BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Optometric Extension Program Foundation - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Optometric Extension Program Foundation
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.oepf.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Optometric Extension Program Foundation
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20250101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260110T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260110T140000
DTSTAMP:20251013T131417Z
CREATED:20251013T131417Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T131417Z
UID:52424-1768046400-1768053600@www.oepf.org
SUMMARY:OEPF VT Morning Tea\, Free meeting\, Moderated by Tom Headline\, COEP-T - Copy
DESCRIPTION:Start your day with connection and support. Join VT Morning Tea\, a free online community where Therapists and ODs gather for a refreshing exchange of ideas and clinical insights.\nThis is your safe space to discuss challenging patient cases\, seek peer advice\, and expand your professional perspective – all over a virtual cup of tea. Engage in dynamic discussions\, build your professional network\, and access the collective wisdom of experienced colleagues\, guided by your online moderator\, Tom Headline\, COEP-T\, COVT.\nWhether you’re seeking guidance or sharing your expertise\, VT Morning Tea is your resource for collaborative clinical support. Take a moment for yourself and your practice\, and join our warm and welcoming community\, facilitated by Tom’s expertise.\n\nTom Headline Bio\nTom Headline\, COEP-T\, COVT\, worked his way through college as a vision therapist and graduated from San Jose State University with Great Distinction with a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance and two minors\, one in Spanish and one in Humanities. After his graduation\, Tom realized he wanted to continue to make a positive impact on people’s lives\, so he continued his work as a vision therapist and currently works in two offices in the San Francisco Bay Area – Optometric Center for Family Vision Care & Vision Therapy in San Carlos\, California with Drs. Carole Hong\, O.D. FCOVD\, & Macson Lee\, O.D. as well as with Dr. Ben Popilsky in Aptos\, California. In 2003\, Tom co-authored a training manual for vision therapists entitled\, The Vision Therapist’s Toolkit. He also started his own vision therapy products company\, Headline Vision Enterprises\, Inc. In 2006\, Tom was awarded the Certified Optometric Vision Therapist of the Year by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development\, and in 2009\, he received the Lora McGraw Award from the California Regional Vision Therapists’ Forum. Tom performs educational seminars both locally and internationally about the prevalence of vision problems and their impact upon people’s daily lives. He resides in San Jose and enjoys gardening\, hiking\, photography and cooking.
URL:https://www.oepf.org/oepf-course/oepf-vt-morning-tea-free-meeting-moderated-by-tom-headline-coep-t-copy/
CATEGORIES:Clinical Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.oepf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/85ac2e10-5dc9-48fb-b6bd-47739c00fa50.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260114T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260114T220000
DTSTAMP:20251204T205725Z
CREATED:20251204T204803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251204T205725Z
UID:54256-1768420800-1768428000@www.oepf.org
SUMMARY:Insight to Vision: New Retinal Insights and Expanding Role of Optometry- Dr. Deborah Zelinsky
DESCRIPTION:Description:\n\n\nJoin Dr. Deborah Zelinsky for a fascinating exploration of how rapidly evolving discoveries in retinal science and neuro-optometry are reshaping our understanding of vision—and positioning optometry as a key profession in future healthcare. \n\nThis lecture begins with a clear\, accessible overview of retinal structure\, highlighting classic cell types while spotlighting major breakthroughs since 2020. Dr. Zelinsky will discuss how these new findings expand our understanding of the retina as a complex filtering system\, deeply integrated with such systems as perception\, cognition\, balance\, circadian rhythms\, and emotional regulation.\nParticipants will then explore the optic nerve’s multiple pathways—both the traditional image-forming channel and the lesser-known\, non-image-forming routes that influence the body and mind through sleep\, posture\, alertness\, mood\, emotion and autonomic functions. Dr. Zelinsky will explain how lenses and prisms can strategically modify retinal input and consequently shift signaling through these pathways\, offering powerful tools for therapeutic intervention.\nBuilding on this foundation\, the session introduces three types of eyesight\, each operating at distinct processing speeds:\n\n\nTwo forms of peripheral processing \n\n\nCentral image-forming processing \n\n\nThis framework helps clinicians better understand patient behaviors\, performance variability\, and why certain visual interventions produce profound\, whole-body effects.