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I S I O N SN E W S L E T T E RIn this Issue:VOLUME 38, ISSUE 2 February 2008President’s MessagePresident’s MessageDan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCOVD—2—President’s Message(continued)—3—Is Your OfficeGiving Patientsthe Right Message?— 4 & 5—COVD’s Mission andHow Your DonationsHelp Us FulfillThat Mission—5—Team Vision4 Learning—6—Our Optometric Heritage—7—Therapists Corner—8—Upcoming MeetingsCollege of Optometristsin Vision Development215 W. Garfield RoadSuite 210Aurora, OH 44202888.268.3770 or330.995.0718 (voice)330.995.0719 (fax)info@covd.orgwww.covd.orgTriple ConvergenceBy now, we all realize the impact of theinternet on our lives and practices. The spreadof information on the digital “super highway”has changed fundamental communicationsand virtually erased physical barriers oftime and space. Your own personal use ofthe internet may be minimal or it could bea major part of your daily communication,from email correspondence to web-basedteleconferencing. The opportunity for ourcollective access of information has openedopportunities beyond anyone’s wildest dreamscompared to life only 15 years ago. This articlewill bring you up to date with how COVDis implementing web-based communicationsto better serve the needs of our members, theprofession of optometry, and the patients whoneed our care.In his national best-selling book, TheWorld is Flat, author Thomas Friedmanprovides an amazing overview of how theworld’s economies and geopolitics haveradically changed by the advent of the internetand the development of the technology thatenables us to use the internet for globalcollaboration at virtually little or no cost.Friedman describes this collaboration as the“Triple Convergence.”In Convergence 1, “flatteners” set the stageby creating the web-based internet softwaresystems and applications. In Convergence2, the technology set into motion theopportunity for communication to occurbeyond the confines of any one enterprise orinstitution (vertical collaboration) and openedup communication to involve individuals andgroups everywhere! Convergence 3 broughttogether Convergences 1 and 2 making itpossible for millions of people to use thistechnology and engage with one anotherin the global playing field for collaborativediscussion, or “horizontal collaboration.”So how does this Triple Convergenceaffect us? A personal case in point occurredfor me last week with a new patient whowas sitting in my examination chair. Thepatient was a 10-year-old boy, named Jimmy.Like so many others, Jimmy presented withthe hallmark symptoms of a vision relatedlearning problem which was confirmed bymy evaluation. What was unique about himis why and how his mother found our office.Jimmy had had a previous eye examinationwith the usual 20/20 diagnosis so at firsthis mom had no clue that there could be avision problem with her son. Jimmy was notreferred by a doctor, teacher, or local parent.His parents did not learn about us from anarticle in a newspaper or by picking up thetelephone book.In this case Jimmy’s family, who livesonly 10 miles away, found our practice viathe internet. But what led them to searchthe internet for my office? Jimmy washaving problems in school and his parentswere dissatisfied with the “solutions” theywere getting from the school system andJimmy’s pediatrician. Jimmy’s mom found asocial networking site on the internet whereconcerned parents like her husband and shecould discuss what was happening with theirchildren. She was instructed by other parentson the site, who were spread across the country,to give vision therapy a try.(continued on page 2)
VISIONSVOLUME 38, Issue 2Page President’s Message, continuedTriple Convergence played a signi f icant role in Jimmy’s mother’s ability tofind a doctor to treat her son. She wasable to go to the internet, find peoplewith a situation similar to their own,and find possible solutions to solve theirproblem.COVD is working to give moreparents the opportunity to exper i encehow Friedman’s Triple Convergence canlead them to finding solutions to theirchildren’s vision problems. We havedeveloped the Vision Developmentsblog that will provide easy and openaccess to the public and entire optometriccommunity for the purpose of providinggeneral patient care information.COVD is also implementing aplan to bring our members a variety ofnetworking opportunities. We began bycreating a new selection of COVD Blogsthat will bring you the latest informationon a variety of important topics.To address Clinical Care we havecreated the