The Imact of Vision Therapy on IQ

Presenters for 3 hour course: April 28, 2017; Jacksonville, FL

Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Director, Gifted Development Center &  Lynn F. Hellerstein, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Part 1:  Since 1985, the Gifted Development Center (GDC) has referred thousands of children to optometrists: approximately 50% of the 6300+ gifted children assessed. In 2000, Dr. Linda Silverman described the “red flags” on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) indicating that gifted children had visual processing issues. Since then, the WISC-IV and WISC-V have been released, each with a different basic structure.  This session will describe the format of both of these instruments. WISC-IV and WISC-V profiles of gifted children referred for developmental vision evaluations will be shared, along with caveats regarding interpretation of the complex profiles of “twice exceptional” children (gifted children with learning disabilities).

Part 2:  Over the last 30 years, developmental optometrists and psychologists have collaborated on hundreds of cases. During the course of that collaboration, several children have returned for IQ re-assessment after vision therapy, for visual processing problems, was completed. Significant improvement in IQ scores has been documented through standardized WISC-III and WISC IV testing. Surprisingly, improvement has been demonstrated in subtests presented verbally, as well as those presented visually. Through case presentations, the impact of vision therapy on IQ scores is demonstrated.  Significant optometric findings and pre/post IQ scores are included.

Lynn Hellerstein
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