\nIf time permits\, Dr. Zelinsky will also provide a different viewpoint of how vergence and accommodative ranges interact with phorias and AC/A ratios. Who should attend: Optometrists\, vision therapists\, educators\, students\, and any professional interested in the expanding frontier of neuro-optometric care.\n\nExpect to leave with a refreshed appreciation of the retina as a neural gateway\, along with practical concepts you can apply immediately in clinical reasoning and patient care. \n\n\n\nBIO: Deborah Zelinsky\, OD\n\n\nDeborah Zelinsky\, OD is an optometrist noted worldwide for her work in neuro-optometric rehabilitation. Currently\, she serves as founder and executive research director of The Mind-Eye Institute\, based in Northbrook\, Illinois. \n\n\nHer global reputation is due\, in part\, to her discovery of the use of eyeglasses to alter sound location and subsequent development of the Z-Bell Test℠. The patented test allows Dr. Zelinsky and her team to prescribe lenses and use other optometric interventions that balance processing of central and peripheral eyesight\, while synchronizing the integration between auditory and retinal sensory systems. The Mind-Eye Institute was created with the objective to make new science discoveries pertaining to eyes more accessible to patients both domestically and globally. Dr. Zelinsky’s vision is to train other eyecare professionals on enhancement of retinal processing using her patented methods\, with a short-term goal to have accredited doctors practicing in most major population centers globally. The 20/20 eye testing standard is over 150 years old and does not consider the peripheral processing or auditory integration both of which are critical. Dr. Zelinsky is pioneering a campaign to “Leave 20/20 in the 20th Century” and shift into a more updated assessment protocol including moving targets and overall awareness of surroundings. Using brain mapping of the retina (which is comprised of brain tissue) the optometric profession can perform brain\, rather than eye\, examinations. Patients needing this updated testing include those who have been diagnosed with a brain that isn’t functioning at its full potential. This includes a wide range of issues\, including genetic mutations\, autism\, attention problems such as ADD and ADHD\, dyslexia\, learning problems\, concussions\, and stroke among others. In addition to her work with the Mind-Eye Institute\, Dr. Zelinsky is a fellow in both the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association. She is a board member of the Society for Brain Mapping and a community leader for the Society of Neuroscience.
URL:https://www.oepf.org/oepf-course/insight-to-vision-new-retinal-insights-and-expanding-role-of-optometry-dr-deborah-zelinsky/
LOCATION:online
CATEGORIES:Clinical Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.oepf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Deborah.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260120T203000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260120T223000
DTSTAMP:20251121T202346Z
CREATED:20251121T202346Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251121T202346Z
UID:53899-1768941000-1768948200@www.oepf.org
SUMMARY:Chat VT – Free OEPF Studygroup
DESCRIPTION:Join us for Chat VT – a free OEPF Study group discussion on VT best practices\, Case Studies Research Findings\, on 3rd Tuesday of the Month \nRegister here
URL:https://www.oepf.org/oepf-course/chat-vt-free-oepf-studygroup-13/
CATEGORIES:Clinical Seminars,Live Lectures
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.oepf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/https-__cdn.evbuc_.com_images_311926929_430855626214_1_original.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260121T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260121T220000
DTSTAMP:20251218T164248Z
CREATED:20251204T213458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T164248Z
UID:54266-1769025600-1769032800@www.oepf.org
SUMMARY:Advancing Neuro-Optometric Care in ABI & TBI—Insights from the New Edition
DESCRIPTION:Description:\n\nLecture by Drs. Marc Taub\, Daniella Rutner\, and Christina Esposito on the evolving understanding of the visual and vestibular consequences of acquired brain injury (ABI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). This presentation is offered in conjunction with the publication of the updated volume Revisiting the Visual & Vestibular Consequences of Acquired Brain Injury and the launch of the new OEPF Specialty Certification in ABI/TBI .