Diamonds and Pearls blogthat will provide you with an opportunityto link to new clinical care articles andopportunities to engage in discussionregarding clinical care.To give you practice managementpearls, we have developed the VTEconomics blog.For the latest in research we have theVision U blog.To help bring our Internationalmembers together we are creating theAround the World blog which willserve as the umbrella blog for a variety ofseparate international blog sites that willbe established for all regions around theworld from Europe, Canada, Mexico,South America, Australia and China.Our State Coordinators will havetheir own blog, Statements, to help themstay informed and remain proactive inaddressing the needs of our members atthe state level.By utilizing Friedman’s TripleConvergence through our new network ing blogs we hope to expand youropportunities for greater collaborationamong the entire membership, ophthal mic profession, and public so we can helpmore patients obtain the optometric carethey need. I envision stories like Jimmy’sbeing more commonplace in the verynear future. Be sure to watch for morenews on our blogs in upcoming emailnews briefs.COVD Blog AddressesVision Developments (public blog)http://covd.typepad.com/visiondevelopmentsThe Lighthouse: A Community of Leaders inVision Development http://covd.typepad.com/the lighthouseAround the World: The COVD International Bloghttp://covd.typepad.com/around the worldVisionU: The State of the Science of Visionhttp://covd.typepad.com/visionuDiamonds & Pearls: Tips to Improve Your Patient Care Todayhttp://covd.typepad.com/diamonds and pearlsVT Economics: Tips from Experts to BuildPractice Excellence http://covd.typepad.com/vt economicsStatements: The COVD State Coordinators Bloghttp://covd.typepad.com/statements2008 COVD Dr. Martin Kane Student Research AwardThe Dr. Martin Kane Student Research Award is offeredannually to the COVD Student or Resident member whodevelops the best research project on “Vision and Learning.”Established initially by the Kane family and friends, andCOVD colleagues, and funded by continuing contributions,the Award symbolizes the efforts of the late Dr. Martin Kane,COVD Board member and Editor Emeritus of the Journalof Optometric Vision Development. Dr. Kane did extensiveteaching, writing and lecturing on vision development,visual information processing and learning.The Award offers a plaque and a 500 stipend to helpdefray travel expenses to present the project at the ScientificPoster Session of the upcoming COVD Annual Meeting inRancho Mirage, CA, October 14-18, 2008.Deadline for submission to the COVD International Officeis April 30, 2008. Application and award information isavailable online at:www.covd.orgVISIONS is published by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). Editor: Brad Habermehl, O.D., FCOVD. ManagingEditor: Pamela R. Happ, CAE. Business office is located at 215 W. Garfield Road, Suite 210, Aurora, OH 44202, 330.995.0718. Subscriptions:VISIONS is published six times a year and distributed at no charge to members of COVD. Postage paid for a non-profit, tax-exempt organizationat Hanover, PA. Copyright 2008 by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. Advertising rates available upon request. COVD disclaimsresponsibility for opinions expressed by the authors.
Page VISIONSVOLUME 38, Issue 2Is Your Office Giving Patients the Right Message? By Toni BristolMany of you raised your fees inJanuary. When you raise your fees it isimportant to do a review of the qualityof your office appearance and anyhandouts or brochures that you givepatients. Do they represent the qualityof service one would expect for the feesyou are charging?Look over your brochure rack. Arethere any brochures which are leaningover, looking like they have seen betterdays? When is the last time you reviewedyour home vision therapy sheets? Areyou giving out copies of copies of copiesor are you giving patients good qualityprintouts? While you may not thinkparents give them much thought, aparent called P.A.V.E. a number of yearsago to complain that the quality of thehandouts at her doctor’s office was sopoor that she needed confirmation thatvision therapy was valid and asked for areferral to another doctor.Another area of your practice toreview is what message your VT equipment sends. How old is it? Do you haveenough of each piece of equipment forall the patients that are seen at one time?Do any of your patients have to wait foranother patient to finish so they can dotheir next activity? If you answered yesto any of these questions, it’s time