Rhythm, Timing, and the Visual Process with Dr. Paul Rousseau

Join us for an exclusive OEPF Clinical Seminar, Southport, Connecticut, 14-15 October 2023

Rhythm, timing, and the visual process with Dr. Paul Rousseau.

Date: October 14th – 15th, 2023

What, where, and when.

12 hours of CE credit

At the office of Dr. Randy Schulman: 2600 Post Rd, Southport, CT 06890.

Recommended hotel:

Red Carpet Inn Norwalk, CT Address: 469 Westport Ave, Norwalk, CT 06851 Phone: (203) 847-5827

Please reserve directly with hotel through their website https://www.stayhihotels.com/locations/ selecting Norwalk Connecticut or by calling the front desk.

There are plenty of other hotel options in the area.

Join this highly interactive workshop as you bring your own experience.

Rhythm, timing, and the visual process, what, where, and when: Description of the workshop

Space and time are so intricately related that Einstein detailed some of those relationships in ways that go beyond my understanding level.  But Al Sutton (one of our early pioneers in the field of developmental optometry) brought it together for me in a way that I will never forget.

Al showed through a series of activities and their application how the foundation of the visual process has so much to do with the understanding of body in space and time.   By applying his work, it becomes apparent that this foundation is critical and is often overlooked in our vision therapy world of lifesaver cards and brock strings.

This workshop may represent the first step of a series of workshops that might serve to reintroduce the foundational principles of Skeffington, Getman, and Sutton to our present-day developmental optometry practitioners.  I had once labeled this presentation as “Skeffington’s Four Circles – Re-presented”.

This work when applied to patients can show how working on the foundation of movement of body in space and time can open up the ‘visual space world’ as Al called it and begin to make effective in roads in the areas of accommodative and binocular vision problems including strabismus and amblyopia and learning problems without once working on a skill that seems to be directly related.

The goal of this workshop is to introduce those activities and how to apply them clinically and practically and how to modify them for the level of your patient.  Cases will be presented which illustrate the power of these activities and their underlying principles in the treatment of cases of binocular vision, accommodation, strabismus, amblyopia, and vision-related learning cases through pre and post treatment analytical examinations.  Finally, novel approaches to clinical thought will be introduced as to the theoretical underpinnings.   As Walter Chao, said after hearing this theoretical application of Skeffington principles, “I wish someone would have explained it that way to me 30 years ago.”

Bio Dr. Paul Rousseau, OD:

Dr. Rousseau’s professional life is devoted to helping children (and adults) function up to their fullest potential in school and in sports. His professional efforts have focused specifically on helping others to enjoy reading more and improve their reading abilities by identifying and treating “hidden” vision problems in eye tracking and two-eyed teaming, as well as in visual perception and dyslexia.

Dr. Rousseau graduated as the Valedictorian of his class at the Southern California College of Optometry in 1992.  Prior to his Doctor of Optometry training, he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Immunology from the University of Maryland.  He completed both undergraduate and graduate research studies at the internationally recognized National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md.  After completing his graduate research studies, Dr. Rousseau continued performing and publishing his research at the National Institutes of Health until entering the Southern California College of Optometry in 1988.

For his excellence in research, education, and vision care, Dr. Rousseau has received several awards including the Foundation for the Advancement of Education in Sciences Research Award by the National Institutes of Health, the Richard Feinbloom \ Peter J. Murphy Award in vision rehabilitation, the Reichert Scientific Instruments Award, and the Robert K. Vinyard Memorial Award.  He has also received the Beta Sigma Kappa International Honor Society Gold Medal and was twice selected to be recognized in Who’s Who at American Universities and Colleges.

