Smart in Everything...Except School by G.N. Getman OD

Suddenly Successful Student by Hazel Dawkins et al.

Vision and School Success by Lois Bind, OD et al.

Your Child's Vision by Richard S. Kavner, OD

Visit these websites.

P.A.V.E. 
Vision and Learning
OEP 
COVD 
AOANET 
Indiana University School Of Optometry 
Vision Therapy Stories 

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Article: An Epidemic
Diagram of the Brain's Vision Areas
Facts About Vision
Important Visual Skills Needed For Optimal Academic Performance
Is "20/20" Vision Really Enough?
Quality of Life Checklist
Teacher Questionnaire
Vision Screening Questionnaire (for the free screening)
Vision Therapy Scholarships by Insight Vision Center
Visual Information Processing Evaluation-VIP
What is Vision?

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You Say You Don't Understand the difference between Seeing and Perception? 

Find all nine faces and learn how challenging academic work can be for

many children.

                             Do this for homework. You will get the answers tomorrow.

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Is "20/20" Really Enough?

What does your optometrist mean when he or she says you are seeing “20/20”? It means that when standing at a distance of 20 feet from the eye chart, you can see the same row of letters that the average person can see at this distance. It is a measure of the sharpness of sight, but does not tell you anything about how your brain is processing what you see.

In fact, there are over 20 different skills visual skills that an eye chart does not detect. The visual system is so complicated, it utilizes 65% of ALL our brain pathways. “20/20" eyesight represents only a very small part of this process. Behavioral optometrists differentiate between the terms “sight” and “vision”. “Sight” is the ability to see and the eye’s response to light shining into it. “Vision” is the ability to interpret and understand information that comes through the eyes.

The visual system is a significant part of how we process information and a key factor in how we learn. 80% of what you perceive, comprehend and remember depends on the efficiency of the visual system.

Vision is a learned skilled, just like walking and talking. If vision does not develop efficiently, even a bright child can have difficulties with reading, writing, spelling and math.

One out of four children has a vision problem which interferes with their ability to learn efficiently and achieve in school.

Most school screenings only check how clear a child sees. Unfortunately, most of the kids impacted by inefficient visual skills pass this type of school screening. The children who fail school screenings actually tend to be the high achievers in the classroom.

Treatment for inefficient visual skills can be in the form of lenses, developmental guidance or an individualized vision therapy treatment program. Vision therapy re-organizes neural pathways by building new synapses, thereby affecting the patterning of the brain.

According to the California Department of Youth Authority, 70% of juvenile delinquents tested have vision problems affecting learning. When optometric vision therapy was performed on incarcerated youths, recidivism reduced from 45% to 16% at the Regional Youth Education Facility in San Bernardino, CA.The best way to treat a problem is to prevent it before it occurs.

A developmental vision problem can be diagnosed during the pre-school years and can often be corrected before the child enters school. Children do not grow out of vision problems. Children with vision problems become adults with vision problems.

The Vision Council of America recommends that children’s vision be examined before the age of 1, again at age 3 and 5 or before starting school. From the age of 6 through adult, everyone should have an annual exam. There are checklists that will indicate eye problems. (Please see the page on this site titled VISUAL.)

A checklist does not take the place of a comprehensive vision examination by a behavioral optometrist. If you have concerns about your vision, it is recommended that you rule out a vision problem by getting a comprehensive vision exam.

Remember, not all eye care professionals emphasize the function of vision. You want to be tested for both “eyesight” and “vision” to determine not only eye health, how clear you see and if you need glasses, but how efficient your visual system is working. Ask your eyecare professional if they evaluate at least the following visual skills:

• Eye tracking (eye movement control)
• Focusing near to far
• Sustaining clear focus up close
• Eye Teaming Ability
• Depth Perception
• Visual Motor Integration
• Visual Form Perception
• Visual Memory

To find a behavioral optometrist in your area, visit the College of Optometrists in Vision Development’s (COVD) website at COVD

and click on Find a Doctor. Also you may go to Parents Awareness for Vision Education’s (PAVE) website at P.A.V.E.

