Specialized Visual Solutions

03/22/2023

Specialized Visual Solutions has a new business number! 336-625-2429

03/04/2023

Chris Stapleton Sings the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVIICheck out our other channels:NFL Mundo https://www.youtube.com/mundonflNFL Brasil https://www.you...

09/01/2022

The other 3rd graders at school wanted to know how Cora was able to draw three dimensional figures so well. I knew she had practiced lots of them through vision therapy. It was so nice for her to feel competent and skilled on her first day at a new co-op today! Thank you!

10/28/2021

02/02/2020

My Child Reverses Letters and Words

True or False? If my child reads or writes backwards, he must see it backwards. Answer: False!

During the act of reading, eye movements give information from the eyes to the brain and from the brain to the eyes. There are 3 different components: saccades, fixations and regressions. Many parents and teachers confuse these “eye tracking” problems with dyslexia, although dyslexic children can have vision problems too. Most children, however, have eye movement disorders without true dyslexia.

Tate was seen 3 months before his 11th birthday because of reading difficulties. The behavioral observations were numerous but several ones stood out: he bumped into objects a lot and while reading he would lose his place, omit, skip or re-read words or lines. Frequently, he would reverse words, numbers and letters while reading or writing.

If these issues were seen 5 to 6 years earlier, it would not necessarily indicate a problem. The persistence of reversals beyond the midpoint of 2nd grade should cause concern. Certainly, by 3rd grade a developmental optometrist should be consulted. Rote repetition of learning to write letters and numbers correctly (or right and left hands) does not address the causative factors. “When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves,” (Anthony J. D’Angelo).

Reversals reflect a developmental lag in orientation and spatial development. Development of orientation begins in utero and through early infancy and the head and neck exert influence on the limbs and trunk. This leads to the purpose of vision. The visual process is not about clarity but about knowing where you are in space. The first question is, “Where is it?” The second question is, “What is it?” the primary purpose of the visual process is to direct action (eyes-body-hands-feet). The eye muscles do nothing but faithfully carry out the orders of the brain.

Kids with eye movement disorders demonstrate below average reading ability. The good news is that with very rare exceptions behavioral optometry can resolve them. The bad news is that they rarely occur in isolation but are usually associated with focusing, teaming and perceptual dysfunctions.

Checklist for Symptoms of Poor Eye Movement and Tracking Skills
1. Loss of place while reading
2. Re-reads words or paragraphs
3. Word or letter reversals
4. Reduced comprehension
5. Head movement while reading
6. Holds book very close
7. Poor copying abilities from chalkboard to desk
8. Poor attention skills
9. Misjudges distance, size and location in sports or play

Do any of these symptoms describe your child? Maybe your child’s vision development should be checked by a developmental optometrist. Specializing in vision problems affecting learning, reading and attention as well as wandering and lazy eyes, autistic spectrum disorders and acquired brain injury, Dr. Mark Roberts, FCOVD has worked with children and adults for over three decades. Email visdevmnm@aol.com or call 336-460-0752.

11/01/2018

Do any of these describe your child?

1. Becomes easily distracted 9. Exaggerated head movements

2. Avoids near tasks 10. Subvocalizes

3. Has emotional outbursts 11. Loses place and skips lines when reading

4. Poor self-image 12. Very close reading distance

5. Lacks self-confidence 13. Has no voice inflection with reading

6. Poor concentration 14. Rapidly fatigues when reading

7. Fails to complete assignments 15. Motor overflow

8. Frustrated with school 16. Bumps into things - poor sense of timing

Many times, parents, educators and medical professionals often misunderstand the true role of vision in the classroom and workplace. Here is a short list of symptoms and behaviors that are powered by the brain and the eyes. Parents and adults should consider this list when faced with struggles in learning, behavior, coordination and social interaction.

Most children who have problems adjusting to school demands also have contributing undetected visual problems. For these children, optometric treatment through corrective or stress-relieving lenses and/ or vision therapy would help significantly.

More than any other sense organ, the eyes feed the brain with information by converting light into coded neural activity. Vision is a complex process that involves over twenty visual abilities and more than 65% of all the pathways to the brain.

There is much more to consider beyond the common concerns of distance visual acuity (20/ 20) and eye structure (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism). The visual system is centrally involved with the acquisition, processing, integration and ex*****on of information. Vision influences and is influenced by body posture and movement, manual manipulation and touch as well as the early use of speech. Unfortunately, parents are rarely directed to the proper professional to diagnose and re-mediate visual system disorders. Far too much sincere but misguided energy is placed on masking or working around the core issues.

How is your present strategy working out for you? If it isn’t maybe your child’s vision development should be checked by a developmental optometrist. Specializing in vision problems affecting learning, reading and attention as well as wandering and lazy eyes, autistic spectrum disorders and acquired brain injury, Dr. Mark Roberts, FCOVD has worked with children and adults for over three decades. Email visdevmnm@aol.com or call 336-460-0752

01/22/2018

MY CHILD HAD A LEARNING DISABILITY: PARENT TESTIMONY

When our daughter was in the third grade, we learned that she had some learning difficulties. By that point, we had spent a lot of our own money on tutors, testing and learning centers, none of which gave her any real results in school.

As far back as kindergarten, we took her to different eye doctors. She saw a pediatric ophthalmologist who told us her eyes were
fine and that all she needed to do was sit near the front of the class. In third grade she saw an optometrist who prescribed reading glasses. She complained about them and said they did not help and we did not believe her. She refused to wear them, and we punished her for not doing as she was told.

