Standardized Testing-- Are you Ready?
To make sure your child is ready for school-based testing on the horizon:
- Are any glasses up-to-date, with the current prescription?
- Are the glasses in good working order? Your optician can check for scratches and loose screws.
- For children who are (or should be) in vision therapy, do you need a request for testing accommodations, such as a paper and pencil version of the test, extra time, or extra breaks? If you need us to write a letter to the school, we need 5 working days' notice.
- Make sure to get a good night's sleep for several days prior to the test, and eat a healthy breakfast on test day!
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COVD Recognizes Brain Injury Awareness Month
One of the biggest challenges brain injury survivors face is recovering enough to return to work or school. Brain injuries impact people from all walks and stages of life. Some recover quickly and others take years. Optometric vision therapy
can make all the difference.
"Vision problems can interfere with the recovery process. Unfortunately many people who have vision problems resulting from head trauma don't always realize that part of their symptoms are due to a vision problem. In addition, some people are mistakenly told that nothing can be done to help with their symptoms," shares Dr. Ida Chung, OD, FCOVD, President of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development , "Our message is that help is possible, something CAN be done. In fact, the sooner vision problems are diagnosed and treated the faster the overall recovery."
Read the rest
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Drs. Zeller and Green Looking Forward to NORA Conference
The Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) is a multidisciplinary professional group dedicated to helping patients recover from brain injuries such as stroke, head trauma, and concussion. The annual meeting provides continuing education in new research and treatment strategies.
Dr. Green and Dr. Zeller are both working toward earning their Fellowship in Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation (FNORA).
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Snow Days = Missed VT Sessions?
It looks like Spring may finally be arriving, and we can say goodbye to snow days!
To keep pace with your progress in Vision Therapy, be sure you schedule makeup sessions for any appointments you missed with the snow.
Call 301-951-0320 or email Canden to schedule. |
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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and most people don't realize how much vision can be affected by a "mild" concussion or whiplash injury. The good news is that special lenses, prisms, and a type of vision therapy can help, and your doctors and vision therapists at the VCDC are skilled at neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation. |
| | PSA: Head Injuries & Brain Trauma (30 sec HD) |
Often the initial injury seems mild, and vision symptoms may creep up after a couple of weeks, making it difficult to link the vision problems to the injury. A fall, stroke, or collision on the soccer field can cause Post-Trauma Vision Syndrome (PTVS), characterized by light sensitivity, double vision, blurry vision, and other symptoms. If you or a loved one are suffering from PTVS, give us a call at (301) 951-0320. |
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Spring Special!
 To make it easier on our families, we are offering a special discount on weekday mid-day sessions (12pm, 1pm, and 2pm VT slots, M-F). Some conditions apply; talk to Canden for details.
Beginning April 15th, Wednesday morning 10am and 11am appointment times will be available for Vision Therapy, Progress Evaluations, and other evaluations.
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Sideline Vision Test Can Be Used to Detect Concussions in Athletes as Young as 5 Years Old
It has been known that the King-Devick test, which Dr. Green and Dr. Zeller use regularly, can help diagnose concussions in college athletes. A recent study published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology showed that this test can also be used for young kids.
The test requires a child to read numbers from a series of three cards while being timed with a stopwatch. A change in performance from a baseline test (prior to the injury) suggests a concussion.
"Given that concussions may cause devastating short- and long-term cognitive effects, tools like vision testing that can objectively diagnose a concussion are critical," says Laura Balcer, MD, co-director of the NYU Langone Concussion Center, and a professor of neurology, ophthalmology and population health at NYU Langone.
Some sideline tests only measure cognition and balance, but visual testing is rarely performed, despite longstanding evidence that vision is commonly affected by concussion, according to a review article published by Dr. Galetta and Dr. Balcer in the March 3 print issue of Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. Previous research suggests about 50 percent of the brain's pathways are tied to vision."
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All too often, people find our office after suffering for years. If someone you know is struggling with a vision problem, please share this newsletter with them.
Sincerely,
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