Remedial Vision Rehabilitation

This course serves as the introductory course for the vision remedial rehabilitation specialty track in the OTD program. It is designed to provide students with a strong understanding of the anatomy, physiology of the visual system, an understanding on the 3 - component model of vision, and the relationship between vision and occupation. The literature will be explored relative to the prevalence of vision problems in both the pediatric population and the acquired brain injury populations. Important topical areas about vision in the pediatric and acquired brain injury populations will be explored.

This course is designed to prepare students to provide remedial vision rehabilitation (vision therapy) for visual efficiency problems (accommodation and binocular vision) while working with optometrists. The course will begin with a complete review of the various treatment modalities available to eyecare professionals when treating both visual integrity and visual efficiency problems in the pediatric and acquired brain injury populations. The history of vision therapy will be explored and areas of controversy will be discussed. Students will be required to review the literature to understand the current evidence about the effectiveness of vision therapy for various visual efficiency problems. Students will have an intensive 5-day, on-site workshop designed to provide them with experience performing remedial vision rehabilitation. Students will work with each other to practice the procedures. Although there will be no direct patient care, students will be able to observe vision therapy in either a pediatric or Rehab Hospital site.

A battery of vision screening tests appropriate for both the pediatric and acquired brain injury populations will be presented. Students will be required to perform each screening tests on a minimum of 3 subjects.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the history of vision screening, how to:

• select appropriate screening tests
• perform a vision screening
• interpret the results of a vision screening
• make an appropriate referral based on the results of the vision screening.

This course is designed to prepare students to provide remedial vision rehabilitation (vision therapy) for eye movement, visual information processing, and visual field loss problems while working with optometrists. In addition, rehabilitation procedures for binocular vision and accommodation will be reviewed. The screening procedures will also be practiced and reviewed. Students will be required to review the literature to understand the current evidence about the effectiveness of vision therapy for eye movement, visual information processing, and visual field disorders. Students will have an intensive 5-day, on-site workshop designed to provide them with experience performing a vision screening and remedial vision rehabilitation. Students will work with each other to practice the procedures. There is no direct patient care.