About COVD-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD)

is an international membershipassociation of eye care professionals including optometrists, vision therapists, and optometrystudents.

The guiding principle

of vision care provided by all members of COVD is that vision can bedeveloped and improved. For example, we know that infants are not born with fully developedvisual abilities and that good vision is developed through a learned process.

The mission of COVD

is improving lives by advancing excellence in optometric vision therapy

through education and board certification. COVD seeks the active support of parents, teachers

and the public health community in this endeavor.

Established in 1971, COVD provides board certification for optometrists and vision therapistswho are prepared to offer state-of-the-art services in:



Developmental and behavioral vision care



Vision therapy



Visual rehabilitationThese specialized vision care services develop and enhance visual abilities and correct manyvision problems in infants, children, and adults.

COVD board certification process

includes a rigorous evaluation of the eye care professional'sknowledge and abilities in providing developmental and behavioral vision care for patients.Optometrists who successfully complete the certification process are Board Certified in VisionDevelopment and Vision Therapy and are designated Fellows of COVD (FCOVD). Visiontherapists are certified to work with COVD Fellows as Certified Optometric Vision Therapists(COVT).

Parents and teachers are encouraged to contact:



COVD Hotline (888) 268-3770 orwww.covd.org

for information on learning-related visionproblems, vision therapy or

to locate

developmental optometrist in their community.



Partner organizations such as

Parents Active for Vision Education (PAVE)

www.pavevision.org

which can also provide information and assistance in finding a localsource for vision care.

For more information, contact:

Pamela R. Happ, CAE, Executive DirectorCollege of Optometrists in Vision Development, Aurora, OH(330) 995-0718 orphapp@covd.org

Revised May 2009Page 1 of 15

Vision Therapy Case Studies------------------------------------------------------------------

Children throughout the country struggle with undetected vision problems that preventthem from reaching

their

full potential. In many cases, these children are labeled“dumb,” misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD, or placed in special education

resource rooms.Learning-related vision problems can often be treated with a program of vision therapy –but too many teachers and parents do not consider seeking a vision evaluation or knowabout vision therapy. Each year, developmental optometrists are able to help thousandsof children who struggle in school due to undetected and untreated learning-related visionproblems. The following case studies illustrate some of the vision problems childrenexperience and how they can be helped through the use of vision therapy.

Kaitlyn, 5

GradeProblem:

Kaitlyn

struggled with schoolwork and began to think she just wasn’t smartenough to do well in school. She complained of headaches when reading and oftencovered one eye. She frequently lost her place when reading and comprehended thingsmuch better when being read to by someone else.

Evaluation:

An initial eye examination found that she had 20/20 visual acuity.Specialized vision testing revealed that Kaitlyn’s eye tracking skills and focusing abilitybecame unstable when she was reading.

Solution:

She began a program of vision therapy to help her better control her eyemovements and improve eye-focusing abilities. At the conclusion of therapy, Kaitlyn’smother reported: “Kaitlyn has improved two grade levels in reading and math. She hasnot had a headache in two months and no longer suffers from frustration due to slowlearning. Kaitlyn has improved much faster than we thought possible.”

Brandon, Age 16Problem:

Brandon started struggling with reading when he was 9 years old. His motherhad taken her son for eye exams on a regular basis and had been told everything was fine,aside from the need for glasses for his nearsightedness. As a result, she had never evenconsidered the possibility that vision was playing a role in her child’s difficulties.Brandon had been diagnosed with ADD, CAPD, was in Learning Disabilities classes inschool, and was even seen by a neurologist. His mother ended up homeschoolingBrandon because he was so depressed about his reading problems and nothing elseseemed to be working.

Evaluation:

Sylvan Learning center referred Brandon for a developmental visionevaluation which revealed that he had convergence insufficiency in addition toaccommodative and tracking problems along with myopia.

Revised May 2009Page 2 of 15

Solution:

“I was miserable before I came to vision therapy and depressed. Visiontherapy gave me my life back,” he said. According to his mother, “Since vision therapy,he has begun to dream of a future he thought he would never have. His self-esteem hasimproved. He no longer thinks of himself as stupid. His vision skills have improved. Heno longer sees blurred images on the page and now he is ready to go to Sylvan and catchup on all the learning he missed out on because of his visual problems. The doctor sayshe is ready, but more importantly, he says he is ready. This is a wonderful program thatcan be life-changing for a child. It was for my son.”

Marien, Age 12Problem:

Marien

was a bright twelve-year-old who struggled to read. A neuro-psychologist had evaluated her and suspected the root of her academic problems was anemotional disorder and possibly dyslexia. This diagnosis perplexed Marien’s parentsbecause it seemed to only partially identify Marien’s struggles.

Evaluation:

A comprehensive vision examination determined that Marien had asignificant tendency for one eye or the other to drift outward. As a result, every time shesat down to read or write, Marien had to work very hard to keep from seeing double.

Solution:

A five-month program of vision therapy resulted in significant improvement inMarien’s visual abilities and school performance. Her eye teaming greatly improved andshe was more confident and became more responsible with her schoolwork. Her motherreported that following therapy her grades improved considerably. In math, where shehad found word problems very difficult, she went from a grade of “D” to an “A.”“Marien now believes in herself and that is the greatest gift we or her family could evergive her,” her mother said.

Dustin, Age 7Problem:

At the beginning of first grade Dustin tested at the fourth grade level in scienceand social studies, but was on a preschool level in math and reading. He also hated anyactivity that dealt with a ball of any sort. If a ball was thrown to him, nine times out of ten he was unable to catch it. A school psychologist assessed him to be five points abovefunctionally retarded. He withdrew from all activities that made him feel challenged.

Evaluation:

Frustrated by the school system’s inability to determine why Dustin wasunable to succeed, his parents sought a comprehensive vision evaluation.

Solution:

Testing determined the need for vision therapy to help him learn to moreeffectively process visual information. Dustin’s parents noticed improvements in hisschool performance in less than a month. “When Dustin started vision therapy he couldnot recognize any letters of the alphabet, nor copy anything written down in front of him.Today he can copy sentences with proper spacing and read a beginner’s book withassistance,” his parents reported. “Dustin shows a noticeable improvement in self-esteemand is beginning to flourish in all avenues.”