  Vision and Learning

Authored by:

Mary McMains, O.D., M.Ed.
Insight Vision Development Center – Family Optometry
4135 54th Place
San Diego, CA 92105
Ph 619-229-9767
Fx 619-229-2145
questions@insightvision.org

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Facts About Vision

- Vision is a dynamic, always changing process of organizing, interpreting and understanding what is seen. It is a process that integrates sensory and motor information generated by the brain and body to derive meaning and direct movement.

- Vision is so complicated it involves at least 20 visual abilities learned and developed from our experiences interacting with our environment since birth. Experience is vital to vision development.

- Between 15-20,000 impulses per second are received by the brain through all of our senses combined at any one moment in time. Of these impulses, 80% are received through the visual system.

- Vision involves 65%-70% of all pathways of your brain.

- There are more areas of the brain dedicated to vision than ALL the other sense modalities combined (including auditory!).

- Scientists have identified at least 35 separate areas of the brain which are primarily or totally involved with the processing of visual information.

- There are at least 305 intra-cortical pathways linking to the 35 areas. Every lobe of the cerebral cortex is involved in the processing of visual information or carrying out visual tasks.

- When looking specifically at the visual pathway it is both a feed forward process and a feedback process. “The eyes don’t tell us what to see, the brain tells our eyes what to looks for.” – Larry MacDonald.
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Important Visual Skills Needed for Optimal Academic Performance VISUAL PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL

VISUAL ACUITY

This is a measure of eyesight, or how clearly you see and influenced by eye structure, stress and the focusing system. It is the ability to identify a shape of a certain size at a certain distance. Visual acuity affects how clearly one might see chalkboards, movies, television, charts, etc. It gives no information on whether or not meaning is obtained from what is seen.

The Snellen fraction (20/20, etc.) is a measure of the sharpness of sight.

REFRACTIVE STATUS - EYE STRUCTURE

The detection of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and/or astigmatism. Refractive status is influenced by vision development, adaptation to environmental stress, and hereditary factors. It affects how clearly you see or how hard you work to see clearly.

Signs/Symptoms of Problems with Refractive Status or Visual Acuity:


•Blurred Vision
•Headaches
•Frequent eye rubbing
•Frequent red eyes


OCULAR MOTILITY - EYE MOVEMENT CONTROL

The ability to quickly and accurately move both eyes from place to place as well as smoothly track an object.

Signs/Symptoms of Poor Eye Movement Control:

•Use of a finger or marker when reading
•Loss of place when reading
•Difficulty copying from the board
•Skipping or repeating words
•Head movement side to side while reading
•Difficulty in sports

ACCOMMODATION - FOCUSING ABILITY

Efficient academic and athletic performance depends on the ability to focus the eyes rapidly and automatically, regardless of the working distance to make targets clear. Activities such as reading and writing require the ability to sustain and maintain prolonged focus up close. Copying from one place to another requires a change in accommodative focus that is rapid and efficient. Visual focus is also intimately related to the ability to sustain visual attention.
 

                                                    Diagram of the Brain

Signs/Symptoms of Focusing Difficulties:

•Excessive time completing assignments
•Excessive time copying from the board
•Daydreaming
•Avoiding close work
•Blurring of print
•Fatigue
•Headaches
•Eyes “hurt” or “tired”
•Reduction of comprehension when reading
•Reading slowly
•Short attention span
•Vocalizes when reading “silently”


BINOCULAR INTEGRATION - EYE TEAMING ABILITY

The ability to use both eyes together smoothly, equally, simultaneously and accurately in order to keep objects single. This ability is intimately related to eye movement control and focusing ability.

Signs/Symptoms of Poor Eye Teaming:

•Double vision
•Words moving around on a page
•Motion Sickness
•Difficulty catching/hitting a ball
•Decreased depth perception
•Inefficient eye-hand or eye-body coordination
•Short attention span for near work
•Headaches
•Closing or covering of one eye
•Excessive blinking
•Holding a book too close
•Poor handwriting
•Reduced reading comprehension


VISUAL FORM REPRODUCTION & PERCEPTION

The ability of the visual system to process information by looking at how to recognize and copy forms. Good visual perception is essential for quick and accurate identification and discrimination of objects, for comparing similarities and differences, recognizing and generalizing forms, and coming to valid conclusions based on the accurate analysis of available visual information.

