I'm a lurker, but thought I'd weigh in since it sounds like your daughter and I share similar vision. My current prescription is -10 in my left eye, and -11.5 in the right eye, with a fun prismatic correction (for double vision/diplopia) that really boggles my friends when they look through my lenses So yep, I've got the dorky "coke-bottle" lenses.

I wore contacts for many years and really liked them. However, last year I developed double vision, accompanied by serious headaches, so I needed to switch to glasses. (According to my optometrist, you cannot correct for diplopia with contacts.) My headaches cleared up instantly and I was amazed at how sharp my vision suddenly was. I'm slowly making peace with my glasses. I hate having them on my face, I hate the amount of distortion I have to deal with, and the loss of peripheral vision was scary at first, particularly because I ride through some heavy traffic areas on a daily basis. My mirror was suddenly useless, which was particularly troublesome. After about 8 or 10 weeks, however, I somehow got better at making things out through the lens distortion and even outside of my lenses, and I feel much safer both on my bike and when I need to drive. I'm back to relying on my mirror, and my overall depth perception has greatly improved (with contacts my depth perception was generally unreliable).

A -10 correction really isn't all that severe and to my knowledge is not in the low-vision range. I have never, ever needed to ask for help at school. If she's having lots of trouble with schoolwork, definitely get her a second opinion and see about some better lenses, because improperly made lenses are hell. I have zero trouble reading the computer screen or seeing projection images, and believe it or not I make lace as a hobby. My husband and I purchased a larger TV a few years ago with my vision in mind, but at 32" it's still smaller than what most of our friends have. I *need* good light for reading, lacemaking and other close work, but that's nothing that a really good task lamp couldn't fix. (BTW I do much better with halogen than Ott-Lites or other "full-spectrum" compact florescents. It's a really individual thing.)

I second the recommendation for the IU optometry school; my husband used to go there. Be prepared to shell out for some good glasses lenses, because you will get what you pay for. My current lens prescription ran me $220 *without* new frames. This year I want some new, more fashionable frames (mine are a bit outdated, but cash was short last summer) and plan to spend between $400-$600. Every optometrist and optician I've ever been to has automatically put me in high-index lenses (the thinnest ones) which cut down on the weight and coke-bottle effect, but it's good to check. Even though it's more expensive, get the lenses at the eye doctor's office and not the mall store. The folks who grind the lenses for the mall shops aren't used to dealing with high-strength prescriptions and can really screw it up.

You've probably already done it and I don't want to scare you, but just to make sure that you're aware: Severe myopia can be a "red flag" for other medical conditions, even if it has developed very slowly and the eyes are otherwise healthy. Make sure that her regular doctor knows about it.