South Florida Dad Invents 'Tunnel Vision' To Help Special Needs Kids

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Jerry Perez had a passion and a vision for helping kids with special needs.

Perez founded Catching Up, a therapy center in Miami-Dade. He also came up with an invention to help kids with autism and ADHD focus.

In its simplest description, "Tunnel Vision" is a set of goggles. But the invention, which took Perez four years to perfect, helps train the brain to focus on a specific task and finish it, something some kids with autism or ADHD often have difficulty doing.

"On the second week, he was communicating with us, he was answering yes or no questions," said Adriana Medina, whose five-year-old son Julian uses the invention.

"Tunnel Vision" is being used by some therapists, it's also in several schools and hospitals. Perez had a plan to take it further, but he died in March in a personal watercraft accident in Miami-Dade.

The 42-year-old husband and father of three sat down for an interview with CBS4's Brooke Shafer about a week before his death.

He talked about his love of his job, his love of his family, and his faith.

"Parents that come to me are parents that have done everything in the box," Perez said.

His family, friends, and business partner have vowed to continue Jerry's mission of getting "Tunnel Vision" in the hands of anyone who might need it.

To learn more about the product, go to tunnelvisiongoggles.com.