Divorced Low-Income Dad Signs Up Son

"Toni, I'd like to share a neat example of the power of your consultation techniques. I know in my heart this wouldn't have happened prior to your training.

I recently examined a young boy who needed vision therapy but lived in a broken home with just his dad, 30 miles away, and they are financially strapped. The odds were strongly against him getting into therapy-at least they would have been a year ago, before I began working with you. Thanks to the communication skills I have developed from working with you, I am able to transfer the belief I have in vision therapy to my patients and their families very effectively!

This young boy now comes each week for therapy, brought by his maternal grandmother, who drives 150 miles one way to pick him up after school and come to my office. After therapy, she takes him home and teaches her son-in-law how to do the homework. I'm convinced she does this not only because she is a terrific grandmother but also because she, her husband and her son-in-law were able to reach a level of understanding of vision therapy and its benefits from the abilities you have empowered me with! Thanks.

P.S.: They even paid in full!"

D.C., O.D.
Missouri

Handling a Hostile Pediatric Ophthalmologist

"Thanks for the guidance on addressing the vision therapy-hostile pediatric ophthalmologist in the area. With the help of your communication techniques, I transformed this individual into a referral source for orthoptics and the comanagement of strabismics. She has even considered referrals for visual-perceptual deficiencies. (I might add that until I met with her, she was equipping each of her patients with the ophthalmological position paper that condemned visual perceptual mediation.) I have learned not to underestimate the importance of what to say and when to say it. The real estate market may have its 'location, location, location' but human relationships have their 'communication, communication, communication!'"

J.J., O.D.
Michigan

"I won't schedule the evaluation if my insurance doesn't cover it."

"Third party coverage was such a problem for our office that even referred patients weren't coming in for their first evaluation because the first question over the phone was usually, 'Will my insurance cover it?' I learned Toni's technique of dealing with this, taught it to the staff immediately and the very next call in to our office gave us the opportunity to use it. One of our therapists handled the call. She was delighted that she was not only able to field the questions so easily and effectively, she scheduled the appointment for the evaluation even though the patient's insurance wouldn't cover it! Previously she would not have been able to handle this and we would have had another lost patient referral. Thanks Toni!"

T.K., Office Manager