Signs/Symptoms of poor visual form perception:

• Frustration with letter and word recognition
• Poor letter formation and spacing
• Avoidance of written work
• Poor motor coordination
• Poor reading comprehension
• Confuses letters or words
• Reads slowly

VISUAL PROCESSING

Good visual thinking and visual-verbal-auditory-tacile integration is essential for academic success. The following are important skills that should be mastered by kindergarten:

• Visual Discrimination: The ability to visually discriminate similarities anddifferences.
• Visual Memory: The ability to remember the characteristics of a given formafter a brief presentation.
• Visual Spatial Relationships: The ability to see differences among forms whenall or a part of a form has a different spatial orientation.
• Visual Form Constancy: The ability to see the essential elements of a form, and identify them within other forms that may be smaller, larger, rotated, reversed or hidden within other designs.
• Visual Sequential Memory: The ability to remember for immediate recall a series of forms in their specific order of presentation.
• Visual Figure Ground: The ability to perceive a form, and to locate it when embedded within other forms.
• Visual Directionality: The ability to correctly determine spatial directional properties of individuals, objects, and language symbols.
• Visual Motor Integration: The ability to take in, analyze, and reproduce visual information using paper and pencil.

EYE HEALTH

Don’t forget! It is always important to ensure that the eyes are healthy both inside and out. Many eye diseases are “silent” diseases where you do not know there is a problem until it is too late.

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Teacher Questionnaire

                                                                                                Family Optometry Clinical Director

                                                                        3355 Fourth Avenue, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 229-9767

                                                                                                        Teacher Questionnaire

To the teacher of_________________________________Grade_____School___________________________________________________________

The child named above is receiving vision care at our clinic. In order to address the impact of vision problems on classroom performance, we would like your observations of this child’s behavior in school. It has been shown that the teacher is frequently the best observer for identifying vision problems that tend to interfere with school work. The following checklist identifies many of the observable clues and symptoms that are often observed in a child with a vision problem. Please read through this list and check items that you have noted to occur frequently in this child’s case.


Appearance of Eyes

____Reddened eyes or lids
____Excessive tearing of eyes, or rubs eyes frequently
____Blinks excessively

Refractive Error or Eye Focusing (Accommodation) Problem

____Blinks eyes excessively during near tasks
____Frowns, scowls, or squints to see blackboard
____Avoids close work
____Fatigues easily during visual tasks
____Rubs eyes during or after visual activity
____Complains of blur while reading or writing
____Comprehension is poor when reading or performing near tasks

Eye Tracking (Ocular Motility) Problem

____Skips or rereads words or letters
____Rereads lines or phrases
____Mistakes words with similar beginnings or endings
____Uses finger or marker when reading
____Loses place often when reading
____Repeatedly omits “small” words
____Moves head excessively as reads across page

Eye Teaming (Binocularity) Problem

____Complains of seeing double
____Covers or closes one eye
____One eye turns (in, out, up, or down) at any time
____Excessive tearing of the eyes
____Tilts or turns head to one side excessively
____Squints, closes, or covers one eye
____Complains of letters or lines “floating,”“running together,” or “jumping around”
____Reports confusion of what is seen

Visual Information-Processing Problem

____Confuses similar words
____Fails to recognize same word in next sentence
____Confuses minor likenesses and differences
____Makes errors in copying from chalkboard or reference book to notebook
____Difficulty copying from the chalkboard
____Difficulty following verbal instructions
____Difficulty completing assignment in time allotted
____Poor printing or handwriting
____Short attention span; distractible
____Says words aloud or moves lips as reads
____Reverses letters, numbers, or words
____Poor ability to remember what is read
____Poor eye-hand coordination
____Repeatedly confuses right-left directions
____School performance not up to potential
____Poor recall of visually-presented tasks


Please comment on the following:

1. Does this child have any academic problems? Yes_____ No_____If so, please explain (e.g., subject material, behavior, etc.)

