In viewing the possibilities for the economic development of Black, Brown, and other historically disadvantaged communities, there is a significant need for a system that would resolve the multiplicity of problems that factor into resolution of this age old dilemma. My analysis of the problem is the need to provide a Capital Market Driven Economy (CMDE) for such communities which also incorporates unified common market concepts.

Perhaps the greatest problem is the availability of investment and funding for business operations, and development of a system to capture and control the spending power of the local catchment area and its citizens.

While operating the Hannaian Investment & Publishing Group, a Self Directed and Controlled Investment Research Group, we developed a concept for economic development called the “Hannaian Economic Development Investment Council (HEDIC)”. We proposed that Hedics be established in Historically Disadvantaged Communities to promote self directed and controlled investment in such communities. One or more one HEDICs can be operated within a catchment district if needed. HEDICs would essentially be a special type of publicly traded Business Development Company (BDC). BDCs are established under the provisions of the 1980 amendments to the Investment Company Act of 1940, and regulated by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) of the United States.

BDCs operate similar to Venture Capital (VC) and Private Equity (PE) Funds which provide funding and investment opportunities for other businesses and projects. BDCs are specifically designed to provide small investors with a facilitated, highly regulated and protected way to invest in small developing businesses. BDCs must comply with certain debt accumulation and income distribution requirements, and can obtain special beneficial tax treatment if operated in compliance with SEC and IRS regulations specifically governing BDCs. Generally, as a Regulated Investment Company (RIC) under the Internal Revenue Code, a BDC must distribute the large majority of its taxable income as dividends to its shareholders.

While all BDCs are publicly registered with the SEC not all BDCs are publicly traded. I believe it is important that HEDICs be publicly traded entities so that local residents can easily invest in the operations, and become equity shareholders in the process of economic development of their community.

Hannaian Economic Development Investment Councils (HEDICs) should be established with the following guidelines;

• Identify the service or catchment area or district which will generally be a historically underserved and disadvantaged community typical of many Black & Brown communities within the United States.
• Raise funding though the capital markets as a publicly traded company in which the local citizenry and other investors can invest and gain equitable ownership in the HEDIC by buying shares on the open market.
• Invest the funds raised into funding local businesses located within the catchment area, which create economic development, produce jobs, equity ownership, and increased business operations and control by the indigenous investor shareholders.
• Encourage local citizens, investors and others to expend their money and other resources to support the funded businesses, products and services, or those which otherwise support local economic development.
• Encourage local governmental authorities to provide incentives to attract applicable businesses into the catchment district.
• Encourage locally based investment banks and professionals to provide incentives, programs, and promotions to attract investors into the catchment district.

In addition, major investors and investment entities should see HEDICs as important and potentially lucrative investments because of the spending power and business support of their potentially large base of dedicated indigenous investor shareholders.

Groups of business leaders within a community can organize a HEDIC which will comply with all BDC requirements and provide centralized business leadership in the catchment district. As a publicly registered and traded company the HEDIC will obviously require more sophisticated setup and management than a privately held company. However, the additional benefits of a BDC providing significant equity accrual and community economic development are tremendous.

When operated properly HEDICs should provide excellent investment opportunities and tools for development of a local Capital Market Driven Economy which produces equity ownership, control, and pride among community members.

Examples Include all aspects of eye, vision, and nervous system conditions involving the brain, cranial nerves, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and corresponding muscles, i.e., multiple sclerosis, pituitary tumor, brain trauma, myasthenia gravis, papilledema, horner's syndrome, and numerous other organic and functional anomalies

Anatomically, a significant number of the twelve cranial nerves in the brain (seven of the twelve) are intricately and/or primarily involved with eye and vision function, as are numerous pathways in the cerebral cortex. Four of the twelve cranial nerves innervate the eye only, and three others innervate the eye and some other organ. As such the eye which is also the closest major organ to the brain, is directly innervated by seven of the twelve cranial nerves in addition to other brain processes. The eye has therefore often been described as an appendage of the brain.

