Ian Jordan

Leg pain is often a secondary symptom of a sensory integration problem e.g. we treat leg pain very successfully with immediate effect using visual techniques. Often pains that respond are associated with balance instabilty and lower back pain. Funny how "growing pains " can stop immediately.

Enough to say that an assessment and possible treatment is necessary

Does an assessment cover all the senses simultaneously? I suspect that my biggest problems (or at least the ones I'm least able to compensate for and that cause most difficulty in my study) are auditory, although the more I've read about visual perception that more this concerns me. Vision, auditory, vestibular (balance) and proprioceptive (touch) sensory problems cause the most dificulties but be aware that each sensory system can cause symptoms in the others. Therefore the person that assessess must be comfortable working "out of comfort zone". There are few that I could recommend - I wish that there was a course to train professionals holistically, unlikely as most profesional bodies jealously guard their "patch". My own way of working is to establish signs, symptoms and history - it is usually possible to make a good guess at how the sensory systems intergrate at this point and develop the assessment from there. It is rare that only one sensory system is involved, but treatment of one may sort all problems. We specialise in the vision and hearing with some input from other areas. You may be interested that I have just come back from Ireland where we have conducted the first multisensory conference for professionals - it was very exciting and I hope some real progress comes from it. The speakers included optical, auditory, biochemistry, occupational therapy and the minister for education! It would be lovely to have one similar in England, Scotland and Wales - but it takes some organising! The ASD community needs to push very hard to achieve change, it won't happen without pressure

Oldest I've seen up to now is late 80s, so 20s no problem Over half the people I see are adult. Assessments are individual, take between an hour and 3hrs, and are enjoyable NHS possible in Scotland - no need for referral - just phone and make appointment - sadly has to be private in England.

Visually we can assess any age / verbal/non verbal but accuracy is greater with age / comprehension / responses. Auditory varies more - any age can be assessed - but sometimes impossible with very young sorry not more precise but many factors may influence testing Undr 7 it is difficult but if I was parent I would accept limitations and want any child over 3 assessed best wishes

This is a big one. I wil be brief. Everybody processess sensory input differently, but those on the spectrum often have a more extreme variation from the "norm". Sensory processing problems are often the greatest difficulty experienced by those on the spectrum and are often causative to difficulties with social contact, development and educational attainment. All sensory systems are affected, with those of visual processing and auditory processing usually giving the greatest difficulties to the person. The principal difficulties can be summarised as difficulties in the following areas Mapping - where is the stimulus - eg where is the pain Timing - how long is the stimulus - eg movement recognition Sequences - what is the order of stimulus - eg in dyslexia and praxis difficulties Degree - how powerful is the stimulus - eg sensory defensiveness Memory - how does the stimulus relate to previous experience - processing speed may infuence - eg speech recognition Integration - how does the stimulus from one sensory system affect another - eg hand eye coordination Persistance - how long is the sensory information retained before being "wiped" - eg speech/vision blurring Cross sensory stimulus - does one sense cause an adverse effect in another- eg visual responses affect every other sensory system - massively!!!! including balance, smell, touch, taste, swallowing, facial recognition, hearing, spatial awareness etc. This is obviously simplified but the effects are enormous. Around 80% of those on the spectrum have significant problems, for many children it is their major difficulty. If I was a parent of a child on the spectrum I would insist that a minimum of visual processing and auditory processing is addressed. It is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your child. IT IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO YOUR CHILD TO BE CAREFUL OF PROFESSIONALS - training is almost always minimal - the amount of poor advice is staggering and virtually every professional body does not acknowledge sensory processing problems. They are WRONG. SENSORY PROBLEMS ARE TREATABLE - WE DO IT EVERY DAY - AND WITH VISUAL PROCESSING PROBLEMS THE RESULTS ARE IMMEDIATE AND YOU CAN CHOOSE WHETHER YOU WANT THE MODIFICATION, AUDITORY AND OTHERS TAKE LONGER PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILDREN ASSESSED AND IF APPROPRIATE TREATED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY - IT IS CRITICAL Good Luck

Remember sensory input can dramatically effect some forms of epilepsy - vision in particular - but it often it does not show up under neurological testing. Non invasive visual modification techniques can have dramatic effects - too complex for post though. Visual and other sensory ergonomics have the potential to provoke problems - in particular - pattern, flicker, hue, saturation and brightness. Combine this with auditory processing problems and .....

