Seeing Through New Eyes: Changing the Lives of Autistic Children, Asperger Syndrome and Other Developmental Disabilities Through Vision Therapy

Kaplan, an optometrist and Director of the Center for Visual Management, believes visual dysfunction to be a significant but neglected problem associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other developmental disabilities. He points to some of the behaviors associated with ASD, such as poor eye contact as proof, and promotes identifying and diagnosing visual defects in children so professionals can determine appropriate therapies such as prism lenses. Directing his work at parents as well as professionals, Kaplan explains how these behaviors lead to solutions through vision therapy and prism lenses, how the Kaplan Nonverbal Battery test works and how to analyze the results, and how to plan a visual management process from understanding the philosophical overview to planning therapy for strabismus, orientation issues, spatial problems and even breathing support issues as part of a comprehensive treatment program. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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.