Wow Vision Therapy Blog

Helping to teach our next generation of Doctors in vision and reading problems

Research and Vision Therapy, Vision Advocacy, Wow Vision Therapy

A special thank you goes out to MCO Professor, Dr. Mark Swan, for the opportunity to provide a lecture to the 3rd year students at Michigan’s College of Optometry. On Friday, November 1, 2019, it was a beautiful day to travel to MCO and present with our two residents, Dr. Peter Silman and Dr. Johann Schlager, on the topic of vision problems that impact reading. Also, attending with us was our current MCO Extern, Ethan Zimmerman.

Our lecture, entitled: Going Beyond Visual Efficiency Problems in the Effective Remediation of Developmental Dyslexia, presented the latest research published in JAMA from Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, showing that nearly 80% of children with Developmental Dyslexia have problems with binocular vision (eye teaming), accommodation (eye focusing) and oculomotor (eye-tracking) abilities. These categories of vision are often referred to as sensorimotor or visual efficiency problems. 

Furthermore, John F. Stein, Ph.D.,Emeritus Professor of Neuroscience at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, in his recent paper published in February 2018 entitled, What is Developmental Dyslexia, cites research showing the visual processing deficits, particularly in the magnocellular temporal visual visual processing system as a key in those with a reading disability known as developmental dyslexia.

The conclusion of our presentation was:

  • Effective remediation of developmental dyslexia begins with a comprehensive Optometric eye health and vision evaluation 
  • Treatment targeting deficits in visual efficiency and visual processing including M-Cell temporal visual processing, visual-spatial skills and visual imagery/visualization
  • Including appropriately prescribed ophthalmic lenses with therapeutic tints if applicable
  • Office-based vision therapy
  • Nutritional support including Omega 3 Fatty acids (DHA, EPA)
  • Educational therapy

At Wow Vision Therapy, we are dedicated to helping to teach our next generation of Doctors of Optometry how to recognize and manage patients with developmental vision and rehabilitation problems. It is important that any child who struggles with these vision problems, that impact their reading and learning, obtains the comprehensive developmental vision care and educational therapy they need to succeed!

Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCOVD

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