Dr. Rousseau began his specialty practice in Brevard County in 1992. He serves as an active member of multi-disciplinary management teams for the treatment of learning-related vision problems as well as neurological vision problems arising from developmental disorders, stroke, and brain injury.  He has appeared numerous times on radio and TV discussing how vision problems interfere with learning.  He has also lectured on this topic to many groups including the Brevard Optometric Association, Park Avenue Baptist School, West Melbourne Christian School, Friendship Christian School, St. Joseph’s Catholic School, the HealthFirst Pediatric Rehabilitation Units, Parent To Parent, HealthFirst Autism Support Group, Brevard County Exceptional Education Teachers, Elementary School Teachers at Mila, Gardendale, Columbia, Longleaf  and Tropical, the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Teams, and the Learning Disabilities Association of Central Florida.

Dr. Rousseau is in private practice in Viera, FL.  His practice is exclusively devoted to preventative vision care and to the diagnosis and treatment of vision disorders in eye tracking, two-eyed teaming, visual perception, and dyslexia.  He has dedicated his life’s work to helping children and adults overcome these too often “hidden” vision problems so that they may lead happier and more productive lives through achievement and enjoyment in reading.

Testimonials

“I had the privilege to listen to Paul’s lecture in this year’s FL COVD State Study Group meeting in August 2022 and thoroughly enjoyed how he disseminated the work of Al Sutton and Skeffington in a very digestible way. I have heard and read about our “founding fathers” but to hear it from someone who directly studied under them made everything so much more relatable. Oftentimes when a lecture is on “founding fathers” of anything, it can be quite boring, black and white, and likely be presented on a PowerPoint deck that is way too wordy. But Paul’s presentation was the opposite of that. It was well organized, colorful, lively, and even included videos of him performing VT activities with his patients in his office. Most importantly he welcomed discussion and made everyone in the room feel comfortable to engage and participate at their level of comfort. Our group included pre-optometry students, therapists, recently graduated VTODs, and seasoned practitioners. I totally recommend this course to anyone who is involved in vision therapy!”

 -Eric Chow, OD 

Congratulations on your recent presentation at the Florida COVD Study Group Meeting. Your review of the context and history of this important aspect of developmental vision training was relevant and very helpful. Your demonstration of the various procedures was well organized, clear, and thorough. And I’m able to add them to my battery of training protocols immediately. You not only showed us how each procedure is to be done but also taught us the “dos & donts” by having the group physically do each procedure as you demonstrated subtle aspects and strategies of how and what to say and ways to best coach individual patients to achieve optimal results according to their unique needs and personalities. Your presentation was entertaining, never boring, and you held the full attention of everyone. 

-Ray Gottlieb. O.D, Ph.D. https://www.raygottlieb.com +1 585 721 3478 

Just attended our live Florida COVD meeting this weekend with great speakers. Paul’s presentation was dynamic, foundational, and is absolutely the missing piece in every VT practice who’s not practicing Developmental Optometry in the true sense. Paul brings Skeffington’s circles to life with supporting videos. He helped me enhance several activities incorporating breathing, motor planning, timing and much more. Look forward to learning more in October. Do not miss this one! Thank you, Paul! 

-Nora Gindi, OD 

Paul did a wonderful job presenting motor therapy. He is energetic, animated and succinct. His course will introduce you to behavioral optometry. You will go home a better VTOD! 

– Richard Sorkin, OD

I just attended a live course with Paul as the instructor. I will say I prefer live and hands on, which is what he does. His next live course is in October in Florida and I’m hoping to make it to that one too. I like to learn and see different approaches in VT and I like how he explains it and why it works. I came back this week and implemented “warm ups/reset ” into my sessions and everyone enjoyed it. He incorporates videos with patients as well as has the attendees get up and participate. 

– Pravina Patel, OD 

This is dr sorkin therapist Kelsey. Very interested in the hand outs and I’m more than happy to do a review for you. Our office is taking on the challenge to do one of your six activities at least once very session with every patient for the next three months to see what changes in our vt success/ outcomes. I loved your lecture so I’m really looking forward to seeing some positive changes to our own model of Vision