Avatar 3-D has swept the world as the biggest movie of all times largely due to the new 3-D technology used in the production of this block buster film. Yes, 3-D movies have been around for a long time, but what makes Avatar unique is the combination of Polaroid and anaglyph technology in conjunction with an elaborate CG imagery and the new Fusion High Definition Camera system invented by James Cameron, writer and director of Avatar.
This new generation of high definition 3-D cinematography is paving the way for many the future of film making. We will now begin to see a new wave of films with this technology including the latest Walt Disney Pictures: Alice in Wonderland.
Last week Dr. Carl Hillier was interviewed on San Diego Living TV-6. In his segment he talks about stereo blindness and a simple test parents can do with their children with the 3-D glasses to determine if they have suppression utilizing the "vis-a-vi" technique.
This was another excellent news segment for parents and teachers to understand the importance of binocular vision and how these new 3-D movies can be not only very entertaining but also help serve to identify a child who has binocular dysfunction.
Binocular vision problems occur in nearly 15% of the population and are usually treatable. All primary care optometrists are trained to diagnose a binocular problem. If your optometrist identifies a problem with your child's binocular vision, there is help. Office-based vision therapy is safe and proven effective treatment in the majority of cases. If your doctor identifies your child with a binocular vision problem, but does not provide office-based vision therapy, he or she should refer you to a doctor who does. To find a doctor who provides office-based vision therapy go to The College of Optometrists in Vision Development at www.covd.org and click on the Doctor locator. Look for those doctors who are Board Certified Fellows.
Below is the San Diego Living TV-6 interview with Dr. Hillier:
For Windows Media Play users you can view the TV interview when you click here
If you are a Mac user you can view the TV interview when you click here.
Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCOVD
Statistics from the Autism Society shows that autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the US. Current studies are suggesting that Autism is occurring in 1 in 110 children with nearly 1.5 million living with this condition. Autism is a spectrum disorder that typically includes pervasive developmental delays in sensory processing. One critical area to a child with Autism can be vision development.
With greater public awareness of the vision problems associated with autism, more children (and adults) can find the developmental vision care that will help those with autism to lead a more happy and productive life. A good way to find a doctor who specializes in developmental vision care is to go to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development website and search for a Board Certified Fellow in your area.
Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D.,FCOVD
Arizona Cardinals' Wide-Receiver and Pro Bowl MVP Larry Fitzgerald Encourages Parents to Take Action TODAY
"The public doesn't realize that you need over 15 visual skills to succeed in reading, learning, sports, and in life. Seeing 20/20 is just one of those visual skills," says Larry Fitzgerald, acclaimed Arizona Cardinals 2008 NFC West Champions' wide-receiver. During the many pre and post Superbowl press interviews, Fitzgerald, explained that one of the keys to his success was having vision therapy as a child. He had a vision problem that was making it difficult to pay attention in school and his grandfather, Dr. Robert Johnson, a developmental optometrist in Chicago, Illinois, diagnosed the vision problem and the appropriate treatment.
Fitzgerald went through vision therapy under his aunt's guidance, Dr. Stephanie Johnson-Brown, who is currently the executive director of the Plano Child Development Center, a not-for-profit vision care service corporation which was co-founded by her father, Dr. Johnson in 1959, which specializes in vision education and the identification and remediation of vision development problems in children and adults.
According to a report from the New Jersey Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public School, "Undiagnosed and untreated vision related learning problems are significant contributors to early reading difficulties and ultimately to special education classification." "Vision problems can have a serious impact on a child's education. Don't wait to see if this next school year will be better, take action today!" Fitzgerald encourages parents. One of the most common vision disorders that interferes with reading was recently the focus of a national study funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Eye Institute, on convergence insufficiency. This is a vision problem where the two eyes don't work together in unison the way they are supposed to when one is reading. The result can make reading very difficult. While at least one out of every 20 school-age children is impacted by convergence insufficiency, there are other visual abnormalities to be considered. It is estimated that over 60% of problem learners have undiagnosed vision problems contributing to their difficulties. The good news is the majority of these vision problems can be treated with a program of office-based optometric vision therapy. The study by the NEI found that in-office vision therapy was the best treatment for convergence insufficiency. The five most common signs that a vision problem may be interfering with your child's ability to read and learn are: Any one of these symptoms is a sign of a possible vision problem. A more in-depth symptom checklist is available on College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) website. If your child has symptoms, do not delay. If you are in the region of Southwest Michigan contact Wow Vision Therapy, or to find a doctor in your area who specializes in vision development and optometric vision therapy go the COVD website,www.covd.org, and click on the doctor locator to find a developmental optometrist near you, preferably a Board Certified Fellow. Look for the initials FCOVD after the doctors name. Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D.,FCOVD
What goes on in a vision therapy session? WebMD Daily helps to answer this question by a facinating video news story, entiled "Problem Child? Get Therapy for his Eyes.
Find out more when you view the WebMD "webisode". This will give you a sample of what is going on in a VT session and why patients are getting better when they are in office-based optometric vision therapy.
Problem Child? Get Therapy for his Eyes!
Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D.,FCOVD
