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

Register here

Description:
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.