Expert Vision Therapy in Bellevue
MARY E BAKER, O.D.
Schedule your appointment today to meet with Dr. Baker and assess your vision therapy needs.
Dr. Mary Baker received her doctor of optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1991. Following graduation, she accepted a commission in the United States Navy. Stationed at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, she served 8 years on active duty and in the reserves as an optometrist
Due to her dedication, Dr. Baker received several honors and awards for military achievement and community leadership, including Armed Forces Junior Optometrist of the Year.
Following her service in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Baker worked at an ophthalmology practice in the San Diego area before moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1999. Deciding to stay in the Pacific Northwest, she fulfilled her dream of opening her own eye care practice in Bellevue
Dr. Baker earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Virginia Commonwealth University and enjoys the opportunity to converse with her Spanish-speaking patients. Dr. Baker specializes in vision therapy and is a member of the Neuro-optometric Rehabilitation Association
New vision skills boost student performance!
By Dr. Mary Baker
We all want our kids to succeed in school, but hidden barriers to learning can trip up even the brightest students. Twenty to thirty percent of all school age children have a vision problem that is significant enough to interfere with learning.
The typical school vision screening detects only 5% of all vision problems and only tests for 20/20 vision at distance. School screenings aren’t equipped to check for important visual skills that are necessary for reading and using the computer. For example, they don’t determine if children can coordinate both eyes as a team, track print across a written page without losing their place, or comfortably adjust focus when looking from near to far away.
Children who are struggling with undetected vision problems often fail to progress well in school some even lack coordination in sports like hitting or catching a ball. A few of the signs of vision related learning problems include slow reading, difficulty copying from the board, skipping words or lines, losing his/her place when reading, poor comprehension, and reversing words and letters.
Fortunately there’s something that can be done to correct the vision problems and make learning enjoyable. We recommend having your child’s vision checked by a behavioral optometrist who tests for visual function as well as eye health and visual acuity. If a vision related learning problem is diagnosed, vision therapy may be prescribed. This type of therapy has been very successful in improving vision skills with exercises that use lenses, prisms and filters. The therapy usually involves regularly scheduled office visits and home therapy assignments.
When kids have better vision skills, they are better prepared to learn in school. In our program, when vision skills are corrected, grades start to come up, self esteem improves and so do relationships at home and at school. The best thing about vision therapy is that the results usually last a lifetime. These skills have a significant impact on your child’s success and can even affect whether or not your child goes to college!
Honor Flight Mission 2024
As a U.S. Navy veteran, Dr. Baker volunteers with Puget Sound Honor , an organization created to honor America’s heroes for their service to our country. Dr. Baker serves as a volunteer guardian, transporting veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built for them and helping them reflect on their service.
She believes in the importance of showing appreciation for those who have served and completed her fourth mission with Honor Flight in September 2024. On this visit to the Washington memorials, many visitors personally thanked our veterans for protecting our country. Upon arrival home at SeaTac Airport, the heroes were met by uniformed military, friends, and family. Many of the veterans called it a trip of a lifetime.
Continued Service
Dr. Baker has also proudly visited Tamanique, El Salvador as part of Peace Health’s mission to provide vision care for underserved communities. After gathering thousands of pairs of used glasses, Dr. Baker distributes them to village residents who need glasses to see clearly.
Whether she’s assisting her fellow veterans, villagers in El Salvador, or her patients here at home, Dr. Baker brings the same passion and dedication to everything she does.