Another joint statement regarding learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision—A rebuttal

Another joint statement regarding learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision—A rebuttal

Abstract: Several medical organizations have published yet another joint statement trivializing vision therapy and vision disorders in the learning-disabled population. A review of the references in the joint statement ... find that the joint statement is misleading because of inappropriate citations and selected references,..... The most current joint statement ignores the results of evidence-based research and makes recommendations regarding the treatment of convergence insufficiency that have no scientific validity. .....

Author's Press Release:

Medical Joint Statement, trivializing vision deficits in learning disabilities is discredited.

Ophthalmologists perform eye muscle surgery on children despite safer alternative. Call for retraction of article.


Lake Katrine, NY, September 7, 2010 >> Learning disabilities are significantly affected by difficulty in absorbing and processing visual information. This obvious concept, appearing in the October 2010 issue of OPTOMETRY, The Journal of the American Optometric Association, (article in press at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optm.2009.11.007) was necessary due to a Joint Statement issued by pediatricians and ophthalmologists (eye surgeons) in the August 2009 issue of PEDIATRICS that reached the opposite conclusion (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/124/2/837).

Dr. Daniel Lack, a developmental optometrist from Lake Katrine, NY, authored the rebuttal that pointed out the falsehoods, contradictions and implications of the medical Joint Statement such as:

● All reading disabled children have dyslexia

● Learning disabled children have the same visual function as good readers

● Vision problems, that affect learning, are rare in children

● Dyslexics have insignificant vision problems but they have poor sight word recognition

● Eye surgeons should prescribe glasses, that compensate for nearsightedness, to children who are not nearsighted

● Optometry, a profession that has been diagnosing and treating learning-related vision problems for over half a century, should not be involved in the team of professionals who diagnose and treat learning disabled children

The rebuttal cited seventeen references proving that learning disabled children are significantly more likely than normal readers to have deficits in focusing, eye coordination, tracking, visual memory and eye hand coordination. These references, some of which appeared in medical journals, were selectively omitted by the medical Joint Statement.

Eye surgeons have admitted their lack of knowledge regarding vision and learning and their concern of losing patients to optometrists. Citing the ophthalmologists’ own words, Dr. Lack demonstrated their bias against optometric vision therapy, the proven treatment for these vision deficits, comparing groups that received the therapy to control groups that did not. This bias is a factor in unnecessary eye muscle surgery, exposing children to needless discomfort and a slight risk of blindness or death, rather than referring these children to optometrists for vision therapy.

The medical Joint Statement cautioned against using procedures that lack scientific evidence and then it recommended an unproven treatment for an eye teaming disorder (convergence insufficiency) that could worsen the condition according to its own footnoted reference. Eye surgeons also use an unproven therapy to try to improve focusing skills in their patients who have undergone a certain type of cataract surgery. Optometric vision therapy is the proven treatment for convergence insufficiency according to the National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/126/10/1336?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=convergence+insufficiency&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT).

The medical Joint Statement may be cited by parents, educators, school administrators and insurance companies to not recommend or to deny care to children with learning-related vision problems. The misinformation of the medical Joint Statement may cause parents to question the judgment of their children’s pediatricians regarding other vital health issues. Therefore a Facebook group has been established (Retract the joint medical statement trivializing vision problems in kids) at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=142521199116251.

Comments: It is very unfortunate when similar professions cannot find common ground so that all of our patients "win". Medicine and those in education, psychology, and others who work with children with leanring issues need to re-think what they thought they knew about optometric vision therapy and to alter appropriately what they tell families who are working with children with learning problems. Does optometric vision therapy treat leaning problems ... no .... does it successfully treat vision problems that can interfer with learning...YES. Click above for PDF of article. DM

Why are parents so lax about their children's eyes?

...children accept poor vision as normal because they don’t know any better. And while vision screenings provided in school may detect some eye problems, serious vision and eye health conditions don’t always surface in such examinations. So a thorough eye exam by an optometrist is recommended. BC optometrists have just launched a Facebook page to help communicate with patents and children....

Infant’s Infrequent Gaze Possible Cue for Autism

.....Scientists discovered that ... the high-risk infants spent less time looking to caregivers and more time concentrating on the nonsocial stimuli (joystick or toy) when the caregiver was not actively engaging them. These results could indicate a disturbance in development related to ‘joint attention,’ which is often a core deficiency in children with autism.....

