Seeing Through New Eyes

Melvin Kaplan OD is Director of the Center for Visual Management in New York. He is a qualified Doctor of Optometry, and has previously worked as a clinical instructor of behavioral sciences at New York Medical College. He has published a significant body of research on ambient lenses and their role in the rehabilitation of individuals who display dysfunction in learning or emotion, and those with autistic spectrum disorders.

This book advances the case for vision therapy as an integral part of a comprehensive treatment plan for children with ASDs, and provides professionals with the tools to implement this therapy. Kaplan argues that visual dysfunction is a significant but neglected problem associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other developmental disabilities, and that common autistic symptoms such as hand-flapping, poor eye contact and tantrums are typically a response to the confusion caused by vision disorder. The author explains the effects of difficulties with 'ambient vision' - the function that is usually impaired in autistic people - which include a lack of spatial awareness and trouble with coordination. He gives guidance on how to identify the visual deficits of nonverbal children, select prism lenses that will alter the visual field, and create individually tailored programmes of therapy in order to retrain the system. Seeing Through New Eyes is essential reading for any professional in the fields of optometry and ophthalmology, autism educators and researchers, and for parents considering vision therapy for their child.

Foreword, Stephen Edelson, Autism Research Institute, San Diego Part I: Understanding Visual Dysfunction and the Role of Prism Lenses and Vision Therapy. 1. The Behavior is the Solution. 2. Prism Lenses and Vision Therapy: Overview and Historical Perspective. Part II: The Kaplan Nonverbal Battery: Testing and Interpretation of Results. 3. Special Tests for Special Needs. 4. Analyzing your Test Results: The Art and Science of Knowing your Patient. Part III: Planning a Visual Management Program. 5. The Therapy Process: A Philosophical Overview. 6. Therapy Approaches for Patients with Strabismus. 7. Therapy Approaches for Patients with Orientation Issues. 8. Therapy Approaches for Patients with Spatial Organization Issues. 9. What does Breathing have to do with Vision? 10. The Big Picture: Integrating Vision Therapy into a Comprehensive Treatment Program. Glossary. Index