Our Services:
| Low Vision Optometric Services | Psychological Counseling & Support Groups | Rehabilitation Training | Currently Viewing: Specialized Programs |
Our Specialized Programs target the specific needs of various populations. When making an appointment, please identify your special needs so that we can schedule you with the appropriate low vision optometrist.
- Macular Degeneration Program is an extensive program to help adults with vision loss due to macular degeneration.
- Children's Program is devoted exclusively to helping partially sighted children from birth through age 18 reach their full potential. In addition to designing and prescribing low vision devices, we work with schools and other rehabilitation specialists to maximize your child's physical, social and academic development.
- Diabetes and Vision Loss Program addresses the needs of people with diabetes-related vision loss and helps them manage their diabetes, improve blood sugar control through low vision optometric care, behavior modification, psychological support, vision rehabilitation techniques and adaptive aids.
Macular Degeneration Program
This program is designed to help people with vision loss due to macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. This condition causes damage to the central area of the retina, interfering with the ability to see detail. The picture to the right shows how a person with macular degeneration might see. Our low vision doctors enhance remaining vision by designing special glasses that deflect the image onto the healthier portion of the retina. With these glasses, our doctors may be able to improve clarity of sight enough to allow reading. In addition, our doctors may include filters or coating on the glasses to protect the macula from the damaging rays of the sun. Nutritional and dietary recommendations are provided to help protect remaining sight.
After visual aids have been prescribed, clients are taught how to use the devices to perform daily activities. This is a most important component of low vision because the brain and the visual system must learn to use high magnification. Within a couple of weeks, most clients are able to use the prescribed visual aids to read, write, and perform daily activities independently. Psychological support and referrals for special services for the clients are also offered.
Children’s Program
Vision is an important skill that affects the overall development of a child and impacts developmental milestones such as walking, talking, and reaching. For children with vision loss, early intervention is crucial in helping them reach their full potential.
Our Children's Low Vision Optometric Program helps visually impaired children from infancy though age 18 enhance their remaining sight, even if they are legally blind. We offer functional vision assessments, vision stimulation exercises, prescription glasses and low vision devices.
The Atlas Family Resource Project provides ongoing resources and referrals, education, advocacy, counseling and support for parents and children in our program. Services are offered in English and in Spanish. See page for details.
Our online publication, “Developing Your Child’s Vision: A Guide for Parents of Infants and Young Children with Vision Impairment,” also available in a Spanish edition, "Desarrollando la Visión de su Niño" provides practical information and suggestions for children from birth through age eight.
For more information about our Children’s Program call Dr. Bill Takeshita at 310-988-1970 ext 103 or use our online Contact Us form. Also see the "Dr. Bill Takeshita Scholarship and Endowment Fund" Webpage for further information, including details on support for low income families.
Parents of children referred to CPS by the Regional Centers can contact the Department of Developmental Services at 916-654-1987 or at www.dds.ca.gov/complaints with questions or comments.
Diabetes and Vision Loss Program
We help visually impaired people with diabetes manage their disease in order to improve blood sugar control through low vision optometric care, behavior modification, psychological support, vision rehabilitation strategies and adaptive aids. Our goals are:
- To provide tools and skills to regain and maintain self-management of diabetes
- To help improve blood sugar control to slow vision loss and other complications
- To help those with diabetic vision loss manage other activities of daily living
All our services are provided to patients in our Diabetes Program.
“Large Print Recipes for a Healthy Life: Low Cholesterol, Low Fat, Low Sodium, No Added Sugar” is a large print cookbook containing over 130 recipes following the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association. It is available in our store.
For more information about the Diabetes and Vision Loss Program, please call Pam Thompson, Ph.D., at 310-988-1970, Ext. 146, or use our online Contact Us form
Last Updated: Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at 16:40:15