NSU-OCO Hosts International Lens Symposium
Published: 2003-09-10
TAHLEQUAH The Oklahoma Optometry College at Northeastern State University is hosting an International Lens Symposium September 12-14. The invitation-only event will begin Friday at 2 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express. The conference continues on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the NSU-Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSU-OCO) Auditorium.
Sponsored by NSU-OCO and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), the conference focuses on problems associated with visual projection, the act of the brain projecting objects into space. Problems with visual projection are often seen in stroke and traumatic brain injury patients as well as individuals with developmental delays/dysfunctions. The conference will consider the different diagnostic tests to evaluate visual projection as well as the vision therapies implemented to cope and/or correct such problems. Presenters for the conference include Dr. John W. Streff, Dr. Claude Valenti, and Dr. W.C. Maples.
NSU-OCO is proud to partner with the College of Optometrists in Vision Development to bring such a worthwhile event to Tahlequah, said Dr. W.C. Maples, conference organizer/presenter and NSU-OCO professor. This conference provides not only a wonderful opportunity for professional development, but a chance for optometry students, faculty, and practitioners to network with industry experts and professionals worldwide.
An award-winning optometrist, Dr. John W. Streff (Columbus, OH) is currently engaged in private practice in Lancaster, OH. While the Streff Optometric Center is devoted to general optometric care, vision therapy, rehabilitative, and behavioral care are emphasized. Streff is the recipient of the G.N. Getman award as the Developmental Optometrist of the Year (1981) and the A.M. Skeffington Award for optometric writing (1997). He serves as a medical consultant at the Drake Center Rehab Hospital at the University of Cincinnati and is a fellow of both the American Academy of Optometry and the COVD. He was the first person to describe Juvenile Bilateral Amblyopia Syndrome, which is commonly referred to as Streff's Syndrome after Dr. Streff.
Dr. Claude A. Valenti (La Jolla, CA) is director of the Optometric Vision Development Center in La Jolla. The center specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of functional and perceptual vision problems. He is a member of numerous vision and optometric organizations including the National Academy of Sports Vision (NASV), Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA), and Parents Active for Vision Education (PAVE). Valenti lectures both nationally and internationally and has made many contributions through his numerous published works.
The former chief of the vision therapy clinic for 17 years, Dr. W.C. Maples (Tahlequah, OK) has taught vision therapy at NSU-OCO for 22 years. The author of more than 70 articles, he is involved in clinical research pursuing the areas of visual epidemiology, refractive errors,oculomotor dysfunction, strabismus, learning disabilities, and brain surgery. Dr. Maples has been an active 36-year member of the American Optometric Association and the Optometric Extension Program Foundation. Dr. Maples is a board certified fellow in developmental vision and vision therapy by the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (FCOVD) and the Australiasian College of Behavioural Optometrists (FACBO). He is the past president of COVD and now sits on its international certification and examination board.
NSU-OCO is a four-year professional program that leads to the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree. Doctors of Optometry are the major providers of primary vision care in America and are specially educated, clinically trained, and state licensed to examine the eyes for the presence or absence of vision problems, eye diseases, or other abnormalities. NSU-OCO is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association and is a member of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is an international membership association of eye care professionals including optometrists, optometry students, and vision therapists. Established in 1971, COVD provides board certification for eye doctors and vision therapists who are prepared to offer state-of-the-art services in behavioral and developmental vision care, vision therapy, and visual rehabilitation.