Dr. Frank Eperjesi, a practising optometrist and an educator, begins by explaining the importance of reading clearly. He lists a few symptoms that people who are underachievers at school would be likely to have when reading.
We learn the importance of asking for school work and academic performance in children. It would help us identify perceptual disruptions that can hamper a student’s learning.
Dr. Eperjesi explains the three-step sequential assessment process to tackle such patients
- Refractive error assessment – be mindful of small amounts of refractive error
- Binocular vision assessment
- Pattern glare assessment – caused by cortical hyperexcitability
We learn how to identify pattern glare problems and how to treat them commonly. There is also a test available to identify pattern glare officially. One can then use colored overlays to help patients suffering from pattern glare.
Next, we learn about the Wilkins rate of reading test to assess the improvement with colored overlays. To reduce pattern glare at distance (such as on a school board), one can perform a tinted lens assessment if the patient has benefitted from the colored overlays.
The session ends with an engaging question-and-answer session with the live audience.