What is BEHAVIORAL OPTOMETRY & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY? In our practice in Bethesda, Maryland, we combine Vision Therapy with Sensory Integration Therapy. Dr. A. J. Ayres, one of the initial pioneers in this specialty stated that "Sensory integrative dysfunction is to the brain what indigestion is to the digestive tract." The brain essentially is not processing or organizing the flow of sensory impulses in a manner that gives the individual reliable and precise information about self and surroundings. Binocular Vision Dysfunction or eye teaming difficulties can significantly reduce the child's ability to efficiently process visual information, resulting in fatigue with reading, comprehension dropping with time, avoidance of reading and other nearpoint activities, as well as poor self esteem, self concept, frustration, and attention problems. Children that need Sensory Integration and Vision Therapy can seem withdrawn, stubborn, lazy, overly aggressive, or have learning, motor, behavior, or attention problems. It is almost as if there is a sort of "traffic jam" in the brain. If we think of the brain as a large city and the neural impulses as the automobile traffic, we can get a good picture of the chaos that these kids are operating under. Symptoms can include: loss of place when reading, skipping words, comprehension decreasing with time, avoidance of reading, fatigue, headaches, getting to the bottom of the page and wondering what was read, distracible, overly active, withdrawn, poor self confidence, poor posture, difficulty remembering what he/she reads, becomes excited with lots of visual stimuli, overly sensitive to touch, sounds, needs directions repeated, seems clumsy, avoids sports. These problems can result from nutritional deprevation, difficulties in pregnancy, labor, delivery, hereditary factors, environmental factors, & emotional or physical abuse. Frequently there is no known reason for the difficulties. Successful treatment outcomes can depend upon early intervention. Behavioral Optometrists and Sensory Integration Occupational Therapists adopt a whole-person, integrated, functional approach to treatment. Unfortunately, despite the rather broad base of philosophical and treatment approach similarities between the two professions, these similarities have remained relatively well-kept secrets from one another and often from the patients and parents who need this collaboration the most. In our practice, some children and adults receive only Vision Therapy and some receive only Sensory Integration Therapy, but many receive BOTH, oftentimes with dramatic results. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Sensory Integration: Optometric and Occupational Therapy Perspectives (BV253) A BOOK BY: Stanley A. Appelbaum, OD, FCOVD PUBLISHED BY: Optometric Extension Program Foundation, Inc. 1921 E. Carnegie Avenue Suite #3L Santa Ana, California 92705-5510 714-250-8070 Facsimile 714-250-8157 800-424-8070 www.healthy.net/oep SENSORY INTEGRATION INTERNATIONAL http://home.earthlink.net/~sensoryint/bod.html Stanley A. Appelbaum, OD, FCOVD Pediatric Behavioral Optometrist Board Certified in Vision Therapy Barbara S. Bassin, OTR/L, BCP Pediatric Occupational Therapist Board Certified in Sensory Integration 6509 Democracy Blvd. Bethesda, Maryland 20817 301-897-8484 Facsimile 301-897-8486 www.LifeEnrichment.com/vision.htm E-mail: DrStrab@erols.com This page was created, of course, using Return to ARIA' s Main Page Page Design by: Ed Harry Enterprises Copyright 1996, 1997 All Rights Reserved