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2. Is (s)he in the top third, middle third, or lower third of his/her class?

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3. How does academic achievement compare with potential?
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4. At what grade level does this child read?

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5. Please check any areas of difficulty:

_____ Vocabulary _______ Word Recognition _____ Oral Reading
_____ Reading Rate _____ Interpretation _________ Silent Reading
_____ Attention _________Comprehension ________Memory
_____ Math Skills ________Spelling _____ _________Written Work

6. Do you feel that there are any factors that may be interfering with academic achievement?

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7. Any other observations and/or comments which you feel may be beneficial to us would be appreciated.

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May we contact you if further information is required; if so, please provide a telephone number at which you can be reached.

Teacher ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone Numbers____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Name_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________ State ______________________________________Zip____________________________________
 
Signature_______________________________________________Date_______________________________________________________________

I hereby give my consent to release the above information

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Vision Screening Questionnaire

                                                                                                        Mary McMains, O.D., M.Ed.
                                                                                                Robert B. Sanet, O.D., F.C.O.V.D.
                                                                                               Insight Vision Development Center
                                                                                                    An Optometric Corporation
                                                                                  3355 Fourth Avenue, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92103
                                                                                            Phone: 619-229-9767, Fax: 619-229-2145
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Please fill out this questionnaire CAREFULLY and COMPLETELY. Next, return it to the above address prior to the screening. Your child will be unable to participate in the free screening without a completed questionnaire.

General Information

Child's full name:_____________________________________ male___ female___

Birth Date:_______________ Age:____ years____ months____ Home Phone:____________

Home address: _________________________________________Other Phone:____________

_______________________________________________________Other Phone:___________

School Name:___________________________________________Grade:_________________

School Address:_________________________________________Teacher:_______________

________________________________________________________Principal:______________

Resource Teacher:_______________________________________School Nurse:__________

Others (please list names and title): ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

How did you hear about this vision screening? _____________________________________

Family Information

Father's Name:_________________________Father's Occupation:______________________

Mother's Name: ________________________Mother's Occupation:_____________________

Other Caregiver:_______________________Caregiver's Occupation:___________________

Brothers/Sisters:_______________________Birth Date:___________Age:________________

________________________ _____________ _______________

________________________ _____________ _______________

________________________ _____________ _______________

Visual History

Has your child had a comprehensive vision exam before? ____Yes _____No

Eye Doctor's Name:_________________________________Date of Last Visit: _____________


Reason for Exam:__________________________________Results:______________________


Where glasses prescribed? _____Yes ____No Purpose? ___Distance ___Near ___Both

Are glasses worn at this time? ___Yes ____No When? ___Distance ___Near ___Both

Has any other immediate family member had a vision exam? ____Yes ___No

Name: ____________________________Reason why:_________Results_________________

Name:_____________________________Reason why:_________Results_________________

Present Situation

Does your child report any of the following? If yes, when?

Headaches ___Yes ___No __________________________________

Blurred Vision ___Yes ___No _______________________________

Double Vision ___Yes ___No________________________________


Eyes 'hurt' or 'tired' ___Yes ___No____________________________

Words move around on the page ___Yes___No_________________

Motion Sickness (including the car) ___Yes ___No_______________

List any other visual complaints your child has made:___________

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Have you ever noticed the following: If yes, when?