The promise of genetics and autism

...The genes implicated in autism affect us in very different ways. Some genes change the balance of gray and white matter in our brains. Others affect the way our brain cells signal each other. Others affect the rate at which our brains grow and develop. Even if the observed result - an autistic person - looks similar, the biological causes of disability are not the same at all. We're beginning to realize that autism is really a catchall phrase for a number of brain differences that happen to look similar when seen from the outside....

Child Autism Epidemic Firmly Linked to Environment

...Autism among U.S. children has reached epidemic proportion. And it's getting worse by the year....Since the '70's, there has been a 60-fold increase in American children with autism. The latest CDC data shows that currently 1 in every 100 U.S. children, and 1 in every 58 boys, are being diagnosed with autism. According to statistics from the most recent (2007) National Survey of Children (from HRSA of HHS), the the odds of a child in the U.S. receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis are 1 in 63, and go up to 1 in 38 for boys. That's over 2.6 percent of all male children in America. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes Autism (classic), Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder....

Federal court of appeals rejects link between vaccines, autism

... A federal appeals court has ruled for the second time that there is no link between vaccines and autism....The Aug. 27 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit came in the case of a child who began to show symptoms of autism and mental retardation after receiving a measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in 1995....

Infants May Display Subtle Autism Signs at 6 Months

...The investigators allowed the babies to figure out how to play with a toy while their caregivers sat nearby. The babies at higher risk of autism spent more time fixated on the toy than the other babies and less time looking at their caregivers when the caregivers weren't engaging them....

Economy affects kids' eye health

...Thanks to a sour economy and fewer jobs with health insurance that includes eye care, some parents balk at the cost of an annual exam, which can detect vision problems and other eye issues. But as the school year gets under way, it’s one investment that can have a dramatic effect on your child’s future.

“I know that it can be difficult in these times for parents to spring for things like vision and dental exams, where there isn’t a problem that they know about,” said Phyllis Klein, public relations agent for the California Optometric Association. “But they have to know that 60 percent of children who are considered problem learners in school, or those with bad behavior in school, really have an undetected vision problem.” ....

15th Congresso Academico Internacional de Optometria Functional

This Thursday thru Saturday I will be lecturing at the 15th Annual Congresso Academico Internacional de Optometria Functional. My lectures are on the 3D Vision Syndrome and Special Needs Patient.

Click here http://www.comof.org/eventosInvitacion%20Puebla%20final.pdf

for more information.

Beloit College

One of the VERY Best....US News and World Report rated....small liberal arts college in the UNIVERSE (guess where I did my undergrad work?) is Beloit College.

...Beloit College was founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory. It has a very diverse student body. Its 1250 students are from nearly every state, the District of Columbia, and 40 nations. Twenty-one percent of its students are domestic minorities or students from countries other than the United States. .... 97% of Beloit's 105 full-time faculty members hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field. ...Beloit offers more than fifty majors, more than thirty minors, and a number of dual-degree and preprofessional programs. BC sits on a wooded forty-acre campus includes twenty-eight buildings in a range of architectural styles....The college's academic facilities include the internationally recognized Logan Museum of Anthropology, the Wright Museum of Art, a state of the art performing arts complex and research labs equipped with advanced technology in the new LEED Certified Center for the Sciences. Beloit offers more than thirty international programs, dozens of domestic study programs, and hundreds of internships and field study programs....

If you are looking for a wonderful undergrad program. Check out Beloit College! DM

Changin Brains

....What can you do to help your children develop to their full potential? Did you know that virtually every aspect of of the development of the human brain is shaped by experience?....