After enrolling her in the private school to help with her learning disability, we started seeing an occupational therapist to help her with other challenges she was facing. During her assessment, the OT noticed that our daughter’s eyes did not track together. She also said that her reading challenges were probably a direct result of this issue. Then she gave us a name, Dr. Mark Roberts, and told us that he could help her.

Dr. Roberts was quick to get back to us and scheduled an appointment for her within a week. His eye exam was like nothing we had ever seen before, with all sorts of tests, cards, and challenges. There were also several questionnaires to fill out that asked about activities we had not associated with vision issues including clumsiness, lack of organization and time
management.

Dr. Roberts’ findings astounded my husband and I. He pointed out that the prescription she had in her reading glasses actually made reading harder for her, just like she had been telling us. He changed the lenses to a prescription that included prisms and, he also recommended weekly vision therapy sessions for about 7 months.

Just the changes in her glasses alone helped almost immediately. The weekly therapy sessions included activities done only in the office as well as activities to do at home each day. While we did meet with some push-back in the beginning, once she realized the exercises were helping, she was much more compliant. Long story short – vision therapy worked!

Our daughter continued through school and developed a love a reading! She graduated high school in 2016 as a member of the National Honor Society. Not too bad when you consider what a nightmare third grade was! She is now a sophomore in college and continues to excel.

We are convinced that without Dr. Roberts and vision therapy, this never would have happened. Thank you, Dr. Roberts!

Stacy and Mike Fogleman

09/14/2017

https://www.njea.org/success-school-tied-healthy-vision/

What educators need to know By Kristan Gross A child’s first academic experience is equal parts exciting, transformational and scary. Every fall, boys and girls walk through their schools’ doors for the first time with a new pair of shoes, supplies and backpack to boot. But are these new scholars re...

02/22/2017

SPECIALIZED VISUAL SOLUTIONS - PATIENT TESTIMONIAL
336-460-0752

I believe Dr. Mark Roberts is the first Neurodevelopmental Optometrist who really understands what is going on with my son's (and my) eyes.

Dr. Roberts' depth of experience, knowledge and confidence were a welcome relief to me after taking my son to another optometrist who could only say that it was going to take ‘a long time’ to fix my son’s double vision (a.k.a. strabismus)—which he had for two years at that point. In fact, I was so frustrated with the non-results of therapy that I almost had my son’s eyes operated on by a pediatric ophthalmologist. But because surgery had not worked for me—and because of the extensive online evidence that surgery doesn’t work for many, perhaps a majority, of patients, my husband and I made one last attempt to find a neurodevelopmental optometrist—and that’s when my son began seeing Dr. Roberts.

After only four months of weekly visits to Dr. Roberts and his staff, my son's double vision was gone, his eyes were much straighter, his posture more upright and his self-confidence more evident. After 6 months, his corrective lenses are almost neutral and his eyes appear normal—and he has no more double vision.

I was born with strabismus and had 2 corrective surgeries as a child, but for my entire life I’ve had monocular vision—I suppress one eye all the time. (I'm now 50.) I saw a therapist six years ago who said vision therapy wouldn't help me and might in fact give me double vision. So, I gave up the idea of having binocular vision.

But inspired by our son's success, I’ve started seeing Dr. Roberts. His initial visit and testing are very thorough, and the prescription lens he prescribed alone has improved the comfort in my eyes. It’s too early to tell what will be the ultimate results of optometric vision therapy will be, but already I can do things like drive long distances more comfortably.

I believe Dr. Mark Roberts is simply one of the best Neurodevelopmental Optometrists working in the field today.

Ann Dye

01/31/2017

WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT 20/20?

Allie is in the sixth grade and is struggling to keep up. The difficulties first surfaced in the first grade. In grades 1 through 3 they went to Sylvan Learning Center for help. In grades 4 through 6 they hired a private tutor. Now, homework drags on every night and mom visits the school regularly to help her keep up.

Amazingly, her family doctor and her school screened her vision every year and every time they were told 20/20. After repeating first grade, an eye doctor was consulted in grades 2 and 3 with the same conclusion. In spite of all this attention, she continued to struggle to keep up in school. Upon the recommendation of a friend, Allie was eventually seen by Dr. Mark Roberts, FCOVD with Specialized Visual Solutions. Dr. Roberts diagnosed Allie with functional visual difficulties and perceptuomotor deficits.

Did you know that most children with these problems are 20/20? In fact, neither nearsightedness nor distance acuity appear to be associated with learning difficulties. Vision screenings miss these issues. One out of four school-aged children have vision problems that impair academic performance. This rises to six out of ten children labeled with learning problems.

How is your present strategy working out for you? If it isn't, maybe an evaluation by a neuro-developmental optometrist is in order. Call Dr. Mark Roberts with Specialized Visual Solutions at 336-460-0752 for a free phone consultation today.

01/26/2017

09/10/2016

A question often posed in the Vision Therapy room involves an understanding of how a particular activity applies, or perhaps more directly stated, “what does this have to do with my eyes?& #82…

09/10/2016

In Part One, we looked at the visual processing mechanism and hopefully began to understand the importance of treating this area in our VT rooms. Our eyes gather the information, our brains process…

09/10/2016

By Dr. Robert Fox and Elizabeth Levy We hear from many parents, day in and day out, who are desperate to find out why their extremely bright child is struggling in school. Many of those families ha…

12/04/2014

http://youtu.be/9pHvS7Mr_l8

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Optometrist, Dr. Vicky Vandervort explains what it is like for a pe...