It is a significant fact that most people never see a brain doctor (Neurologist) in their entire lifetime. They are usually referred to a Neurologist only after some neurological event is discovered or suspected by another practitioner. In contrast, many patients may see their eye doctor as much as several times each year, evidencing the fact that the best neurological exam most people ever receive is a good eye examination. This is the reason many neurological problems are first discovered through an eye examination.

While the eye is the physical conduit of vision, the cerebral hemispheres of brain is the actual place in the body where vision occurs and is interpreted. Likewise most of the motor functions of the eye are directly controlled by the cranial nerves.

Neurological deficits therefore can have many eye and visual consequences. A proper eye examination therefore is often the first examination to identify or discover a neurological problem. In addition, many eye and vision problems have their direct cause as a neurological deficit or neuro-physiological event.

In addition to its diagnostic modalities, Neuro-Optometry deals with related disorders which have a neurological etiology or base and benefits from Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation. Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation is the examination and treatment of adult and pediatric patients with visual dysfunction related to conditions like traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or brain tumor.

Neuro-visual problems can manifest as reading difficulties, visual inattention, eyestrain, double vision, visual memory problems, visually related anxiety, balance and postural difficulties, side vision loss, sensitivity to bright light, and other related symptoms or signs.

Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation is an individualized treatment regimen for patients with Visual Deficits as a direct result of Physical Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and other Neurological Insults. Neuro-Optometric Therapy is a process for the Rehabilitate of Visual/Perceptual/Motor Disorders. It includes, but is not limited to, Acquired Strabismus, Diplopia, Binocular Dysfunction, Convergence and/or Accommodation, Paresis/Paralysis, Oculomotor Dysfunction, Visual-Spatial Dysfunction, Visual Perceptual and Cognitive Deficits, Autism related eye & visual anomalies, and Traumatic Visual Acuity Loss.

Patients of all ages who have experienced Neurological Insults require Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation. Visual problems caused by Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebrovascular Accident, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, etc., may interfere with performance causing the person to be identified as Learning Disabled or as having Attention Deficit Disorder. These Visual Dysfunctions can manifest themselves as psychological sequella such as Anxiety and Panic Disorders as well as Spatial Dysfunctions affecting balance and posture.

A Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation treatment plan improves specific Acquired Vision Dysfunctions determined by standardized diagnostic criteria. Treatment regimens encompass medically necessary noncompensatory lenses and prisms with and without occlusion and other appropriate medical rehabilitate strategies.

Some of the more common Ocular and Vision problems involved with Neuro-Optometric care are:

Headaches
Blurred Vision (constant & intermittent)
Double Vision (constant & intermittent)
Eye Pain
Crossed or Turning Eyes (constant & intermittent)
Accommodative (Focusing) Dysfunctions
Binocular Vision Dysfunctions
Eye Movement Problems
Psychogenic Visual Disturbances
Psychoperceptual Disorders
Brain Injured Eye & Visual Disorders
Autism Related Visual Disorders
Low Vision Anomalies
School & Learning Related Problems

 See more information on Neuro Ophthalmic Disorders, Eye and Vision Care, and Vision Therapy

Due to the extensive reach of pediatric eye and vision care special training is necessary to adequately diagnose and treat the anomalies of pediatric eye and visual function. The following list details some of the more common categories of anomalies in pediatric eye & vision care.

Primary Ocular Diseases
Systemic Ocular Diseases
Neuro-Ophthalmic Disorders
Refractive Disorders
Binocular Disorders
Accommodative Dysfunctions
Amblyopias
Ocular Motility Disorders
Vision Development Anomalies
Psychogenic Visual Disturbances
Psychoperceptual Disorders
Vision Related Educational Dysfunctions

Neuro-Vision Evaluation in Pediatric Eye/Vision Care

A major problem with in pediatric eye care is the development of a child's visual system and the demands made upon it in the ever increasing competitive school environment. For a student to effectively compete in school and learning actvities their visual system should be in prime functional condition. This generally means that visual functions beyond the basic evaluation for clinical eye disease, and visual acuity must be evaluated.