Comments: For the past 40 years the Fellows of the College of Optometry in Vision Development knew that the environment can be used to improve function and brain development....we are thrilled that the rest of the world is now catching up! Take a look at these FREE videos! DM

The Portage Chicago

I don't usually put this kind of information here, but THE PORTAGE restaurant and bar
(AKA a Gastropub) at 3938 N. Central Avenue Chicago, IL 60634 is literally within walking distance from my home (773.853.0779 www.theportagechicago.com theportage@gmail.com)

It is a small, intimate place that can rock with conversation and laughter. They have a dinning room with a small bar, a "Library" for more private dining, and a wonderful patio. The Portage serves high quality food...at a reasonable price. The menu is diverse...but not so way out there that you have no idea what the heck they are talking about. The wine list is wonderful with a "Mystery Wine" for $20 a bottle that always delights. (They also have several very nice single malt Scotches to choose from.) The portion size is just right...so that you can have an appetizer, the entree, desert and coffee and not feel stuffed. This evening 4 of us ate for about $200 not including tip...but it did include a very nice white wine, a sippin' single malt Scotch, an appetizer, entree, and desert).

My buddy had the Southern Fried Chicken: Coconut rice, summer vegetables, and a southern style gravy for $14.95, I had the "Hanging Steak" with garlic & Horseradish mashed potatoes with asparagus ($16.95) and the ladies had Scallops. The appetizer was grilled calamari stuffed with Andouille sausage and fried calamari with a horseradish sauce with saffron (yummy). For dessert we had Home Made Apple Pie, topped with a house-made Butternut ice cream…($5.95), Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee, with fresh berries…($6.95), Flourless Chocolate Cake (that literally melted in your mouth), Topped with a Raspberry and Chocolate Ganache, served with a Raspberry compote and whipped cream…($5.95)

Now if this isn't already tempting you...at the door you will be greeted by Mr. Quay Tao. An amazing gentle man....who never seems to forget a face or a name. We were seated near the entrance and it was a pleasure watching this fellow make all who entered and exited feel at home. He knew if you were there before....or if you were new....and handshakes...and hugs were given to all. You felt welcomed. Our waiter (Mark) never rushed us...never. If you want to "get in and out" this is probably not the place to do that...my friends and I arrived at the restaurant about 7:30PM and we finally paid the bill about 10PM or so....I was having so much fun I didn't even realize that a couple of hours had passed... It was my wife's birthday...they brought her dessert with a candle in it and helped us sing "Happy Birthday" (not in that phony "happy, happy" way) to help us celebrate.

The Portage is a place in my neighborhood (Portage Park) that I will go to again and again. By the way....if you go, please tell Quay that Dominick sent ya!

Sissel: Amazing!

...Sissel, the international singing sensation from Norway, is widely regarded as one of the finest and most talented sopranos in the world. Her crystalclear voice has made Sissel a national institution in Norway. Sissel has sung all over the world, selling over six million solo albums. She contributed the haunting vocal tracks for the soundtrack to Titanic. She has been doing great duets with singers like Placido Domingo, Charles Aznavour, Taro Ichihara, Bryn Terfel, Jose Carreras, Russell Watson, Kurt Nilsen, Neil Sedaka and Josh Groban. A very remarkable voice you will only hear once in your lifetime....

Comments: My choir director ... Chuck Kessle...an Irish Norwegian (?) turned me on to Sissel....give a listen...what a voice! DM

Eyes on Advocacy: From Lighthouse International

July 26 marked the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In continuing the spirit of the ADA, the House (H.R. 3101)and Senate (S. 3304) recently passed legislation that would greatly expand access to technology for the disabled and visually impaired.

The bill’s major provisions would require accessible technology to be incorporated into devices, such as cable or satellite boxes, and hand-held smart phones. This represents a major victory for people with visual impairment. One such provision would require cable and satellite providers to include voice output for on-screen text menus, which would eliminate the difficulty of inaccessible on-screen menus.

The leaders of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) -- of which Lighthouse International is a member -- negotiated the legislation through Congress. We’d like to thank them, as well as everyone who contacted their elected officials in support of these bills. President Obama is expected to sign the bill later this month.

On another note, September is Children’s Eye Health Month. It’s a good time to contact your U.S. Senators and ask for their support of S. 259, The Vision Care for Kids Act. The bill, which passed the House and is awaiting action by the Senate, would provide grants to states for comprehensive eye examinations for children previously identified as needing services. It would also provide education resources to parents and families of children with a visual impairment.

As children throughout the country head back to school, please take a moment to tell your U.S. Senators’ about the importance of vision services for children.

