They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but the eyes are also what we use every day and in everything we do. For many, the eyes are just part of our anatomy that we take for granted. However, in the months leading up to the beginning of the school year, our focus often turns to our children’s vision.

Dr. Eva K. Strube, O.D., hopes that more children will be brought into her clinic, Avenue Vision, with the start of the school year. “I’m a firm believer in children getting eye exams every year,” she stresses. According to Dr. Strube, 80% of learning is visual. “If they aren’t seeing well, they’ll get it but they’ll get it audibly or over someone’s shoulder.” This could impede their learning, she says.

To help reach out to families in the community, Avenue Vision in Golden is holding vision clinics once a month for children. This monthly clinic is designed to provide thorough, comprehensive eye exams and glasses, if needed, at a reduced cost.

“I think it’s excellent, especially with the economy the way it is,” says Paula Percival, a Lakewood resident and former elementary school teacher. “(Families) need other resources that can help their kids. It’s imperative that a child can see to read and learn. If a child needs glasses, they need glasses. It’s sad to see a child that has to put their face right up to the book to read the words.”

The next children’s vision clinics will be held Thursday, August 19 and Thursday, September 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Avenue Vision. The clinic is nestled in a building lined with shops along Washington Avenue in downtown historic Golden. Dr. Strube, who has been practicing behavioral optometry for over 20 years, has owned Avenue Vision since 1994. The practice has been around since 1948, however.

Many parents may not be aware that a variety of behavioral problems, such as Attention Deficit Disorder and hyperactivity, could be the result of vision problems. “A lot of parents don’t think their kids need an eye exam until they are school-age. It’s pretty crucial I think,” says Jan Stuer, office manager at Avenue Vision. “And a school vision screening is not an eye exam. You really need comprehensive vision care when your child is in school,” she adds.

Behavioral vision is a specialty within standard optometry, which does not address behavioral issues, notes Dr. Strube. She says she decided to study the behavioral aspects of vision issues when she attended Pacific University in Oregon. She believes that behavioral disorders are often confused with vision problems and are misdiagnosed in children. If a child is not sitting still in the classroom, for example, it could be because of a vision problem that keeps him from reading and learning what is being taught.

Parents who experienced symptoms of learning disorders when they were in school should definitely consider seeing a behavioral optometrist, suggests Dr. Strube. “If the parent says they were never any good in school, especially if they actually have a high IQ, you have a clue that they may be passing on a vision disorder to their child,” she explains.

Not only does the clinic address all varieties of vision impairments and related behavioral issues, but they also cater to patients as young as 6 weeks old. Dr. Strube participates in InfantSEE, which is a public health program managed by Optometry Cares, the philanthropic and charitable organization sponsored by the American Optometry Foundation. According to www.infantsee.org, the program is designed to ensure that eye and vision care become an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child’s quality of life. As part of InfantSEE, Dr. Strube volunteers to perform free eye exams on children 12 months and younger. “Families can come in and get a Well Baby Eye Test to make sure that baby is seeing,” she says.

If you decide to take your infant in for an eye exam, Dr. Strube will consult the baby’s medical history and examine the structure of his or her eyes and eye muscles. She will look at how the eyes focus and whether or not they are working as a team. Dr. Strube strives to make it fun and comfortable, she says. For toddler-aged children, she has “Mr. Frog” on-hand to accompany them as they are taken through eye tests.

Of course, Dr. Strube also works with adults in a variety of ways. While she has a specialization in her field, she stresses, “I like being a generalist because it gives me the option to do all sorts of different types of care. So I have a special light for macular degeneration patients; I have nutritional support for dry eye issues; and I have a vision therapist who works with children learning how to develop their vision and skills.”

Adding to her credentials, Dr. Strube speaks fluent Spanish and leans toward homeopathy in her practice. “The holistic approach that I take is based on the whole person,” she explains. “The whole person includes therapy, lifestyle, their exercise, and how they use their eyes.” Depending on what issue she is trying to correct with a patient, Dr. Strube will recommend dietary changes, exercise, nutrition, and hot/cold compresses, she says.

Paula says she prefers to take advantage of Avenue Vision’s holistic options. “I have so many sensitivities to prescriptions and medications that I am really open to that,” she says, “especially using different ways to treat problems instead of surgery.”

One noninvasive treatment used in the office as an alternative to Lasik surgery is the use of CRT lenses to help with near- or farsightedness. “It’s sort of like braces for your eyes,” Dr. Strube explains. “We develop a lens that is matched with your corneal shape and your prescription.” Near- and farsightedness occur when the shape of the cornea is out of balance with the length of the eyeball. The CRT lenses are worn overnight during sleep, and slowly change the shape of the cornea, she says. They help to correct the vision issue. However, like the retainer many teenagers wear after their braces are removed, patients who use CRT lenses must wear a final pair of retainer lenses. If they skip a night without them, they can risk waking up with blurred vision.

Avenue Vision is located at 1208 Washington Avenue in Golden. Call 303-279-3713 or visit the Web site at www.avenuevision.com for more information.