August is Children’s Vision and Learning Month!
August has been declared Vision and Learning Month since 1995 due to the hard work and commitment of College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD). The goal of this national observance is to help educate parents and educators about the critical link between vision and learning. It doesn’t really matter what the curriculum is or even what country you are in, when children have underlying vision problems contributing to their learning challenges, they continue to struggle until the vision problem is corrected.
COVD is a non-profit, international membership association of eye care professionals including optometrists, optometry students, and vision therapists. Established in 1970, COVD provides board certification for optometrists and vision therapists who are prepared to offer state-of-the-art services in Behavioral and developmental vision care, Vision therapy, and Neuro-optometric rehabilitation. I had the honor of serving as President of COVD and I am still committed to it’s important mission and core values.
Vision and Learning Proclamations
An important part of College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) yearly awareness campaign is to encourage local and state governments to pass official proclamations that highlight the importance of children’s vision for their success in school.
Check out COVD’s report here on the progress!
Dr. Hellerstein’s Featured Interview
Recently, I had the honor of being featured in COVD’s MINDSIGHT blog featuring what inspired me to practice Vision Therapy, the importance of August Vision and Learning Month, and my transformation and growth in the field.
Click here to read the featured interview
Be sure to catch up on the Vision Beyond Sight podcast featuring optometrists, patients, and educators speaking about the importance of vision and learning. Links to the podcast are listed below!
Please contact me with questions, thoughts or names of potential guests for the podcast.
Lynn Fishman Hellerstein, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
Check out some of our latest episodes
Shedding Light on Hidden Vision-Related Learning Problems
Wendy Rosen, author, elementary and early childhood teacher, adjunct instructor and education consultant talks about her expertise in vision-related learning problems, a lesser-known type of disability that can affect a child’s learning capacity, behavior, and health.
Celebrate Vision and Learning Month and Discover the InfantSEE Program
Dr. Jennifer Zolman, multi-awarded optometrist, owner and CEO of the Draisin Vision Group is also actively affiliated with different optometric organizations. She talks about Vision and Learning Month in August and the InfantSEE Program. She also sheds light on why 20/20 vision may not be enough, and the importance of regular and comprehensive eye exams.
Special Education Advocates and School Supports for Children’s Learning Differences and Vision Issues
Roxanne Bradley, a special education advocate, and the president and founder of Learning Differences World talks about the role of special education advocates in ensuring schools provide supports for children’s learning differences and vision issues. She also provides insights on educational supports through an Individualized Education Program and 504 Plan.
Understanding Our Primitive Reflex Codes That Affect Sensory Development and Vision Skills
Patti Andrich, an internationally honored occupational and vision therapist, researcher and author, is also the founder of the Sensory Foundations Program, and co-founder of The Vision Development Team. She talks about our primitive reflexes and coding system that lay the foundation of our sensory development, and particularly how these reflex codes support the development of vision skills.
- Pick Up Your Paintbrush and Paint Your Vision: A Future of Fun, Joy and Light with Dr. Lynn Hellerstein (Episode #115) - December 18, 2024
- The Link Between Autoimmunity and the “Good Girls”: Rising from Being a Girlhood Caretaker with Sara Hirsh Bordo (Episode #114) - December 11, 2024
- Make Kindness Cool in Your Organization: Strategies to Make People WANT to Come in to Work with Jordan Birnbaum (Episode #113) - December 4, 2024
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