Meet the Director of Pediatric Eye Care & Vision Therapy Services, Dr. Ben Konynenbelt
Dr. Konynenbelt was raised in Zeeland, MI before escaping its snowy winters to call Southwest Orlando his home. He has spent time abroad learning Spanish in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and has led various service trips to Central America.
Dr. Konynenbelt graduated from the Indiana University School of Optometry and completed a residency in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. He is currently pursuing his fellowship in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). Dr. Konynenbelt is a provider for the InfantSEE(R) program offering comprehensive eye exams for infants less than a year old at no cost to the parents.
Dr. Konynenbelt takes a developmental approach to meet the eye care needs of all patients. His functional assessment of the visual system allows him to detect and treat vision conditions such as strabismus (crossed eyes), amblyopia (lazy eye), and binocular dysfunction (poor eye teaming). Many children who struggle with reading and school work suffer unknowingly from these conditions which may be successfully treated through a program of Vision Therapy.
In addition to his expertise in pediatric eye care, Dr. Konynenbelt enjoys using the experience he gained as an optometry intern at the world-renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute to manage eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataract, and macular degeneration. He is also a certified fitter of many specialty contact lenses such as scleral lenses and orthokeratology lenses. Dr. Konynenbelt has published research in the fields of contact lens, vision development, and myopia (nearsightedness) progression.