20/20”) is just one of 17 visual skills critical to academic success.

Even the most gifted students will struggle academically...

The American Federation of Teachers recently acknowledged the vital role that vision plays in our children’s education and that:

“Even the most gifted students will struggle academically if they have trouble seeing the blackboard or focusing on a book. A tremendous amount of learning happens visually, so proper vision care is crucial to helping students reach their full potential.”

According to the National PTA "It is estimated that more than ten million children suffer from vision problems" that may cause them to fail in school. Vision screenings in school and at the pediatrician's office usually only test distance vision. Most people think that 20/20 is "perfect vision", when in fact 20/20 is simply a measurement of what someone is able to see at a distance of 20 feet. Most of our learning is through reading, which is not at 20 feet at all!

Symptom Checklist

There are more than 15 visual skills required for reading and learning...

There are more than 15 visual skills required for reading and learning, including the ability to point the eyes together, to focus the eyes, to move across the page properly. These skills are often not tested in most vision screenings. Passing a vision screening which tests only distance vision leads parents to believe incorrectly that nothing is wrong.

If any of these visual skills are not working properly, it can make reading and learning an unnecessary challenge. Some children develop behavior problems, while others avoid reading or simply refuse to read. Usually the child is bright, causing parents to be confused by the child's difficulties. Often the child is labeled hyperactive, lazy, or slow. What makes this even worse is that many of these problems can easily be mistaken as learning disabilities or attention problems such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

If your child struggles with reading or learning, call our office to schedule an appointment today.

What is Vision Therapy?

Some visual conditions cannot be treated adequately with just glasses, contact lenses and/or patching, and are best resolved through a program of Vision Therapy.

Vision Therapy is an individualized, supervised, treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. Vision Therapy sessions include procedures designed to enhance the brain's ability to control:

eye alignment,
eye tracking and eye teaming,
eye focusing abilities,
eye movements, and/or
visual processing.

Visual-motor skills and endurance are developed through the use of specialized computer and optical devices, including therapeutic lenses, prisms, and filters. During the final stages of therapy, the patient's newly acquired visual skills are reinforced and made automatic through repetition and by integration with motor and cognitive skills.

Who Benefits from Vision Therapy?

Learning-related Vision Problems

Vision Therapy can help those individuals who lack the necessary visual skills for effective reading, writing, and learning (i.e., eye movement and focusing skills, convergence, eye-hand activity, visual memory skills, etc.).

Poor Binocular (2-eyed) Coordination

Vision Therapy helps individuals develop normal coordination and teamwork of the two eyes (binocular vision). When the two eyes fail to work together as an effective team, performance in many areas can suffer (reading, sports, depth perception, eye contact, etc.).

Convergence Insufficiency (common near vision disorder)

Recent scientific research -- funded by the National Eye Institute and conducted at Mayo Clinic -- has proven that in-office Vision Therapy is the best treatment for Convergence Insufficiency.

Amblyopia (lazy eye), Diplopia (double vision), and Strabismus (cross-eyed, wandering eye, eye turns, etc.)

Vision Therapy programs offer much higher cure rates for turned eyes and/or lazy eye when compared to eye surgery, glasses, and/or patching, without therapy. The earlier the patient receives Vision Therapy the better, however, our office successfully treats patients well past 21 years of age.

Recent scientific research has disproved the long held belief that children with lazy eye, or amblyopia, can’t be helped after age 7.

21st century life demands more from our vision than ever before. Many children and adults constantly use their near vision at school, work and home. Environmental stresses on the visual system (including excessive computer use or close work) can induce blurred vision, eyestrain, headaches, etc. To learn about these visual problems and vision therapy, see:

Visual Rehabilitation for Special Needs - Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Stroke, Birth Injury, Brain Damage, Head Injury, Whiplash, Cerebral Palsy, MS, etc.

Vision can be compromised as a result of neurological disorders or trauma to the nervous system. Vision Therapy can effectively treat the visual consequences of brain trauma (including double vision).

Visual Rehabilitation for Special Needs

Developmental Delays, Visual Perceptual Visual-Motor Deficits, Attention Deficit Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Sports Vision Improvement

Strong visual skills are critical to sports success. Not much happens in sports until your eyes instruct your hands and body as to what to do! We can measure and successfully improve eye-hand coordination, visual reaction time, peripheral vision, eye focusing, eye tracking and teaming, visualization skills, and more.

Vision Therapy Success Stories

Before therapy Kevin took a lot of time doing his homework...

Before therapy Kevin took a lot of time doing his homework. Now he takes less time and his comprehending is a lot better. He is reading more and he is getting 80 and 90 on his AR tests.

K. A., Child's Age 9

Eager to do homework now...

She has made progress in school and is more eager to do her homework. It does not take her as long. She is reading more and does not complain as much about it. In fact she is eager to get it done. Her handwriting has improved gratefully. I think this is a wonderful program she has some special needs that were taken into account. We are very pleased with the progress.

C. J., Child's Age 10

Reading speed and comprehension greatly improved.

Reading speed and comprehension greatly improved. Handwriting greatly improved. Behavior of school greatly improved. Ability to color in the line, mazes, dot to dots improved. Excellent Program!

B. F., Child's Age 6

Her reading and writing has improved dramatically...

Her reading and writing has improved dramatically. Also her physical health has improved no more stomach aches or headaches. She is obviously less “stressed” she actually told her friend yesterday that her “books were not blurry anymore”! J.W. Age 6

Working quicker, is on task more often and for longer...

Nathanael over all, is working quicker, is on task more often and for longer. He is reading more quickly and accurately and for longer periods of time in a sitting. He is enjoying reading for school and rarely complains of fatigue. N. P. Age 9.5

Reversals are much less prevalent. She’s reading better and more confidently...

