September 28, 2021

Mary Warren: Vision and Brain Injury. Part II

54 minutes

Noggins And Neurons Facebook Group: CLICK HERE or scan below!

DEB: So sometimes when we’re working with someone who needs extra time, we might think it’s because of a motor problem, we might think it’s because of fatigue and maybe even memory, but it could be because they’re not visually taking in their environment properly.

WARREN: Yeah. That’s exactly it. That’s why it’s important to screen right? Because if I have that client and I’m first seeing them and I screen for their acuity and I screen for their contrast and I look at whether they can move their eyes together and I look at their visual attention...If I do that basic screening and get a sense of what are their strengths in using their visual system and what are their weaknesses, then I can further assess their performance in an ADL or something else and I can help start to distinguish, you know, is this vision or is it something else? If it’s vision one of the ways I can test it is just by making whatever they’re doing more visible to them. I can add task lamp to spotlight it, I can simplify it, I can get rid of all the pattern that’s around it, whatever I need to do, if I can create it and make it more visible and then watch how their behavior changes.

EPISODE SUMMARY: This episode of NOGGINS & NEURONS: Stroke and TBI Recovery Simplified is Part II of our conversation with vision expert, Dr. Mary Warren. In this episode we learn about:

Three common environmental barriers that add visual stress in home environments are too much pattern, incorrect lighting and not enough contrast

Warren’s belief that people improve following brain injury when they can successfully engage in their occupations again (The premise of occupational therapy practice), stimulating neuroplasticity and avoiding depression

Behaviors that mask vision deficits - looking at the feet and head positions when walking as signs of vision deficits

How cognition and vision are intertwined. Signs that look like frontal lobe injury (decreased initiation, increased time to complete a task and indecisiveness) could indicate a vision problem

The Brain Injury Visual Assessment Battery for Adults (biVABA) for assessing vision following stroke and brain injury. It aligns with the visual perceptual hierarchy, determines strengths and weaknesses of vision and guides intervention using the strengths to compensate for weaknesses

Warren’s continuing education course on vision

Warren’s perspective on how OT services are judged by the clients we serve

Low Vision Rehabilitation Graduate Certificate program was started by Dr. Mary Warren with Beth Barstow, PhD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA

Vision declines but visual attention doesn’t have to! Engaging in activities that require reactivity can help improve visual attention, memory and driving in older adults

Visual deficits associated with vestibular system impairments and where to look for help

The question that helped Dr. Warren establish the most important professional relationship of her career

We hope you feel as inspired as we do after listening to this episode on vision.

As always, we want to hear your top takeaways!

LINKS TO ARTICLES, BOOKS AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Brain Injury Visual Assessment Battery for Adults (biVABA)

visABILITIES REHAB SERVICES, INC. Continuing Education

A Hierarchical Model for Evaluation and Treatment of Visual Perceptual Dysfunction in Adult Acquired Brain Injury, Part 1

A Hierarchical Model for Evaluation and Treatment of Visual Perceptual Dysfunction in Adult Acquired Brain Injury, Part 2

visAbilities

Low Vision Rehabilitation Graduate Certificate program at University of Alabama at Birmingham

Chapter 24: Evaluation and Treatment of Visual Deficits After Brain Injury. (2018). In Pedretti’s Occupational Therapy Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction (pp. 594–630). Elsevier.

Questions and Comments about the podcast?

[email protected]

NogginsAndNeurons: The Website

Noggins And Neurons Facebook Group

Donate to The Noggins And Neurons Podcast with your PayPal app

Eye-Search Therapy Online vision correction game

Durham Reading & Exploration Training (DREX) Durham Reading & Exploration Training (DREX)

Pete’s blog, book, Stronger After Stroke, and talks.

Blog

Book: Stronger After Stroke, 3rd edition

Talks:

October 28, 8:00 PM (ET) The Neuroplastic Model of Spasticity Reduction *Virtual.

Deb's OT Resources:

Deb's OT resources

The OT’s Guide to Mirror Therapy

Tri-Fold Mirror (US address only)

Occupational Therapy Intervention: Scavenger Hunt Visual Scanning for Adults

REQUEST TO BE A GUEST ON NOGGINS & NEURONS. If you’re passionate about stroke recovery and have information or a story you believe will help others, we’d love help you share it on the show. Complete the guest request form below and let’s see if we’re a good fit! Guest Request Form

MUSIC:

“Soft Inspiration” by Scott Holmes/Scott Holmes Music/scottholmesmusic.com

...more

View all episodes

By Stroke & Brain Injury

4.7

2525 ratings

September 28, 2021

Mary Warren: Vision and Brain Injury. Part II

54 minutes

Mary Warren: Vision and Brain Injury. Part II

Noggins And Neurons Facebook Group: CLICK HERE or scan below!

WARREN: Yeah. That’s exactly it. That’s why it’s important to screen right? Because if I have that client and I’m first seeing them and I screen for their acuity and I screen for their contrast and I look at whether they can move their eyes together and I look at their visual attention...If I do that basic screening and get a sense of what are their strengths in using their visual system and what are their weaknesses, then I can further assess their performance in an ADL or something else and I can help start to distinguish, you know, is this vision or is it something else? If it’s vision one of the ways I can test it is just by making whatever they’re doing more visible to them. I can add task lamp to spotlight it, I can simplify it, I can get rid of all the pattern that’s around it, whatever I need to do, if I can create it and make it more visible and then watch how their behavior changes.

EPISODE SUMMARY: This episode of NOGGINS & NEURONS: Stroke and TBI Recovery Simplified is Part II of our conversation with vision expert, Dr. Mary Warren. In this episode we learn about:

Three common environmental barriers that add visual stress in home environments are too much pattern, incorrect lighting and not enough contrast

Behaviors that mask vision deficits - looking at the feet and head positions when walking as signs of vision deficits

How cognition and vision are intertwined. Signs that look like frontal lobe injury (decreased initiation, increased time to complete a task and indecisiveness) could indicate a vision problem

Warren’s continuing education course on vision

Warren’s perspective on how OT services are judged by the clients we serve

Low Vision Rehabilitation Graduate Certificate program was started by Dr. Mary Warren with Beth Barstow, PhD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA

Vision declines but visual attention doesn’t have to! Engaging in activities that require reactivity can help improve visual attention, memory and driving in older adults

Visual deficits associated with vestibular system impairments and where to look for help

The question that helped Dr. Warren establish the most important professional relationship of her career

We hope you feel as inspired as we do after listening to this episode on vision.

As always, we want to hear your top takeaways!

LINKS TO ARTICLES, BOOKS AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Brain Injury Visual Assessment Battery for Adults (biVABA)

visABILITIES REHAB SERVICES, INC. Continuing Education

A Hierarchical Model for Evaluation and Treatment of Visual Perceptual Dysfunction in Adult Acquired Brain Injury, Part 1

A Hierarchical Model for Evaluation and Treatment of Visual Perceptual Dysfunction in Adult Acquired Brain Injury, Part 2

visAbilities

Low Vision Rehabilitation Graduate Certificate program at University of Alabama at Birmingham

Chapter 24: Evaluation and Treatment of Visual Deficits After Brain Injury. (2018). In Pedretti’s Occupational Therapy Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction (pp. 594–630). Elsevier.

Questions and Comments about the podcast?