Lori Nishida-Eugenio, O.D.

Dr. Lori Nishida-Eugenio is a developmental Optometrist who provides in-depth testing for the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems that often interfere with reading and learning.

Dr. Nishida is passionate about working with children, and has four children of her own. Her son, who was a “micro-preemie” has had many developmental delays and special needs to work through. Dr. Nishida has had to play multiple roles, that of mother, vision specialist and advocate, eventually becoming a self-taught “expert” in special education.

By working with her son’s many therapists, she has gained hands-on experience in the areas of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Feeding Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy, Speech Therapy, Floor-Time Therapy and Behavioral Therapy. This has led Dr. Nishida to continue her professional education and pursue her Fellowship in Vision Therapy.

With her unique combination of her family experience and professional background, Dr. Nishida has made it her personal mission to help other children and their families overcome learning–related vision problems through Vision Therapy and to advise them on how to better advocate for their children.

O.D. State Univ. of New York College of Optometry 1992
Bachelor of Science, Biology and Chemistry, CSUN 1987
O.D. California 9994T – Primary care, glaucoma, cataract, and refractive surgery co-management,
pediatric optometry and vision therapy practitioner
Glaucoma Certification Course
DEA #MNO837990
Member of San Fernando Valley Optometric Society
Member of California Optometric Association
Member of American Optometric Association
Volunteer provider of InfantSee service
Volunteer MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity)
2004-2006 SFVOS Communications Chair
2006-2008 SFVOS President Elect
PEN (Primary Eyecare Network) Advisory Board

THE LINK BETWEEN VISION AND LEARNING…

By Dr. Lori Nishida

There are over 15 visual skills required for learning that are not typically tested in a routine eye exam or vision screening. Some of these skills include:

Eye Movement: If you think about how you use your eyes when you read you will find that your eyes move a lot; back and forth along the lines of print. Inadequate eye movements may cause a student to lose his or her place when reading, have difficulty copying from the blackboard, and skip or omit small words when reading.

Focusing: Symptoms of a focusing problem may include blurred vision while reading, inability to see clearly at distance after reading, and fatigue or headaches while reading.

Eye Teaming: When the two eyes do not work together, it may result in double vision, frequent loss of place when reading, headaches or eyestrain, and inability to stay focused on a visual task for any prolonged period of time. Children may have difficulty staying focused or paying attention when working on schoolwork.

Eye Hand Coordination: Tasks such as writing, drawing, and throwing or catching a ball require well developed eye-hand coordination skills. Undiagnosed vision problems can cause difficulties with eye hand coordination.

It should be noted that children with vision problems that interfere with learning rarely outgrow them; in fact, each year the struggles become worse as print becomes smaller and the reading demands increase at each higher grade level.

Q. The eye doctor said Johnny can see 20/20, how can he have a vision problem?

A: All 20/20 means is you are able to see the size of letter on the eye chart that you are supposed to see from 20 feet. It does not test all the visual skills critical to reading and learning.

Researchers estimate that 1 out of 4 children have an undiagnosed vision problem that affects their ability to read and learn. Many of these children have been told their vision is fine, leaving parents struggling, trying to cope and searching for answers to their child's difficulties.

Q. How does a developmental vision evaluation differ from a yearly exam?

A: The developmental vision evaluation is considerably longer and more in-depth than a yearly eye exam, testing over 15 visual skills critical to reading and learning. Dr. Nishida tests for problems with eye movement, eye coordination, and other subtle vision problems that can interfere with reading and learning which are commonly found in children with autism spectrum disorders, downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, learning and developmental disabilities.

Q. If a problem is found, what types of treatment could be recommended?

A: Depending on the depth of the problem, Dr. Nishida might recommend a "watch and wait" approach, special therapeutic lenses or a more aggressive treatment plan, including vision therapy. Vision problems that interfere with reading and learning are referred to as learning related vision problems.

Q: What is vision therapy?

A: Vision therapy is an individualized treatment program using specialized eye exercises and equipment that help teach the patient how to use their eyes correctly and helps them better understand what they see. In addition, it can often improve eye contact for autistic patients.