There is a small possibility your son may have significant visual perceptual problem associated with visiospatial awareness. If present it will be associated with either clumsiness or walking into doorframes or facial emotion / recognition problems.

PRESS RELEASE Monday, 26th March 2007 SENSES & LEARNING CONFERENCE FOR NEWRY A special one-day conference entitled ?How the Senses Affect Learning? for professionals involved in the treatment of dyslexia, dyspraxia and autistic spectrum disorders is to take place on 21st May 2007 in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry. The conference is the first of its kind in Ireland to bring together international experts in visual processing, auditory processing, optometry, occupational therapy, diet and motor development. The aim of the conference is to demonstrate to teachers, parents, health professionals, opticians and therapists how a coordinated and linked approach to the treatment of special needs patients can have a dramatic effect on their ability to learn, interact socially and their self-esteem. The conference is the inspiration of Michael Gilsenan, a Dispensing Optician with practices in Co. Down and Co. Armagh. Michael is a passionate believer that a lot more can be achieved for patients with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Autistic Spectrum Disorders if relevant professionals come together to share research and apply a joint approach. ?By bringing together professionals in areas such as vision, visual processing, diet and auditory processing, we hope to provide a greater understanding of how our senses interact and how different therapies can impact upon our sensory development,? Michael said. Helen Knox, a guest speaker, said: ?It?s great to see experts of this calibre being brought to Northern Ireland. The conference will be of great interest to anyone involved in education or healthcare. Bringing the relevant professions together will make a difference in the education and health of children.? Speakers at the conference include Anne-Laure Jackson, Gwenyth Jeyes, Rosemary Kessick, and Ian Jordan, all of whom are specialists in their chosen fields. For information on the conference please contact Ruth Jones at Lee Opticians, Warrenpoint, tel 028 4175 3030. ENDS

Sorry - Newry in Northern Ireland Speakers include Rosemary Kessick (allergy induced autism), Ann Laure - occupational therapist (specialising in paediatric sensory integration issues), Glynnis Jeye - (primary movement and auditory processing), Mike Gilsennan - case studies of sensory integration treatments, myself, visual processing (including a demo of senory cross overs - if you haven't seen a demo - it is disturbing and thought provoking and will show how much "good practice" is in fact often poor practice), an optometrist to show what differnce good clinical practices can achieve and we believe the Minister of State for Education Northern Ireland (and deputy minister too!) Unfortunately I am going to have to restrict lectures demos in future - I don't charge a fee normally and there is a limit to how much time i can give

Vision, visual processing, diet, automaticity and proprioception, auditory processing. Whilst not specifically for ASD parents this will answer a lot of questions that are regularly posted on site. (it will also open a lot more!!!!) I have seen alll the speakers (apart from myself) and they are all excellent - and understandable. For details 02841 753030

please consider prosopagnosia if your child cannot read your expression - there is a lot about it on this site. It can be treated in most cases in seconds and it is of massive significance when present

Not just anaesthetics vary in effect - drugs used in eye examinations may also have an idiosyncratic effect - moreso for those on the spectrum. Sometimes they even work in the opposite way to that expected! Extreme care is essential

A standard eye exam is limited in cases of autism Please get a visual processing/auditory processing assessment (will take 1-2hrs after the eye test)- dificult to find someone with adequate knowledge levels but it can make a massive difference. Sometimes it is possible to restore hearing / vision!

Dyslexia is difficult to assess as there is no strict definition and mich testing relies on opinion. In general the educational psychologist will determine the relationship between the response and predicted response to a battery of tests. However this is a poor way of determining whether there is a physical cause of difficulties and therefore it is essential that a parent gets their child assessed for vision and visual processing, hearing and auditory processing and sensory integration issues before going down the educational route. The level of knowledge in education of treatment is usually very poor and you will virtually always be given educational time when it is often an innppropriate response. This can prove very expensive in comparison to appropriate treatment. Please get info on options!

Try looking up developmental dyspraxia - exercises Won't cost you anything Exercises for cerebellar and automaticity dysfunction do help, but before proceeding - get biochemistry, vision and hearing sorted. Praxis problems are often consequential on spatial perception difficulties - these require 1 visual processing to be stable 2 vestibular processing to be appropriate 3 proprioceptive knowledge 4 automaticity programming - this is dependent on all the above working properly and exercises do NOT sort it out - its a bit like learning to hop with a broken leg - you can get better, but it is better to mend the break first.

