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Vision & Conceptual Development Center

Vision & Learning News
In This Issue
Autism and Vision
Multi-hour Sessions Available
Consumer Reports
Visual Fatigue Syndrome
Vision & Learning
Quick Links

Contact Your Vision Therapist


Autism and Vision
boy with book
There are many behaviors commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders that have a visual component such as: 

� watching spinning objects

� eyeballing things - getting really close to objects

�watching things repetitively

�loves looking at shiny objects

�has difficulty locking on or maintaining eye contact 
 
By treating the underlying vision problem we find that these children are better able to interact and adapt to their surroundings.  Improving vision causes changes in the way a child understands his or her world.
 
The staff at the Vision and Conceptual Development Center is very skilled in working with individuals of all ages on every level of the autism spectrum. 
 
For more information please visit our website:

www.VCDCwashington.com
Road Construction Getting in Your Way?
cars
If it is easier for you we are making 2 hour
sessions available for those who qualify so you only need to come once a week.  Please check with Sandra to see if you qualify.
 
  Consumer Reports: Contact a Developmental Optometrist
red blue glasses
Technology is making 3D TV, Movies and video games very popular.  Many children and
adults who normally would pass on 3D movies are now going to see what all the excitement is about. 
 
Unfortunately, many of them will be disappointed because they either won't be able to see the 3D effects or it may cause them discomfort such as headaches, nausea or blur during the movie or headaches after the movie. 
 
These are all signs of binocular vision problems which typically aren't tested for in most vision screenings.
 
We were excited to see that the May 2010 issue of Consumer Reports has an article about the new 3D TVs and recommends people see a developmental optometrist to get help so you can see 3D.
 
For more information about 3D vision, please feel free to visit our website:
 

8 out of 10 people Impacted by New Epidemic: Are you one of them? 
boy with computer Does this sound like your day?  It gets towards the end of the day, you rub your eyes, then you rub your neck, you take a deep sigh and then get back to work.  You hop in your car, and head home but you have trouble seeing the street signs. 
 
When you get home, you hop on the computer to check email and play a video game. You may even decide to relax, do scrapbooking, woodworking, needlepoint, or read an e-book on Kindle.  Technology has changed our lives and our daily habits.  Most of our world now revolves around looking at computers, e-books or cell phones, etc. from 1 to 3 feet away throughout the day for long periods of time. 
 
But, guess what..... click to continue

Vision & Learning:  Time to Take Action

vision and learning Current estimates show that 3 out of 5 children who have problems learning actually have undetected vision problems that are not identifiable with the regular vision screenings. 
 
Neurologists Brocke Eide, M.D., M.A., and Fernette Eide, M.D., founders of the Eide Neurolearning Clinic and authors of the book, The Mislabeled Child, explain in a chapter entitled "Are We Overlooking the Obvious?":

click to continue

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A Special Word to Parents & Educators:
 
All too often people struggle unnecessarily, sometimes for years, before getting the help they need. Please help us spread the word and share this newsletter with your friends and family. 

Forward to a Friend
 
 
Also, did you know that Dr. Amanda Zeller offers complimentary in-services for teachers, homeschool groups and other professionals?  For more details call Sandra at:     (202) 862-0749

VFS Visual Fatigue Syndrome  (continued from above)

But, guess what..... our eyes are not designed to look at things up close for such extended periods of time.  They are designed to be relaxed when they look far away and when we look up close it's like flexing your muscles. 

 
When you lift weights you need to take a 24 hour break so the muscles have a chance to rebuild and you never work the same muscle group two days in a row.  Plus you wouldn't even consider lifting weights all day.  Yet, when it comes to our eyes, we look at the computer and our handheld devices all day long and don't think twice about it.
 
Visual Fatigue Syndrome, VFS, is caused by focusing on objects 1 to 3 feet away for extended periods of time.  Up to 83% of patients 25 years old and older experience some form of VFS. 
 
The most common reported symptoms of VFS are: dry eyes, eyestrain, headaches, sensitivity to light, neck pain, blurred vision, loss of productivity, and decreased vision at night. If you experience two or more of these symptoms on a regular basis, you may be suffering from VFS.
 
If you have any of these symptoms or work on your computer for more than 3 hours total per day, measure the distance from your eyes to your computer screen, and give us a call or email to schedule an appointment today.


visionlearning Vision & Learning  (continued from above)

"The signs that a child has visual problems are frequently subtle and not clearly visually related.  In addition, many common visual problems can't be detected on a routine eye chart exam..."
 
It is unfortunate that most children have no idea how they are supposed to see and therefore they don't complain.  Yet, all the symptoms are present if we know what to look for.  The problem is that the symptoms of a vision-based learning problem can easily be confused with other disorders and syndromes. 
 
For example, a study by an ophthalmologist, Dr. David Granet, found that convergence insufficiency (a condition where the two eyes don't work together properly to provide a single clear image when reading) can often cause diagnostic confusion resulting in an inappropriate diagnosis of ADHD.  Dr. Granet also found a higher incidence of convergence insufficiency in children diagnosed with ADHD.
 
Educational Psychologist, Linda Silverman, shares one way to tell when vision may be playing a role in a child's difficulties with learning in a paper she published in the Journal of Optometric Vision Development: "A high Verbal IQ combined with a Performance IQ that is 20 points lower should signal the need for an optometric evaluation." 
 
To get a better idea of the types of symptoms which indicate that a vision problem may be at the root of a child's difficulties, please visit our website.
 
The good news is that when a vision problem is blocking learning, we often see dramatic improvements in learning once the vision problem is treated.   
 
Don't wait - our summer schedule is filling up quickly, give us a call today!



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