Comments: Contact your representative. Do it. Do it now. DM

Two medical societies back mandatory flu vaccination for health care workers

...The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) this week endorsed mandatory vaccination policies for all health care workers to reduce risk of infection among patients and employees. ...

Comments: BTW as health care providers...we should also be vaccinated! DM

Back-to-school office visits should prompt vaccination checks

...Back to school means back to the pediatrician’s office for many children, as more schools now require physicals before participation in sport and athletic clubs. This trip provides the pediatrician a good opportunity to make sure that children are up to date with their vaccines, including their yearly influenza vaccine — a recent addition for 2010. ...

Comments: If you have looked at all the vaccinations our children are supposed to have...and when they need to have them...well, it certainly appears insane. As primary eye care providers, we should urge parents to talk to their doctors about their children's vaccinations. We should encourage them to have their children vaccinated. We should suggest that they talk to their pediatricians about alternative schedules and timetables for vaccinations.... We do not want our children getting sick or making others sick. Vaccinations are a good idea...but parents should know the risks/benefits. DM

Child’s Ordeal Shows Risks of Psychosis Drugs for Young

....At 18 months, Kyle Warren started taking a daily antipsychotic drug on the orders of a pediatrician trying to quell the boy’s severe temper tantrums. ... Thus began a troubled toddler’s journey from one doctor to another, from one diagnosis to another, involving even more drugs.....

Comments: Read this NYT article. DM

More Americans Taking Rx Drugs

...Nearly half of all Americans -- 48% -- took at least one prescription drug in a one-month period in 2007-2008, a four percentage point hike over a decade...

Comments: Remember this includes your pediatric patients too! Ask about those drugs when you are taking your case history. DM

Video Games: Good for You?!?

...Video games are a part of growing up for most kids in the U.S. In a recent survey, 97 percent of children age 12 to 17 said they play video games, whether it's on their computer or on an Xbox, PlayStation or other device. Now, a new study says certain kinds of video games can actually improve the way we see the world around us.....

Comments: We use "video games" to improve visual acuity in amblyopes....and vision information processing as well. Scientists are starting to look at why this works. DM

Escaping a Submarine

...Escaping from a Navy jet is easy -- just pull the eject lever. But when you're in a submarine, more than 800 feet below the ocean's surface in frigid water, it makes escaping a lot more difficult. Now the Navy has a new way to train submariners how to escape, when they have no other way out....

Comments: I know this has little to do with children's vision...but it is most fascinating! Watch the video. DM

Shorter Sleep Durations Linked to Greater Risks of Mental Distress in Young Adults

...Young adults who get fewer than eight hours of sleep per night have greater risks of psychological distress, a combination of high levels of depressive and anxious symptoms,...

Management of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in People with Dementia

...Neuropsychiatric symptoms are frequent and troublesome in people with dementia and present a major treatment challenge for clinicians. Most ... practice guidelines suggest non-pharmacological treatments as the first-line therapy .... some atypical antipsychotic drugs, specifically risperidone and aripiprazole, confer benefit in the treatment of aggression in people with Alzheimer's disease over a period of up to 12 weeks. .... the limited evidence ...does not indicate ongoing treatment benefits over longer periods of therapy. .... it is important .... to limit the use of antipsychotic medication to short-term treatment .... Non-pharmacological therapies offer a viable and effective alternative....

Comments: I work with many individuals on a wide range of major antipsychotic/neuropsychotropic drugs....perhaps our role as the primary eye care provider is to remind the family and other doctors the patient is working with that these drugs carry significant side effects and should be used appropriately. DM

Join us for Primary Care Grand Rounds

Primary Care Grand Rounds at the Illinois College of Optometry

Primary Care Grand Rounds is an Illinois College of Optometry continuing education program, which features a collaborative effort between fourth year clinicians, residents and their mentoring clinical faculty. The case presentations with a faculty panel are designed to actively engage the audience in a discussion covering a wide array of topics germane to the patients’ eye care and systemic health. Bring your professional expertise and intellectual curiosity and join the collegial exchange!

Fall 2010

Thursday, September 9
Ross Olson (Dr. Stephanie Klemencic), Mary Burgos (Dr. Jordan Keith) and Dr. Jessica Condie will be presenting during the first Primary Care 4th Year Grand Rounds event.