\nThis lecture will provide a deep\, clinically focused exploration of topics essential for all practitioners working with brain-injured populations\, including: \n• Understanding the Visual–Vestibular System After Injury\nHow trauma and cerebrovascular events affect oculomotor control\, vergence and accommodation\, visual fields\, balance\, spatial orientation\, and egocentric localization. \n• Evidence-Based Clinical Approaches\nPractical frameworks for assessment and rehabilitation\, including updated protocols for managing visual–vestibular mismatch\, post-trauma visual midline shifts\, accommodative dysfunctions\, and binocular instability. \n• Interdisciplinary Management Strategies\nThe crucial role of collaboration between optometry\, neuropsychology\, OT\, PT\, and rehabilitation medicine in maximizing functional recovery and patient quality of life. \n• Emerging Issues in ABI/TBI Care\nCurrent findings on pediatric concussion\, visual snow syndrome\, dry eye disease in ABI\, biomarkers for injury\, and the psychosocial dimensions of recovery. \n• Preparing for the Future of Neuro-Optometry\nHow technological innovations\, improved diagnostic tools\, and the new specialty certification are shaping the next generation of clinical practice. \nRather than focusing on the book itself\, this lecture will immerse attendees in the content—the science\, the clinical reasoning\, and the integrative care strategies that define today’s neuro-optometric management of ABI and TBI. \nNew Book
URL:https://www.oepf.org/oepf-course/advancing-neuro-optometric-care-in-abi-tbi-insights-from-the-new-edition/
LOCATION:online
CATEGORIES:Clinical Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.oepf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-12-123805.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260128T130000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260128T150000
DTSTAMP:20251208T193532Z
CREATED:20251105T215742Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T193532Z
UID:53344-1769605200-1769612400@www.oepf.org
SUMMARY:Exploring Functional Vision Tests in Early Dementia - Dr. Marsha Benshir
DESCRIPTION:  \nDr. Marsha Davis Benshir will present preliminary findings from her ongoing research comparing three functional vision tests—Developmental Eye Movement (DEM)\, Davis Visual Scan\, and Directional Pegs—in patients with early dementia. \nInitial data from one patient indicate the Davis Visual Scan provides greater sensitivity in detecting perceptual-motor impairment compared to the other tests. Future phases will include assessments with non-demented seniors to establish baseline patterns\, followed by potential studies within a local nursing home population. \nBuilding upon foundational work initiated in the 1980s\, Dr. Davis Benshir also incorporates Piaget-type observational methods to analyze functional and cognitive changes in individuals with known diagnoses. Her work aims to expand understanding of the visual-perceptual aspects of dementia and the potential for targeted interventions even amidst ongoing neurocognitive decline. \nThis lecture will include: \n\nOverview of test methodologies and comparative findings to date\nDiscussion of observational approaches and theoretical foundations\nImplications for clinical screening and rehabilitation in dementia care\n\nBio: Dr. Marsha Davis Benshir is a neuro-developmental optometrist and Fellow of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association specializing in comprehensive vision care\, vision rehabilitation\, and vision therapy for patients of all ages—including children\, seniors\, and individuals with complex neurological or developmental diagnoses. She graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1980\, having received both the Anne Pollack Award and the OEP Foundation Award for outstanding contributions to vision research as a student. Dr. Benshir’s early research included launching vision therapy programs for children with learning disabilities\, demonstrating measurable educational and developmental gains through classroom-based interventions.​ \nAfter graduation\, Dr. Benshir began practicing with her father—Dr. Morton Davis\, a founding member of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development—and expanded her expertise to rehabilitation settings working with individuals with acquired brain injuries\, ADHD\, stroke\, and other neurological impairments. She consults broadly with educational\, medical\, and rehabilitation institutions\, and holds staff positions in multiple hospitals and medical centers. Dr. Benshir’s clinical approach integrates evidence-based vision therapy techniques\, research in neuroplasticity\, and functional observation\, with a strong commitment to improving patient quality of life through non-surgical vision correction and neuro-optometric rehabilitation. Dr. Benshir recently retired and moved to Israel where she continues her research.
URL:https://www.oepf.org/oepf-course/exploring-functional-vision-tests-in-early-dementia-marsha-benshir/
CATEGORIES:Clinical Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.oepf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/image-Marsha.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR