Lynn Hellerstein, Author of See It Say It Do It

Vision Therapy Has Changed My Son’s Life!

lhellerstein — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:18:42 +0000

Many thanks to Jennifer, mother of Eric (7 years ago) for her heart-felt testimonial about how vision therapy has changed her son’s life. Eric came to my office with the following history:

Bright student, struggles in school especially with reading, easily distractable.

Vision testing revealed difficulties in tracking, focusing and visual motor integration. Glasses to reduce focus stress and vision therapy were initiated. After 16 weeks of vision therapy, his mother shares how much he’s improved…his reading, sports, confidence and behavior.

Jennifer is thrilled and wants to share the message with the millions of parents who have children with “hidden” visual problems.

Are you interested in assisting Jennifer with her passion of helping millions of children with vision problems? Please let us know!

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy

Healthy Vision Audio Interview with Dr. Lynn Hellerstein – Host Dr. Ed Kondrot, Ophthalmologist

lhellerstein — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:53:20 +0000

Thanks to Dr. Ed Kondrot, Ophthalmologist, for his insightful and mindful interview of me on April 15, 2012. Dr. Kondrot is not afraid to ask questions like, “Why don’t ophthalmologist believe in vision therapy?” And more…

Click here to listen to the 30 minute interview on vision therapy and the See It. Say It. Do It! Process

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy, Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Center, PC

Vision Therapy Success with Autistic Child

lhellerstein — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:01:04 +0000

Thanks to Dr. Dan Fortenbacher for sharing his video on a young patient with autism. It shows the challenges as well as the successes through vision therapy. Watch how tracking and awareness improve over time

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy, Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Center

This Is How Your Brain Ages

lhellerstein — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:04:28 +0000

Thanks to Dr. Dom Maino for sharing this site. Simple, yet quite informative! It’s never too late to help yourself!

Presented by: Term Life Insurance Resource

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy, Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Center, PC

Visual Attention in Preschoolers Specifically Predicts Future Reading Acquisition

lhellerstein — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:41:48 +0000

Thanks to my friend and colleague, Dr. Len Press for his extremely interesting blog. Dr. Press acknowledges our colleague, Dr. Harold Solan, and his research on how visual spatial attention plays a crucial role in reading.

Dr. Press also presents new research by Andrea Facoetti of the University of Padua in Italy and colleagues. They state, ”Visual attention deficits are surprisingly way more predictive of future reading disorders than are language abilities at the pre-reading stage,” Facoetti said in a statement. “Because recent studies show that specific pre-reading programs can improve reading abilities, children at risk for dyslexia could be treated with preventive remediation programs of visual spatial attention before they learn to read.”

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, found the test results showed children who initially had trouble with visual attention were also the ones to later struggle in reading.

See It. Say It. Do It! Goes International

lhellerstein — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:06:40 +0000

See It. Say It. Do It! is now on the front cover for the Award Winning Books Catalog for Columbine Communication and Publications. Foreign publishers and agents will be reviewing it soon, to determine what countries around the world are interested in purchasing rights to translate my book into their specific language.

Thus far, foreign rights for See It. Say It. Do It! have been purchased by China and Saudi Arabia. There has been interest in Poland, Turkey, Korea, Republic of Belarus and Ukraine.

I’d love to see it also translated into Spanish. Any one know a publisher or agent from Spain or Mexico??

Click here to see the catalog.

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy

Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Center PC

Vision Development: 12-18 months

annie — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:00:06 +0000

We continue with vision development through Edina’s eyes. Please check out previous newsletters to read the first four parts of this story.

Look out!! Ready or not, here they come! Your baby is now quite mobile, usually transitioning from crawling to walking. Exploration is your baby’s mission! Your child’s vision continues to develop. It is important for your child to continue the development of eye/hand/body coordination, eye teaming and depth perception.

This section includes the developmental time frame from 12-18 months. Remember, your child should have already received their first vision assessment from a developmental optometrist!