toinvest in more equipment.Does your VT room look like you putit up overnight or does it have the sameprofessional image that the rest of youroffice has? For example, folding tablesare often very handy, but if that’s all youhave in your VT room, please considerinvesting in better quality tables. Foldingtables send a transient message.Other items to review include yourmessages on hold and your outgoingmessage on your voice mail. Are theyup to date? Does your outgoing messagestill give your holiday schedule?Take the time to do a review ofyour office, starting with your outsidepractice sign and your listing in thelobby directory. Pretend you are apatient coming to your office for theIs your reception area warm and inviting?Is your vision therapy room organized and does it look professional?first time and make a list of all thethings you need to upgrade. If you don’tsee anything, ask your spouse, or a goodfriend to come by and help you out.All of the above items send a messageto your patients; are they sending theright one? You take great pride in whatyou do, make sure every part of youroffice reflects this.Toni Bristol is an Affiliate Member of COVDand a Practice Management Consultant inMontrose, California.Photos courtesy of COVD Past President,Lynn F. Hellerstein, OD, FCOVD
VISIONSVOLUME 38, Issue 2Page COVD’s Mission and How Your Donations Help UsFulfill That Mission By Pamela R. Happ, CAEWhen your COVD Board firstconceived the idea of “getting theword out” so that vision therapy wouldno longer be one of the world’s bestkept secrets, they knew it would bechallenging. But they also knew thatgetting the word out would help COVDin fulfilling its mission. Our mission, toserve as an advocate for comprehensivevision care emphasizing a developmentaland behavioral approach, depends onthree vital areas: Breadth and depth of ourongoing research to support theefficacy of vision therapy Quality of the clinical careprovided by our members Extent of public and professionalrecognition and understandingof vision therapyWe support these areas in manydifferent ways. Following is a briefreview of how we are working to fulfillour mission and a recap of how yourfundraising dollars are being used inthese areas.Our journal, Optometry & VisionDevelopment, publishes timely andscien tifically sound information to ourmembers, while at the same timeexposing our membership to that whichis new and interesting. We continueto actively support a philosophy thatupholds all that is essential forthe behavioral, functional, anddevelopmental optometrist to practicehis or her art in an appropriate manner.Our certification programs includea rigorous evaluation of the eye careprofessional’s knowledge and abilities inproviding developmental and behavioralvision care for patients. Optometristswho successfully complete theircertification process are Board Certifiedin Vision Development and VisionTherapy and are designated Fellows ofCOVD (FCOVD). Vision therapistsare certified to work with COVDFellows as Certified OptometricVision Therapists (COVT). FCOVDsand COVTs are required to participatein professional continuing education(CE) to maintain and enhance theirknowledge and skills in behavioralvision care. COVD Associates who havenot completed the Fellowship processyet are also required to participate inCE activities.We provide the COVD ClinicalResearch Grant of up to 5,000 tosupport research related to oculomotor,binocular vision, visual informationprocessing, and learning-related visionproblems and vision therapy. Grantscan be used to initiate new research orsupport continuing research programs.The 2007 Grant was awarded to Dr.Christopher Chase. Not only does ourgrant support Dr. Chase’s research,but his research project, “AssessingAccommodation Dysfunction in CollegeStudents,” is creating opportunitiesfor students to participate in research,which will enhance their educationalexperience and give them practicallessons. Your donations to thePresident’s Research Fund helpsupport this grant.COVD also offers the Dr. MartinKane Student Research Award toencourage and recognize student andresident research on the relationship ofvision to learning. Your donations to thePresident’s Research Fund help supportthis award.Every year we offer Robert andMarge Wold Annual Meeting TravelGrants to students, residents, andfaculty of optometry schools whichhelp them offset the cost of attendingour annual meeting. Our AnnualMeeting is a great opportunity forresearchers to present their projectsand for optometrists and others in theophthalmic arena to share their insightwith