Frequent red eyes ___Yes___No______________________________

Frequent eye rubbing ___Yes___No___________________________


Closing or covering an eye ___Yes___No______________________


Head close to paper when readin/writing ___Yes___No__________

Tilting head when reading/writing ___Yes___No________________

Head moving when reading ___Yes___No_____________________

Confuses letters or words ___Yes___No______________________

Reverses letters or words ___Yes___No______________________

Skips, rereads or omits words ___Yes___No___________________


Loses place while reading ___Yes___No______________________

Vocalizes when reading 'silently' ___Yes___No________________

Reads slowly ___Yes___No_________________________________

Uses finger as a marker when reading ___Yes___No____________

Poor reading comprehension ___Yes___No____________________

Writes or prints poorly ___Yes___No__________________________


Tires easily ___Yes___No___________________________________

Avoids near tasks ___Yes___No_____________________________

Short attention span ___Yes___No___________________________

Poor motor coordination ___Yes___No________________________

Difficulty catching/hitting a ball ___Yes___No___________________


School work is: ___ Above average ___Average ___Below Average

Homework takes a long time: ___Yes___No

Do you feel your child is achieving yo his/her potential? ___Yes___No

Does the teacher feel your child is achieving to his/her potential? ___Yes___No

Does your Child like to read? ___Yes___No Is he/she reading voluntarily? ___Yes___No

Give a brief description of your child as a person:_________________________________________________________________________________


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Quality of Life Checklist


College Of Optometrists in Vision Development (C.O.V.D.)

Quality of Life Check List

Patient's Name:___________________Age:____ Date:___________

Circle the number that best represents the occurrence of each symptom. If applicable, please complete with your child's input.

Completed by:____________________________________________




 

Symptoms	Never	Seldom	Occasionally	Frequently	Always	Score
Blur when looking at near
Double vision, doubled or overlapping words on page
Headaches while or after doing near vision work
Words appear to run together while reading
Burning, itching or watery eyes
Falls asleep while reading
Seeing and visual work is worse at the end of the day
Skips or repeats lines while reading
Dizziness or nausea while doing near work
Head tilts or one eye is closed when reading
Difficulty copying from the classroom board
Avoids doing near vision work such as reading
Omits (drops out) small words while reading
Writes up or down hill
Misaligns digits or columns of numbers
Reading comprehension low, or declines as day wears on
Poor, inconsistence performance in sports
Holds book too close, leans too close to computer screen
Trouble keeping attention centered on reading
Difficulty completing assignments on time
First response is "I can't" before trying
Avoids sports and games, Poor hand/eye coordination, such as poor handwriting
Does not judge distances accurately
Clumsy, accident prone, knocks things over
Does not use or plan his/her time well
Does not count or make change well
Loses belongings and things
Car or motion sickness
Forgetful, poor memory
Other Comments					Total Score
20-24 points= Suspect
25 points or more Refer for Care

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An Epidemic

25% of ALL children have a vision problem significant to affect their performance in school. National Center for Health Statistics

Vision disorders are the fourth most common disability in the United States and the most prevalent handicapping condition in the world. Between 8-12 million children are affected. American Foundation for Visual Awareness

Almost the entire increase in special education enrollments can be attributed to a rise in one category, called specific learning disability, which more than tripled from 1.8% to 6%. The Commonwealth Foundation

The total number of students with disabilities is estimated at over 6.5 million students for 2003. This equates to a total appropriation of $19.5 billion in fiscal year 2003-nearly $12 billion more than the amount appropriated for the current year. Democratic House Appropriations Committee

Research on Vision & Learning

Studies show that many visual difficulties are related to reading disability. As many as 80% of children who are reading disabled have a vision deficiency in one or more basic visual skills.

Visual performance was significantly related to reading performance even in children of average intelligence in kindergarten and first grade children.

80% of learning that occurs in the educational environment is received through the visual pathways.

Vision is almost always overlooked by parents and educators as one of the roadblocks a child may be encountering. Only 14% of children have had a comprehensive vision exam by first grade.

