VT/Strabismus and Amblyopia – (VT-3) Apr27
This course will be over the internet. Length: 4 days. Continuing Education Credits: 28 hours. Prerequisite: VT/Visual Dysfunctions For: Optometrists and Vision Therapists
Course Description
This course has limited registration. Our highly interactive, small group presentations and hands-on activities will provide the experience you need for the confidence you desire. This course offers free follow-up case consultation.
Instructor Bio
Dr. John Abbondanza, OD
Dr. Abbondanza graduated from Milford High School and from Boston College (Go Eagles!) with a degree in Psychology. He graduated with honors in the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society from the New England College of Optometry, where he was appointed Adjunct Clinical Professor of Optometry in 1991. He is a past President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists, where he was the youngest President in the almost 100-year history of the organization. Dr. John has also served on the Suffolk Superior Court Medical Malpractice Tribunal. He lectures extensively to optometrists, educators, occupational therapists, and other groups on how Behavioral Optometry helps people in their daily lives. Dr. John is also certified in Corneal Refractive Therapy, where contact lenses are used to reshape the cornea as an alternative to eyeglasses or LASIK. He is in private practice at Vision Care Specialists in Southborough with a specialization in vision related learning problems.
Dr. Geoff Heddle, OD, FCOVD,FCSO
Geoffrey A. Heddle, OD was born and raised in Uxbridge, ON, Canada. He completed his Bachelor of Science (BSc.) at the U. of Waterloo, and obtained a Bachelor of Science, and Doctorate of Optometry from Indiana University.
Geoff has practiced in various parts of the country, and currently resides in SW Michigan with his wife and their children.
Dr. Heddle has spent time as an adjunct faculty member of Indiana University’s school of Optometry. He has also been involved in InfantSee, and HeadStart.
Dr. John Abbondanza, OD
Dr. Geoff Heddle, OD, FCOVD,FCSO
Courses Details
Length
4 Days
Continuing Education Credits
28 hours
Prerequisite
VT/Visual Dysfunctions
For
Optometrists and Therapists
Location
Over the internet
When
Apr. 27th - Apr. 30th, 2022
Course Description
This course supplements the core Visual Dysfunctions course with testing and therapy activities to diagnose and treat patients with strabismus and amblyopia.
For whatever reasons, strabismus and amblyopia have a reputation for being difficult to understand and treat.
The Clinical Curriculum approach stems from the understanding of Chaos and Complexity Theory which states, “That which appears to be complex, most often can be explained very simply. That which appears so simple, most often is actually very complex.” You will learn how specific disruptions occurring at critical times in normal infant development can result in strabismus or amblyopia.
How and why do amblyopia and strabismus develop? What percentage of strabismus and amblyopia are functionally related? How can the development of amblyopia or strabismus be beneficial to the person at a specified point in time and why is this behavior not beneficial in the long run? Once the mechanism of the development of strabismus and amblyopia is understood, treating the conditions is easier.
Course Highlights
Supplemental testing will be discussed in reference to gaining insights into the behaviors of strabismics and amblyopes. Among these tests are the following:
- Contrast Sensitivity
- 2.0X Telescope
- Pinhole VA
- Single Letter vs. Whole Line VA
- Bagolini Striated Lenses
- Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP)
- Optikokinetic Nystagmus
- Vestibular Ocular Reflexes
- Parks Three Step
- Brock Posture Board
- Special Considerations of the Cover Test
The following will be covered in depth:
- The terms eccentric fixation, anomalous retinal correspondence,suppression, eccentric viewing
- The myth of critical periods
- A different way of using reduced plus lenses for the treatmentof strabismus
- Bill Ludlum’s procedures for reducing vertical tropias
- Israel Greenwald’s over-correcting prisms
- Twenty-three additional vision therapy procedures, manyfrom Drs. Kraskin, Ludlum, Greenwald and other master“strabismologists”
This course gives you the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to start successfully treating amblyopia and strabismus cases immediately upon your return to your office.
Course Schedule
Course will run 11am to 7pm daily and will end at 5pm on last day
For additional detail please call:
410 561 3791
Or email:
sherice.gainey@oepf.org
line.vreven@oepf.org
For additional educational opportunities please
contact:
line.vreven@oepf.org
Bio
Dr. John Abbondanza, OD
Instructor and Chair of the Education Committee
Dr. Abbondanza graduated from Milford High School and from Boston College (Go Eagles!) with a degree in Psychology. He graduated with honors in the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society from the New England College of Optometry, where he was appointed Adjunct Clinical Professor of Optometry in 1991. He is a past President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists, where he was the youngest President in the almost 100-year history of the organization. Dr. John has also served on the Suffolk Superior Court Medical Malpractice Tribunal. He lectures extensively to optometrists, educators, occupational therapists, and other groups on how Behavioral Optometry helps people in their daily lives. Dr. John is also certified in Corneal Refractive Therapy, where contact lenses are used to reshape the cornea as an alternative to eyeglasses or LASIK. He is in private practice at Vision Care Specialists in Southborough with a specialization in vision related learning problems.