others. Interest earned on thecontributions made to the SAFE Fundis used to pay these travel grants. Thisyear, COVD awarded 55 grants totaling 13,500.Our Tour de Optometry has beenphenomenally successful. The purposeof the Tour is to discuss with interestedstudents and faculty the growing needfor optometrists to provide pediatricand adult services in the areas of visiontherapy, vision rehabilitation and relatedfields. The goal is to foster interest instudents for this area of optometriccare and to provide information on theeducational programs and resourcesavailable through COVD that canassist them as students and after theygraduate. In addition to a generous 12,500 grant from the MountainStates Congress, donations made tothe Public Awareness Campaign areused to pay Tour expenses. Last year,the COVD Tour visited all 17 schoolsand colleges of optometry in the U.S.including Puerto Rico. Next year, wehope to extend the Tour to Canada.We have generated information andliterature that many of our membershave used in their cities and states toobtain local proclamations and mediacoverage. We highlight many of thoselocal stories in our email news briefs andVISIONS newsletter. Our bookmarksProven IncreasedTestabilityWhen testing young children,use the Best1155 Jansen Farm DriveElgin, IL 60123Toll-free: 800 362 3860 Fax: 888 362 2576www.good-lite.com
Page VISIONSCOVD’s Mission, continuedare a popular marketing tool used toeducate the public about the criticallink between vision and learning. Yourcontributions to our Public AwarenessCampaign are used to create, produce,and distribute the literature and national(and international) press releases.Our website is a major componentof helping us reach the public. Thisyear, our website underwent a majoroverhaul. Donations made to the PublicAwareness Campaign were used topay for this update and will be used tomaintain and continuously upgrade thesite. Features were added to the site tomake it “Google friendly” and searchablewhich help the public find our site moreoften than in the past.We have invested in ads and PSAs(Public Service Announcements) thathelp parents and patients identify thatthey need your services. Our goal hasbeen to reduce the number of childrenand adults who struggle needlesslybecause no one ever mentioned tothem that vision beyond eyesight isworth looking into. Again, your PublicAwareness Campaign donations payfor these ads and announcements.Your donations are being used inmany wonderful ways and are helpingus make a lasting impact. Imagine thereturn on your financial donation whenpatients don’t look at you like you’refrom Mars when you discuss visiontherapy with them — and are morereceptive to your recommendationswhen vision therapy is something thathas been reinforced positively throughthe media and on the internet.Thank you so very much foryour generosity and for making adifference in thousands of childrenand adult’s lives. We look forward toyour continued financial support of theCOVD programs and welcome yourcomments and suggestions.Pam Happ is the Executive Director of COVDand works with her staff at the InternationalOffice located in Aurora, OH.VOLUME 38, Issue 2Team Vision 4 LearningCompletes Tucson MarathonOn December 2nd, Team Vision 4Learning competed in the 2007 TucsonMarathon. Tennille Murphy, COVT,in the office of Dr. Robert J. Esposito,FCOVD, organized the team. As per Ms.Murphy, “The run went well! We had 2relay teams and 2 marathoners finish the26.2 miles.” This race was Tennille’s 8thmarathon.Team Vision 4 Learning raised 2,631 for COVD’s Public AwarenessCampaign. The purpose of their runwas to help make vision a priority. Teammembers from the office were: Neha V.Amin, O.D., FAAO, Dr. Esposito’s wife,Patti, Vivian Gonzalez, Sonia Jansen,Tennille Murphy, COVT, and LynnieYazzie; and additionally, four friends:Kim, Kierstin, Gai, and Jamey.COVD thanks Team Vision 4Learning for their continued supportand also thanks those who sponsored theteam with their donations.{{Team Vision 4 Learning Donors:Two anonymousdonorsJim AndreasDavid BoleyRondey BortelThomas BranerKristin BurnsDallas CaldwellCamille ChungMario CortesNick DespotidisRobert EspositoDiane EvangerVeronika FontaineDave & Deena GibsonLynn HellersteinCindi HernandezSue HutchisonClarenceria JacksonJeremie JamesMichele JankeKisha KalahikiDoug LaCorteVivian LaCorteDixie LombardoMichael LombardoGina MadeyaJon NielsonSarah PaikowskyShilpa & Shital PatelDale PattersonJoanne RoeJeri SchneebeckCorinna ShelleyBob StrohbehnNancy TorgersonRoy VanstelleGary WilliamsCJ WrenFannie Yazzie
VISIONSVOLUME 38, Issue 2Page Our Optometric Heritage By Albert A. Sutton, OD, MS, FCOVDIn the previous issue of VISIONS,we presented two photos of an infantin Ireland. These were before and afterpictures showing the progress made asa result of developmental anti-gravitytherapy.The infant has developmentaldelays that started during the mother’spregnancy. The first picture shows theinfant on his tummy for the first time.Our suggestion had been that he be placedon his tummy as much as possible foranti-gravity therapy. Though he had notdeveloped enough tonus to fight gravity,the picture indicates that he seems to betrying to achieve anti-gravity.Development of tonus begins inutero to build readiness for the impactof gravity at delivery. Activity for boththe mother and the fetus is importantto achieve the tonus for readiness that isnecessary for anti-gravity after delivery.The developmental delay causeda lack of tonus. As a result, he did nothave the readiness to achieve the antigravity necessary for him to be able toraise his head and move his body ordevelop his vision.Movement therapy was necessaryfor him to develop the needed tonus.The learning experience to developtonus and movement involves mentallearning for movement and vision.At the time we received theResearch Fellowship Grant from theGesell Institute, we did not realize wewere receiving a lifetime of knowledge.Each bit of information received fromthe research at the Institute gave mebetter insight into my patients.The studies with Drs. Gesell andGery Getman gave further under standing of the relationship of thedevelopment of vision with theneurological development of thechild. It became more evident that thedevelopment of anti-gravity movementwas mental and physical as well asvisual.The Pre-School Study at the GesellInstitute was in progress at the timewe arrived. Dr. Richard Appel wasa member of the research group forthis study. Our daughter, Terry, wasevaluated by the team and entered preschool along with other children. Thepre-school was a wonderful laboratory.We were able to study the general andspecific movements of anti-gravity ofthe children in their activities. Duringtheir activities of walking, hopping,skipping forward and backward, andin circles and varied directions, itbecame evident that the activities werevisually directed and visually guidedwith visual memory. The Pre-SchoolStudy evaluated the child’s abilityto Visualize, Organize, Verbalize,and Mentally Guide Movement. Itpresented the knowledge that mentalmovement and visual development canprovide a child with a Head Start forGreater Learning.When the five-year study of childdevelopment was completed, Dr.Getman returned to his practice inLuvern, Minnesota. As he evaluatedhis various child patients, he realizedthat he needed to know more about thedevelopment of the infant. So began his“Study of Infant Development.”Gery’s great ability with theretinoscope was his biggest asset forthis job. As the infant cannot respondto questions, he found the answers inthe retinoscope. The responses to hisquestions were in the colors of the retina.The brightness, the dullness and thevarious changes gave him answers. Herealized that movementwas the key to growthand development of theinfant. With furtherinvestigation, it becameevident that an activemother helped the fetusto begin to develop tonusbefore delivery. If, forsome reason, the motherwas inactive or if therewere other interferences,then the development ofmovement was important for the infantto build tonus as soon as possible to beable to achieve anti-gravity.Gery shared the results of hisStudy of Infant Development throughclasses at his office in Luvern. I wasamong those invited to his first class.The knowledge he shared filled animportant gap in our understandingof our patients. The value of thisknowledge was never more evidentthan when asked for help for theinfant in Ireland.This was a big challenge. As we couldnot evaluate through direct contact, weobtained as much information as wecould by studying the case history ofthe infant. We drew as much knowledgeas possible of the beginnings anddevelopment of the infant and child.Along with all that had been learnedthrough working with patients, whatwere most helpful were the two studiesby Gesell and Getman, the “Study ofChild Development” and the “Studyof Infant Development.” It has been areward to take the time to receive theknowledge these great men have given.But, most of all, it was a great joy to seethe improvement that our infant fromIreland has achieved.Dr. Sutton is a Fellow Emeritus of COVDand resides in Tamarac, Florida.
Page VISIONSVOLUME 38, Issue 2Therapists Corner By Linda Sanet, COVTMary LuWe inherited Mary Lu from anoptometrist who was moving to anotherstate and who needed to find an officeto continue treatment for her patients.Mary Lu is a beautiful, soft-spoken,60-year-old woman who is quiteaccomplished, and who leads a veryinteresting and “eclectic” life. She is anaccountant and an artist; she reads andplays Japanese music. She is open toanything and everything that might beinteresting or enrich her life in any way.When I asked Mary Lu why shehad begun VT one of the things shetold me was that she felt a “disconnect”between the two sides of her brain, andas a musician, this bothered her. As sheexplained it to me, Japanese music isextremely difficult to read, as it is notwritten with “notes” like the traditionalmusic we know, and is written vertically.She loses her place among the symbols,and the rhythm patterns are extremelycomplex. She told me that she can workon a piece for more than a year andstill not master it. She felt that visualtherapy could be a way to help herresolve this issue so that she could bea better musician and enjoy her musicmore. Interestingly, Mary Lu finds themetronome in the VT room extremelyirritating and disruptive. Frequently shewill ask me to turn it off.One of the wonderful things aboutworking with Mary Lu is that, althoughshe has goals, she is not in any rush toget to them. She enjoys the process. Inever have to think about changingactivities because she might be getting“bored” or tired of them; she will oftenrequest to continue an activity longafter it seems “mastered.”Mary Lu has been working on the“Bug Walk” level of the Brock Stringfor more than 6 months. Her eyemovements were smooth and controlleda long time ago, but she wants tocontinue. She enjoys this activity,says it grounds her, and helps her tounderstand where things are in space.She thinks it has helped her music.Recently Mary Lu requested towork on an activity that was new to her.I had concerns that she might have somechallenges with the accommodativeaspect because of her age and becauseshe refuses to wear glasses of any kind.But I was wrong. She continued to beable to keep the tiny targets clear andsingle, no matter how I increased theprismatic demand of the targets. WhenI asked her if she found the activitystressful in any way, she told me, thatquite the contrary, it was very easy. “AllI had to do was figure out where inspace I had to look, and everything elsewould fall into place.”Dr. Robert Kraskin proposed thatany visual therapy activity might beTHE activity that helped a person altertheir vision in a profound manner. Thereis no “magic” within the procedureitself, but only in how the person useswhat is available within that procedure.Working on the Bug Walk is creatingthis meaningful experience for Mary Lu.Linda Sanet is a Certified OptometricVision Therapist in the office of Dr. Robert B.Sanet, FCOVD in Lemon Grove, CA.Apply NOW for2008 Research Grant AwardsApplications for COVD 2008 Research Grants foroptometrists, optometric educators, and other visionscientists are now available at:www.covd.orgGrants of up to 5,000 are available to supportresearch related to oculomotor, binocular vision,visual information processing, and learning-relatedvision problems and vision therapy. Grants can beused to initiate new research or support continuingresearch programs.The deadline for receipt of grant applications is May1, 2008. Funding will be provided beginning July 15for research to be conducted during the 2008-2009academic year.All applications are reviewed by the COVD ResearchCommittee, which makes recommendations to theBoard of Directors for the selection of grant recipients.Questions regarding the grant application process canbe directed to the COVD office at info@covd.org.
VISIONS NEWSLETTERNonprofit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDHanover, PAPermit No. 4215 W. Garfield Road Suite 210Aurora, OH 44202VOLUME 38, Issue 2VISIONS Upcoming Meetings California Optometric AssociationOptoWest 2008Long Beach, CaliforniaMarch 13-16, 2008For information: www.optowest.comCOVD 38th Annual MeetingCollege of Optometrists in Vision DevelopmentOctober 14-18, 2008Palm Springs, CaliforniaFor information: www.covd.orgCollege of Syntonic Optometry76th Annual Conference on Light & VisionPhoenix, ArizonaMay 1-4, 2008For information: (719) 486-0190COVD 39th Annual MeetingCollege of Optometrists in Vision DevelopmentOctober 13-17, 2009Denver, ColoradoFor information: www.covd.orgPage
To give you practice management pearls, we have developed the VT Economics blog. For the latest in research we have the Vision U blog. To help bring our International members together we are creating the Around the World blog which will serve as the umbrella blog for a variety of separate international blog sites that will