Accurate treatment is possible for sensory problems. We assess through the NHS in Sotland but it is not available except privately in England. Visual, auditory, touch, taste and smell overloads can be addressed and treated very successfully

Differentiate between neglect and a form of field loss which is intermittent and may be object specific - object agnosia. A total visual field loss may also apply. This is different to neglect but may give similar symptoms. Some forms of field loss / neglect / agnosia can be treated but the methods of assessment and management are too complex for post. You need specialist assessment to differentiate and treat if applicable. You can contact me with your location and I will recommend someone if you want

Anyone with these problems -send me your e mail address and i will send a lot of info. If you can get a visual processing asessment and an auditory processing assessment. THe difference will be immediate and significant and will almost certainly stop many if not all of the symptoms described. If you can't get anywhere local we do them free in Scotland but have to charge in England. PS the earlier the better!!!!!!

behavioral optometrists believe that milestones in visual development have not been met and it is possible to restore these by exercises etc. These can definately help in SOME cases but methods are to some extent controversial in the optical professions. They can also cost a lot of money, take a lot of time, be difficult in ASD and results are variable. The techniques may also be unpleasant for the child and can be a major problem in some cases. They do NOT address all the visual and cross sensory issues in ASD Whilst I am well aware of behavioral theory and practice my own feeling is that it better to achieve instant success with minimum disturbance to the child. The techniques we use would also be considered controversial but at least you can see if they work as the results are immediate. I would however be VERY cautious about using someone that is not qualified in one of the optical professions to be assessed, the level of knowledge needed is significantly higher than that of a basic optically trained person, I have just written a syllabus for a post grad diploma - 20 weeks! and that is a basic knowledge level! So ask how much training someone has in this area - it makes a big difference.

Mears Irlen syndrome is one of a number of responses to inappropriate visual stimulus. Symptoms would generally include visual instability together with headaches etc.Testing methods involve using overlays or spectacles and observing text or patterns. This technique is rarely used by optical professionals in the UK. This was the first method used (in practical terms) and would be considered 1st generation. Visual stress is the name given to visual perceptual problems (often called pattern glare) which are provoked by lighting or text. Initial testing usually uses overlays and progresses to a colour wheel based subtractive test (the colorimeter). This would be classed as a 2nd generation technique and is the most common in the UK. I consider it to be superceded by additive methods The latest method is very different and addresses a lot more problems is using additive colour. There a small number of practices in the UK and the testing techniques are very different and much more effective in some cases which CANNOT be addressed using other methods. It now considers overlays obsolete as there are always better techniques. If anyone wants more info please send me a message.

We don't charge for the visual aspects of sensory integration - and results are often dramatic. If using an OT in other areas of SI it is private though even though there is no doubt in my mind that it should be available through the NHS - perhaps if enough political pressure is brought to bear it might eventually happen.

name is just Jordans 5 Newmarket Street Ayr Most of what we do is no charge - NHS Eye test tests take as long as necessary -we don't use drugs whenever poss, basic eye test takes 45 minutes (about 3 times as long as at some high street places) but we don't have to complete (or even start test if child is not in mood - we are happy to work with parents and will happily see those that are non verbal or non cooperative) Sensory integration tests follow on - usually another hour + (maybe on different day) The only things to be paid for are If SI trained OT is required - NHS is not available - I wish it was! If you wish to buy APD discs (and cannot attend practice - if you can attend dailly there is no charge) Specialist lenses not covered by NHS If you wish to purchase spectacle frame - there is a large range which are free and it is not necessary If I have to write a report Rarely other equipment If anyone wants more info on tests we do please send email address I hope this is the way forward and it can be used as a model for the rest of the UK

look under syntonics - used in optometry in US since 1930s I have been on training course but don't use it. Reasons are complex - but I am not comfortable with testing methods

In my naivety I would have thought the unions should also wish to further professional standards. To improve their members knowledge of special needs - considering 20% of an average class has some difficulties - would seem to me to be of great importance. you just have to look at this site to see how much bad advice is given, and for a profession this surely must be unacceptable. And the union should be making sure its members are trained adequately for the job. Currently they are not.