Dr. John is a 30-year member of the American Optometric Association and a clinical associate of the Optometric Extension Program Foundation (OEPF), which is the national organization of Behavioral Optometrists. He is board certified in Vision Therapy as a Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). Dr. John serves on the Northeast Regional Congress of Optometrists Committee where he was recently appointed Chair of their Clinical Seminar. He is also on the Budget Committee of the COVD and is the Massachusetts Chairman of the OEP. Additionally, Dr. John is the Massachusetts leader of the national InfantSEE program.
Dr. Geoff Heddle, OD, FCOVD,FCSO
Geoffrey A. Heddle, OD was born and raised in Uxbridge, ON, Canada. He completed his Bachelor of Science (BSc.) at the U. of Waterloo, and obtained a
Bachelor of Science, and Doctorate of Optometry from Indiana University.
Geoff has practiced in various parts of the country, and currently resides in SW Michigan with his wife and their children.
Dr. Heddle has spent time as an adjunct faculty member of Indiana University’s school of Optometry. He has also been involved in InfantSee, and HeadStart.
Dr. Heddle’s history of sports participation and passion for Behavioural Optometry provides him a unique insight to the field of Sports Vision. He has lectured extensively, around the world, on the topic.
He is a clinical associate of OEPF, and a member of COVD, NORA and CSO. He currently is on the CSO board and is a Fellow of the College of Syntonic Optometry
Course Location
Online Course
Cancellation policy
We are not offering any cancellation fee at this time only voucher towards future courses with a valid cancellation reason.
Pre-Course Readings (All Attendees)
The Evolution of a Model and A Model of Vision (Read The Evolution of a Model first.) are included to introduce you to our approach to teaching. These two papers describe the process for much of what comes in the courses and we hope you understand that we instructors evolve in our thinking much like we hope you will. We hope to take you on a compressed journey through the evolution of our thinking. We will begin an area by showing you where we were at one time in our development. Then we present the unanswered questions that became the foundation for looking at things in a different way. We will then present our understandings now and include new information for where we might go in the future.
The Evolution of a Model was presented at the Skeffington Symposium in Washington DC in the early 1980’s. This paper charts the development of Paul Harris’ model of vision from what he assimilated from his years at SUNY (1975-79) until the time of the writing of the paper. Much of the change came as a result of a presentation by Dr. Robert A. Kraskin and involvement in the Washington DC based OEPF study group, the Institute for Behavioral Optometry. A Model of Vision was initially presented at the Skeffington Symposium in Washington DC and then adapted for the JOVD.
- Harris, Paul, “The Evolution of a Model”, Skeffington Symposium
- This paper was presented at the Skeffington Symposium in Washington DC in the early 1980’s. This paper charts the development of Paul Harris’ model of vision from what he assimilated from his years at SUNY (1975-79) until the time of the writing of the paper. Much of the change came as a result of a presentation by Dr. Robert A. Kraskin and involvement in the Washington DC based OEPF study group, the Institute for Behavioral Optometry.
- Harris, Paul, “Perspectives on Behavioral Optometry — A Model of Vision”, JOVD
- This paper was initially presented at the Skeffington Symposium in Washington DC and then adapted for the JOVD.
- Harris, Paul, “Visual Conditions of Symphony Musicians”, JAOA, Volume 59, Number 12, 12/88
- This paper describes the development of astigmatism based on the relationship between posture and vision. The most important concept in this paper is the relationship between visual conditions and what the person does in life.
- Harris, Paul, “Additional Topics to Original, Visual Conditions of Symphony Musicians”
- When the above article was written it included additional information that was edited out during the pre-publication period. This pre-reading contains this additional material in order to help make the concepts more complete.
- Harris, Paul, “The Prevalence of Visual Conditions in a Population of Juvenile Delinquents”, OEPF, Curriculum II, Volume 61, Number 4, January 1989
- This paper, while dated, is included here because the article includes fundamental discussions of the examination process including specific descriptions of the testing sequence, lighting conditions, targets, and instructional sets. The appendix of this paper was first written as a step-by-step “How-to” guide for the Optometric Center of Maryland. The paper introduces the concepts of the “Visual Virgin” and embeddedness, as well as other new topics covered in the Art and Science course.
- Williams, GJ, Kitchener G, Press LJ, Steele GT, Vision: A Collaboration of Eyes and Brain
- This paper was created jointly by the authors and was adopted by the American Optometric Association as a position paper. It is a well-documented and succinct in showing that their vision is much more than just sight and gives insight into the degree that the eyes and brain are in full partnership in helping the visual process emerge.
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For: Optometrists and Therapists
Standard
CA OD
TP
TP/CA
Student/Resident
- Please provide school or affiliation to the educational institute
Post Grad (1 year)
Audit**
Faculty
- Please provide faculty affiliation
**Retaking a course (A&S, VT1,VT2,VT3) previously attended. Must be able to provide proof of completion if asked.