Impact

Approximately 50% of the nation's unemployed youth ages 16-21 are functionally illiterate with virtually no prospects of obtaining good jobs. U.S. Department of Education

70% of juvenile delinquents tested have vision problems, which interfere with their ability to learn. California Department of Youth Authority

60% of America's prison inmates are illiterate. U.S. Department of Education

The cost of illiteracy to the taxpayer is 20 billion dollars per year. United Way

Solution: Vision Therapy

In a two-year study of thirty-six children diagnoses as having visual and/or perceptual disorders the SOLUTION: VISION THERAPY

In a two-year study of thirty-six children diagnoses as having visual and/or perceptual disorders and attending a private school learning disabled children, statistical analysis indicated that the group that received vision therapy made significant gains in reading as compared to the control group. – Seiderman

One hundred and twenty children with reading disability were tested extensively, matched and randomly divided into three groups: orthoptic/vision therapy, conventional (reading tutoring), and no-treatment control. Of 109 children who finished treatment, 15% reported little or no improvement at school. But 85% reported improvement in one or more aspects as school: reading, concentration, spelling, handwriting and copying from the blackboard. - AtzmonYoung children were assessed longitudinally every six months from the ages of 12 to 42 months. The results showed positive and significant correlations between visual skills and intellectual development during infancy and the preschool years. - Gottfried

Recidivism reduced from 45% to 16% when wards received on-site optometric vision therapy at the Regional Youth Education Facility in San Bernardino, CA. - Bleything

Research shows success rates for vision therapy vary depending on the level of involvement of the visual problems. General binocular and accommodative disorders have been shown to have a success rate between 80-96%. For strabismus and amblyopia, a 65-86% long-term success rate has been shown. –AOA Vision Development/Performance Task Force

They almost slipped through the cracks…

After her 1st two weeks in kindergarten, McKenna was tested and labeled learning disabled. Although a previous eye test was passed with flying colors, McKenna’s mom came to Insight Vision for a comprehensive vision exam.

“With vision therapy, McKenna has overcome so much and is now writing and drawing. Her balance is much improved, and she is much more confident. McKenna is now the top group instead of the bottom group. We are so proud and grateful.” – Tracy, mom to McKenna, age 6

“We never knew that our son, Jackson, had a vision problem until he had his annual checkup before he turned 5. He was so farsighted in his left eye that he never used it. He never had binocular vision. (We started him in vision therapy) and hoped his vision would improve. We did not expect to see his personality blossom in the way that it has. Thank you so much Dr. McMains and all the Insight Vision therapy staff. We are grateful for all the help for Jackson and our family. –Tor and Susan, parents of Jackson, age 5

“What a miracle this 6 months has been. In September, Jonathan’s IEP graded him at third grade reading and second grade writing. For his high school transition testing, Jonathan has been graded at seventh grade reading! A FOUR YEAR JUMP IN 6 MONTHS!!! We cannot express our debt of gratitude.” – Debbie, Mother to Jonathan, age 15

MORE SUCCESS STORIES

I am 15 years old in the 8th grade. I couldn’t read and write. Because of this, it made me feel frustrated. I know I was smarter than this. I have always had modified work, but next year I will know what it is like to be in all regular classes. After six months of vision therapy, I feel like I have improved a lot. My reading and writing is easier. My handwriting is nicer. I enjoy reading magazines, Internet stuff and music. It is not frustrating anymore. – Jonathan Van CampBefore starting vision therapy, Melissa was reading at a 3rd grade level. We had been trying all types of reading strategies, programs and tutoring. The tutoring gave her limited help and improvement. However, Melissa still had difficulty with her homework. Especially troubling to me was her not reading any books. She soon lost the will to even try. Now, Melissa picks out books and reads both aloud or to herself with much enjoyment. Melissa now reads at a 6th grade level. She is in 5th grade and will start 6th grade next year prepared and happy. – Annette Farrior

My daughter’s reading ability has jumped by four grade levels. Her confidence and ability to interact with others has increased as well. If you had asked her a year ago if she liked reading, she would have told you it was last on her list of fun things to do. NOW, I can hardly get her nose out of her books. She has graduated from [vision therapy], and is now helping me with my vision therapy. – Carol Field

I had trouble in school and fell behind, even though I was bright and had obvious vision problems, I was put in special education classes and labeled hyperactive. The school psychologist's answer was medication, sound familiar? By the time I was 15 I needed another surgery, my doctor said this patter would continue for my entire life. I was a photo restoration and portrait artist but had to quit because of my double vision. I was forced to continue with massive amounts of prism lenses. II would trip, run into things, and stab myself in the lip with my fork. I was so stressed when I drove that I would slam on my brakes when I thought something was in front of me, usually it was not even close. I am happy to say that even though I have not yet graduated from [vision therapy], most of my goals have already been met. In my case, every other treatment was only a temporary, cosmetic solution, my vision problems were never truly addressed until I came [here]. Vision therapy has dramatically improved my ability to perceive the world around me and therefore greatly improved my life. – Carol Field

McKenna was chronically sick with ear infections and asthma from birth until 2 years old. This left her with hearing, speech, and language delays which she overcame with therapy from age 3 to 4 ½ years. [In kindergarten} the teacher after the 1st two weeks of school asked to start keeping her after school to work with her – McKenna’s fine motor skills were weak and she couldn’t remember letters and numbers and what they looked like. I had McKenna’s eyes tested previously and was told her eyes were healthy and normal. But when we came in for the initial eye exam [at the Insight Vision Development Center] it was very clear that McKenna’s left eye was moving slower than her right, and with all the testing that was done it was evident McKenna was in the right place. With over one year of vision therapy, home exercises and re-testing, McKenna has overcome so much and is now writing and drawing, her balance is much improved, and she is much more confident than she was last year…McKenna is now in the top group instead of the bottom group. [She] is writing, able to do her math and all the table work with great accuracy and has tested above grade level. We are so proud and grateful – Mrs. Tracy Ducharme
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WHAT IS VISION?



Definition

Vision is a dynamic, always changing process of organizing, interpreting and understanding what is seen. It is a process that integrates sensory and motor information generated by the brain and body to derive meaning and direct movement.

Vision is so complicated it involves 20 visual abilities and more than 65% of all pathways to the brain. Scientists have identified 35 separate areas of the brain which are primarily or totally involved with the processing of visual information.

Vision is an important part of classroom learning. The visual system is a significant part of how we process information and a key factor in how we learn. 80% of what you perceive, comprehend and remember depends on the visual system.

Vision allows us to take what we see and process this light information so we can -

• Identify what we see by where it is, how far away it is, how big it is, how fast it is moving, what texture it has, etc.
• Store this current information for future retrieval.
• Integrate the sight information with all our other senses - touch, hearing, taste and smell.
• Compare this information to previously stored information in order to confirm prior experience or reconstruct a prior experience if necessary.
• Derive meaning from both the new information and past information.
• Decide the relationship between where we are and where it is, or find out where we are in space.
• Act on this new meaning.
• Use this new perception to direct movement or thought.

It takes more energy to use an inefficient visual system than it does an efficient one.

Although 25% of ALL children have a vision problem significant enough to affect their performance in school, according to research on just learning disabled populations, the number of kids with significant learning related vision problems can soar closer to 85%.

These visual deficits can be successfully remediated.
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Vision Therapy Scholarship Information By Insight Vision Center for Examination and Therapy at Insight vision Clinic Only

Applications:
P.O. Box 985
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 619-229-3966 Telephone 619-229-2145 Fax
 

Approximate Scholarship Numbers for a Family of Five:

If you earn:

$45,000 you pay $25.00 per visit
$56,000 you pay $50.00 per visit
$67,000 you pay $75.00 per visit
$79,000 you pay $100.00 per visit
Speak with John Walker about your personal situation.

Mission and Inspiration

The Mission

The Insight Vision Center Sponsorship Program provides patients with comprehensive vision examinations and vision therapy through interaction with the schools and community. Our goal is to help students develop the necessary visual abilities for learning, “Giving Opportunity for Life-Changing Vision Therapy.”

The Inspiration

Opening the Insight Vision Center had been a personal quest for Don & Ann Walker, John Walker, and Dr. Robert Sanet. All four people were touched by vision training and learning related vision problems in different ways. Dr. Sanet was a recipient of vision therapy and then went on to become a Behavioral Optometrist with a goal of “helping a million people.” John Walker was one of the “million people” who was helped by Dr. Sanet. John moved on to graduate from college using the words he once fought to read. Don & Ann Walker supported their son, John, through the difficulties of a learning disability and discovered how to guide him through his vision therapy program. As a Kindergarten teacher for 42 years, Ann worked with many children helping them to overcome their learning disabilities.