Reversals are much less prevalent. She’s reading better and more confidently. Handwriting is so much better than before therapy. She’s also less stressed out when asked to write or copy. The therapy program is top-notch! -J.Z. Age 8

The most obvious improvements have been in the areas of reading accuracy and reading comprehension...

The most obvious improvements have been in the areas of reading accuracy and reading comprehension. The areas not as readily observable by a “test” are his overall self-esteem and confidence. He no longer starts with “I can’t.” He will try to sound out new words or figures out new puzzles and ask for help after he gets stuck. He is now able to understand how all of the small steps (i.e. homework and practice) ultimately lead results. S.W. Age 10

She now can keep up in class and is getting the same great grades as her classmates...

She has grown by leaps and bounds! She has hit her stride in learning! She now can keep up in class and is getting the same great grades as her classmates. The confidence in reading and reading aloud has increased tremendously! She is a whole new kid. Happy and ready for all new things coming her way. E.M. Age 11

She has experienced a great deal of improvement in her reading ability due to therapy...

She has experienced a great deal of improvement in her reading ability due to therapy. She is also a lot more confident, and understands how to help herself “see better.” Her experience with Dr. Jenna and Ms. Kerri was extremely positive. She enjoyed both the sessions and the homework. As a mom, I encourage therapy since it allowed me to understand and help Bella in an effective way. -I.Y. Age 5

Once overwhelmed with a puzzle or following directions to complete a Lego, he now enjoys these activities without nearly as much frustration....

I have particularly noticed a big difference in his visual-perceptual skills. Once overwhelmed with a puzzle or following directions to complete a Lego, he now enjoys these activities without nearly as much frustration. I think the program is great and I appreciate how Dr. Jenna and Kerri are able to achieve results by doing what works best for the individual child and not trying to fit them into a specific mold. They mold the activities to them while achieving results. - E.L. Age 6

She reads at a faster rate with comprehension...

She reads at a faster rate with comprehension. She volunteers to read in class now. She now enjoys looking at books too. Thank you so much! You changed her life. The most change was in the last month. -E.M. Age 10

Her eyes don’t cross anymore and we owe it all to vision therapy. ....

Vision Therapy was like a miracle to us. We went from seeing another doctor and thinking she was going to be blind, to Dr. Jenna where we have surpassed our expectations. She, within one year, has gone from 20/80 to 20/20 and not with this program, only needs her glasses to read. Her eyes don’t cross anymore and we owe it all to vision therapy. We will not take this for granted. We will keep progressing with vision therapy to make sure her relationship of her brain with her eyes is the best that it can be. We are “Believers!!!” - A.S. Age 4

She struggled with reading and short term memory...

She struggled with reading and short term memory. After therapy, she is no longer embarrassed to read aloud in class. Her short term memory has enabled her to remember all instructions. She has started to apply special sounds into her reading (not just the clue word) which has helped with accuracy. - J. F. Age 7

My son’s reading speed and accuracy has improved 110%...

My son’s reading speed and accuracy has improved 110%. He now reads to understand the story, not just to say the words. Also his writing is fantastic compared to what it was before we began. -H.F. Age 6

I have seen improvement in her reading/tracking skills-she rarely gets lost or omits words...

I have seen improvement in her reading/tracking skills-she rarely gets lost or omits words. I have also seen a big improvement in her handwriting and copying skills. She writes much neater and without any mistakes. - J. H. Age 8

He has more of a desire to read on his own...

He has more of a desire to read on his own, pick up a book or magazine to read. I also noticed he has started reading the video game prompts by himself too. He is also really trying to spell words on his own and being able to remember how to spell them. - E.T. Age 10

The most obvious is the fact that he not only reads better, but seems to truly enjoy it...

The most obvious is the fact that he not only reads better, but seems to truly enjoy it. His comprehension has improved and he is much more consistent. As a result of all these, I feel his self-esteem has been enhanced by his “success.” - C.B. Age 8

His reading comprehension has increased and he no longer complains about homework...

His reading comprehension has increased. He no longer complains about his homework assignments because he gets them done in a reasonable amount of time. He is definitely more comfortable in school and his grades (5 A’s, 2 B’s) reflect that he understands more what is going on in his classes. M.T. Age 12

He has been able to “perform” his school activities with a new level of confidence

He has shown a great amount of improvement in the area of confidence! He demonstrates this by the amount of effort I see him put towards his schoolwork as well as the fact that he will now work independently on assignments. He works at a pace that now helps him notice details in both his reading and writing. He is able to focus without frustration. This program has been fantastic. He has been able to “perform” his school activities with a new level of confidence. Thank you! B.M. Age 15

His reading comprehension has improved...

His reading comprehension has improved. Additionally, his reading speed and accuracy have improved. G.T. Age 13

Now she can complete her homework alone and she has more confidence...

The improvements have been really great for her. Now she can complete her homework alone. She has more confidence in herself. - T.R. Age 11

He no longer cries or avoids reading...

He no longer cries or avoids reading. He actually enjoys getting books. He doesn’t guess at words and tries to sound them out. He recognizes and writes all letters correctly. He was able to get up in front of classmates and read! He used to hide if reading was involved. - C.W. Age 8

Meet the Doctors

Dr. Jenna

Dr. Chi

Vision & Learning

Vision & Learning

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

Symptom Checklist

What is VT?

What is Vision Therapy?

Who Benefits from Vision Therapy?

Success Stories

Vision Therapy Success Stories

Vision Therapy Public Service Announcements

Public Service Announcements

Contact Us