12-18 months

By the end of 12 months (1 year), many children are able to:

Use simple gestures (waving “bye-bye”)
Make sounds such as “ma” and “da”
Imitate actions in their play (clap when you clap)
Respond when told “no”

By the end of 18 months (1 ½ years) many children are able to:

Do simple pretend play (“talk” on a telephone)
Point to interesting objects
Look at an object when you point at it and tell them to “look”
Use several single words unprompted
Listen to books…often the same one over and over again!
“Dance” with music
Interested in ball play (rolling)

VISUAL OBSERVATIONS:

Good tracking skills
Judges distances more accurately when grasping & throwing objects (look out!)

OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES:

Babbling increasing, with inflection of “sentences”
Eye-hand coordination continues to improve
May be shy with strangers
Starting to use eating utensils
Explores objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping).
Puts objects in and out of containers

For more pictures, videos and developmental milestones, click here

CONCERNS:

Misalignment of the eyes (called strabismus) should not be present after 4-6 months.
Your child does not seem interested in looking at objects or people
Extreme sensitivity to lights
Excessive tearing
Red or encrusted eye lids
White pupil

If you notice any of the concerns stated above, take your baby in for a professional eye examination from a developmental optometrist or ophthalmologist.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT:

Baby-proof your house. Bumps, bruises, eye injuries & other serious injuries can occur as your baby begins to physically explore the environment. Keep cabinets that contain cleaning supplies or dangerous objects locked. Put barriers in front of stairwells.
Roll a ball back and forth to your child
Provide plenty of SAFE objects and toys that can be pulled apart
Use building blocks and balls of all shapes and sizes to play with to boost fine motor skills
Read or tell stories to stimulate your child’s ability to visualize and pave the way for learning and reading

I don’t want any parents worrying about their baby because of certain developmental “cut-off” dates. Development does not always progress in a smooth manner. All children develop at their own rate. Ask your doctor or nurse if you have concerns with the development or health of your baby.

I am blessed to be a part of my child’s and grandchild’s life.

Effective solutions for Autism, Asperger’s & more…

lhellerstein — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:08:01 +0000

Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist who is internationally known for her expertise in developing the use of visual strategies to support communication for students with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and others with communication, behavior or social challenges. Linda is a powerful and entertaining presenter who inspires program participants to accomplish new goals with students. She shares practical information that helps achieve excellent results in student learning.

Thanks Linda for great ideas and activities for patients, parents and therapists of kids/adults on the Autism Spectrum (ASD)

Click here to see Linda’s activities and products!

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy

Autism: The Vision Link

lhellerstein — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:52:40 +0000

April is Autism awareness month. Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction, social communication and varying cognitive, sensory and motor difficulties. Research is showing many sensory/motor signs and symptoms with individuals on the ASD.

“The number of people being diagnosed with autism is way up, across the country and especially in Colorado. Data from the Centers for Disease Control show autism diagnoses nationwide jumped 23% from 2006 to 2008. In Colorado, it was 60% over the same period! To help us understand what the numbers mean, Dr. Nicole Tartaglia joins us. She’s a developmental pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Colorado.”

Click here to listen to the Colorado Public Radio Story.

Many parents, educators, physicians and therapists struggle looking for answers for people with ASD. Treatments may include nutritional, occupational, speech therapy, medications, behavior modifications and the list goes on.

However, VISION, our dominant sense for learning is often over-looked. Visual processing differences (not just 20/20 eyesight) are being found in many individuals diagnosed with ASD. No surprise that many of these individuals have show excellent improvement with special lenses/prisms and vision therapy prescribed by developmental optometrists.

We support Autism Awareness month! An on-line group: momsfightingautism.com have organized a 2012 Free On-line autism conference. Click here to join the conference and learn more about autism and treatments. Help your kids/adults with ASD achieve their goals more effectively and successfully!

An excellent article that reviews the vision research is included here. Vision in Autism Spectrum Disorders

By Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy, Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Therapy

Optometric Vision Therapy: Answering Those Questions

lhellerstein — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:49:25 +0000

Many, many thanks to Dr. Dom Maino for his blog post. He has started with Dr. Len Press’ article and then expanded on additional literature.
The info below is from Dr. Maino.