The Inspiration

Opening the Insight Vision Center had been a personal quest for Don & Ann Walker, John Walker, and Dr. Robert Sanet. All four people were touched by vision training and learning related vision problems in different ways. Dr. Sanet was a recipient of vision therapy and then went on to become a Behavioral Optometrist with a goal of “helping a million people.” John Walker was one of the “million people” who was helped by Dr. Sanet. John moved on to graduate from college using the words he once fought to read. Don & Ann Walker supported their son, John, through the difficulties of a learning disability and discovered how to guide him through his vision therapy program. As a Kindergarten teacher for 42 years, Ann worked with many children helping them to overcome their learning disabilities.

The Center

The Walker family founded the Insight Vision Center in July 2000 as the first nonprofit Vision Center on the West Coast. The Center sponsors high-risk educationally and financially disadvantaged students with vision related learning problems. Due to the high cost of vision care, these students would not otherwise be able to afford detection and remediation services.

It is tragic that millions of students are going without treatment for their vision problems due to economic hardship. Research shows that children who cannot overcome their learning difficulties are far more likely to under perform in school, develop low self-esteem, and engage in negative behaviors, all of which can produce devastating consequences to society.

The Insight Vision Center believes that by offering the opportunity for vision therapy to as many people as possible, our society will be the better for it. While we help more citizens reach their full potential, we are improving overall education in the community at large.

With every precious life that is changed, A lifetime of lives are enriched.
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VISUAL INFORMATION PROCESSING EVALUATION

Due to the patient’s academic challenges, in-depth testing of Visual Information Processing ability is

indicated. This evaluation will involve a standardized battery of tests that assess visual perception. The

results are scored at age or grade equivalents, which identify the patient’s strengths or weaknesses in visual

processing abilities.

Included in the evaluation are the following services:

1. INITIAL EVALUATION: An evaluation of external and internal eye health, color vision and visual field

evaluation, refraction for optical prescription, evaluation of the functional visual abilities of oculomotor

control (eye tracking), accommodative ability (focusing), binocular control (eye teaming ability) and

stereopsis (binocular depth perception), and primitive reflex testing as it relates to overall vision development.

2. SUPPLEMENTAL TESTING: The purpose of this testing is to determine how the visual system processes

information, how vision integrates with the other sense modalities, and to determine whether vision

is supporting or interfering with performance to full potential. Some of the areas that will be evaluated include:

• Visual Discrimination: The ability to visually discriminate similarities and differences.

• Visual Memory: The ability to remember the characteristics of a given form after a brief presentation.

• Visual Spatial Relationships: The ability to see differences among forms when all or part of a form has a

  different spatial orientation.

• Visual Form Constancy: The ability to see the essential elements of a form, and identify them within other

  forms that may be smaller, larger, rotated, reversed or hidden within other designs.

• Visual Sequential Memory: The ability to remember for immediate recall a series of forms in their specific

  order of presentation.

• Visual Figure Ground: The ability to perceive a form, and to locate it when embedded within other forms.

 
• Visual Directionality: The ability to correctly determine spatial directional properties of individuals, objects

  and language symbols.

• Visual Motor Integration: The ability to take in, analyze, and reproduce visual information using paper and

 pencil.

3. REPORT: A comprehensive report will be prepared at the completion of this testing. This report will detail

the testing performed, the specific visual abilities evaluated, and how the patient performed. It will

discuss the implications of the visual dysfunction on performance in academic, sports and daily activities

and will make recommendations for remediation of the visual problems. At your request, copies of the

report will be made available to the school and other professionals currently caring for the patient.

4. CONFERENCE: An extended, in-depth conference with the doctor is scheduled to review the diagnostic

 findings, prognosis, therapeutic recommendations and to answer any questions and concerns you might

 have regarding the full evaluation. We require that ALL parents/guardians be present at this conference.