Thursday, September 23
TBA
Thursday, October 21
TBA

Time: 5:30-7:30 P.M.

Location: ICO Adams Center

Cost: $30 per program

Course includes parking, light refreshments, course materials, and certificate of attendance. Attendees will earn 2 hours of non-tested CE credit for each course attended.

To register, please use the attached registration form, or call 312-949-7426.

Diane D. Gillette
Director of Continuing Education & Faculty Professional Development
Illinois College of Optometry
Phone: 312-949-7429
Fax: 312-949-7729
Email: dgilette@ico.edu
www.ico.edu/continuingeducation

Illinois College of Optometry Faculty, Student & Alumni Achievements!

Dr. Caden and ICO student Alicia Nehls won the BSK research support award for 2010. Only four awards were given.

The 2010 Alumni Association Award Recipients included faculty (Drs. Frantz, Lee), alumni and BOT members:
• Kelly A. Frantz, OD, FAAO, FCOVD, Excellence in Education Award - Faculty
• David Lee, OD, PhD, FAAO, Lifetime Service Award
• Susan Cotter, OD '83, MS, FAAO, Alumna of the Year Award
• Robert L. Grazian, OD '82, Alumnus of the Year Award
• Dwight H. Akerman, OD '80, FAAO (Dipl), FIACLE, FBCLA, Distinguished Alumnus Award
• Michael V. Favia, JD, Distinguished Friend Award
• Barry J. Jose, OD '77, Professional Achievement Award
• John F. Amos, OD '65, MS, Excellence in Education Award - Non-Faculty
• Congressman John Boozman, Humanitarian Award
• Donovan L. Crouch, OD '63, FAAO, Lifetime Service Award

ICO Faculty will be giving/presenting 32 posters/papers and 2 Continuing Education courses at the next American Academy of Optometry meeting in SF! Another good reason to go to this meeting.

Dr. Goodfellow is a candidate for President Elect of the IOA. Dr. Allison is a candidate for the Trustee of the IOA.

Dr. M. Chaglasian is quoted in the August 2010 Optometric Management, p. 28-29 discussing the management of glaucoma.

Drs. Lee and Taylor were honored by their colleagues for their achievement of emeritus faculty at the faculty retreat, August 12, 2010.

Drs. Castells and Wyles have conducted the Ophthalmic Photo Contest in the Ophthalmic Imaging elective, ELE (026). Each ICO student photographer was evaluated on the following criteria:
• Structure of interest is in focus
• Good composition
• Appropriate exposure
• Appropriate lighting
• Photo is free of artifacts and/or unwanted components
The winners of the Ophthalmic Imaging Elective Course were:
• 1st place - Mary Burgos
• 2nd place - Erica Schuette
• 3rd place - Poonam Patel
• Honorable mention - Joel Quist for his excellent images of interesting diseases and lesions, often in actual clinic patients.

Dr. Maino has received word that the PEDIG Operations Committee has approved him to become a Co-Investigator at the current existing PEDIG site at the College.

Dr. Taylor notes that August September Lions Share, Official Newsletter of the Lions of Illinois Foundation recognizes the College: “With great providers such as the Spectrios Institute (Deicke), the College of Optometry and the Chicago Lighthouse leading the way, the precious children of Illinois were always assured of receiving the best care possible.”

Dr. Richard Kattouf, Chair, ICO BOT, published: Kattouf RS. Want to build a healthier practice? August 2010 Optometric Management, p. 21. (www.optometricmanagement.com )Kattouf RS. Trapped by “stinkin’-thinkin’”? July 2010 Optometric Management, p. 28. (www.optometricmanagement.com )

Dr. Reeder provided CE at the South Carolina Optometric meeting on August 28, 2010. Her topic was Update on Contact Lenses.

Dr. Joo Kyung Bok visited the College from Seoul, Korea and spent time with Dr. Maino. ICO students, Linda Hur and Angela To communicated with Dr. Bok in Korean and greatly assisted the visit. A different group from Korea visited last year.

Dr. Wyles administrated the August administration of the NBEO Part III: Clinical Skills Examination (CSE) that rotates to ICO every two years on August 21-22, 2010. About 60 students (none of which were from ICO) took the exam.