My friend and colleague, Dr. Len Press wrote an article some time ago where he discussed the interplay between optometry and ophthalmology when it comes to optometric vision therapy and ophthalmology’s seemingly inability (my phrasing not his) to understand optometric vision therapy and the role it plays in patients’ lives. Here are some of the questions discussed ….with the always well thought out answers by Dr. Press .I’ve added a few links below as well. DM

QUESTION 1:
Where is the scientific basis for Optometric Vision Therapy?
ANSWER 1:
As mentioned, Dr. Cooper’s scholarly article provides references that clearly substantiate the scientific basis of vision therapy. Clinical Practice Guidelines
are available from the American Optometric Association on the Care of the Patient with Learning Related Vision Problems, Accommodative and
Vergence Dysfunction, Amblyopia, and Strabismus. Each of these has references incorporating scientific method. The research presented is commensurate with clinical research in fields such as occupational therapy, and is equal to or better than research traditionally presented for clinical methods in pediatric ophthalmology.

[ I would also add the outstanding article by Dr. Kenneth Ciuffreda's article:The scientific basis for and efficacy of optometric vision therapy in nonstrabismic accommodative and vergence disorders.]

QUESTION 2:
How do optometrists know which patients might benefit from vision therapy?
ANSWER 2:
The Four Clinical Practice Guidelines from the AOA mentioned above provide clear guidelines for differential diagnoses. Textbooks referenced in this
article, in addition to others available, provide this as well.

[AOA Guidelines: Pediatric Eye And Vision Examination , Care of the Patient with Amblyopia, Care of the Patient with Strabismus, Care of the Patient with Accommodative and Vergence Dysfunctions,Care of the Patient with Learning Related Vision Problems.]

QUESTION 3:
Is it true that vision therapy patients are “in for life?”
ANSWER 3:
Nothing could be further from the truth. The clinical practice guidelines above, in addition to guidelines issued by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) based on ICD codes for various conditions, are proof that this is not the case.

QUESTION 4:
How might I judge if a patient is in need of vision therapy, or if a person I am referring the patient to is a credible provider?
ANSWER 4:
All optometrists receive graduate education in and are licensed to practice vision therapy. The Optometric Extension Program (OEP) providespost-graduate education in the areas encompassing vision therapy. The Collegeof Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) provides a board certification process, and has a national directory of providers. The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) has a diplomate program in binocular vision and perception as well as in pediatric optometry.

QUESTION 5:
Why is vision therapy so expensive?
ANSWER 5:
It is intriguing that physicians don’t ask the same questions regarding the expense, scientific underpinnings, and pertinence to learning of occupational therapy, which they endorse far less critically, despite the obvious parallels between the two fields. To answer the question directly, the fees for vision therapy services are commensurate with other therapy procedures involving similar bodies of knowledge and time expended. Aside from the doctor’s time in evaluating the patient, there are often prior reports to read that are pertinent to decisions about optometric intervention, time spent programming and sequencing activities to strike an effective balance between office and home therapy, and time spent with therapists to discuss ongoing progress.

QUESTION 6:
Why does vision therapy work when it does? Eye problems shouldn’t have anything to do with LD or ADD since these are CNS or brain problems.
ANSWER 6:
The retina is brain tissue. Dissociating the role of the eye in visual processing from brain function is an artificial distinction. With regard to learning and attention systems, principles of cognitive neuroscience substantiate that interventions directed toward sensory and motor eye functions have a salutary and pervasive effect on central processes of the brain.

[A paper by pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. David Granet, disputes the claims that ADD and vision are not related. He notes that "...We report an apparent three-fold greater incidence of ADHD among patients with CI when compared with the incidence of ADHD in the general US population (1.8-3.3%). We also note a seeming three-fold greater incidence of CI in the ADHD population...."]

For additional information on vision, vision and learning and optometric vision therapy go to:

Position Papers and Joint Organizational Policy Statements
Optometry & Vision Development Journal
Research Update on Visually-Based Reading Disability
Randomized Clinical Trial of Treatments for Symptomatic Convergence Insufficiency in Children

Research on Vision Therapy

Posted by Dr. Lynn Hellerstein, Colorado Optometrist in Vision Therapy, Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Center, PC