Generally in a basic eye examination only eye disease and visual acuity is evaluated, and many children with other functional and school performance problems get a clean bill of ocular health and acuity but may still be visually deficient because they have not had all of the necessary elements of visual performance evaluated.

Many times classroom teachers will notice that school performance, reading difficulties, and deficient pycho-perceptual visual function persists in children who have supposedly had their eyes examined with given a clean report of Ocular-Vision function. Teachers are most important in detailing and recognizing such problems and should always be properly engaged in a Child's Ocular-Vision care if school performance is at question.

It is therefore most  important that school age children be properly and fully  evaluated. Parents should question the examining practitioner as to whether their examination specifically covers a detailed evaluation of the areas of Binocularity, Fusional and Accommodative disorders, and Pyscho-Perceptual Vision functions.

The in-depth evaluation of these functions will require additional evaluations beyond a general eye examination, and in our offices patients needing this type of evaluation are scheduled for a Neuro-Vision Evaluation. 

See more about pediatric eye vision care diagnosis & treatment, and School Performance Therapy.

About the Author - A former professor of pediatric eyecare and neuro-optometry, Dr. Hanna has been involved with clinical care and research in virtually all aspects of Pediatric Eye & Vision Care.

Parents are often frustrated when their child is declared ineligible for speech and language services. School districts follow National and State guidelines, and eligibility criteria may differ from state to state. Frequently when a child is declared ineligible for speech and language services, parents are at a loss because they still have difficulty understanding some things their child says, or they don't know what to do to help their child's language catch up with that of other children his age. It is important to note that even though your child's speech and /or language skills may be within developmental expectations, there are still things you can and should do as a parent /caregiver to strengthen your child' skills.

If your child has had a formal evaluation by a qualified speech and language pathologist, be sure that you have the results of the testing explained to you. During the "test interpretation", ask questions. Seek clarification. Understand exactly what it is that your child is and is not doing and what is developmentally appropriate at this stage in your child's life. If the screening process determines that an in-depth, evaluation is not warranted, or the test results reveal that your child's speech and language skills are within developmental expectations at this time, it is still a good idea to ascertain just where the breakdown in communication lies, and what you can do to help. Begin by listening carefully to what your child says and how he/she says it. Take notes. See if there is a pattern of errors. This will make it easier to determine what you can do to help.

There has been much talk recently about the importance of talking to your child as early as conception. Well, almost that early. This is good advice. There has also been talk of the importance of using "baby talk". It's important to clarify this term. Babies respond to the melodic intonation of "baby talk". This is good for them-the ooing and cooing of all the wonderful people around them. There comes a time, however, when these lovely bundles of joy begin to imitate what they experience around them. Initially their efforts are primitive, and that's OK, but as they develop their skills they deserve to have accurate models to follow. Let them strive for closer approximations to "the real thing". They may say "Baba" but they need to hear us say "Bottle" so that as their skills are refined they too, will say "Bottle". They may say

"Ta -ta" but they need to hear us say "Thank you". They may say "Patuter" but they need to hear us say "Computer". They may say "Me want" but they need to hear us say, "I want". I'm sure you get the picture.

Encourage your child to make logical deductions....to figure things out for himself. This fosters reasoning skills and is a good source of vocabulary building. Just today I witnessed such development as my almost three-year-old chatted with his godmother (who happens to be a certified speech and language pathologist, but you too, can do this, and I'm sure many of you do). The dialogue went somewhat like this:

ADULT: H (child), do you have a pet?

CHILD: No, I don't have a pet.

ADULT: I have a pet. My dog, Denver is my pet. Do you have any pets?

CHILD: Yes, I have two pets. My dogs Smokey and Dusty are my pets.

ADULT: Do you have a pet?

CHILD: No

ADULT: I have a pet. My dog, Denver is my pet. Do you have a pet?

CHILD: No.

ADULT: My dog, Denver is my pet. Your dog, Smokey is your______

CHILD: Pet.

ADULT: Yes, your dog, Smokey is your pet. Do you have any other pets?

CHILD: Yes, my dog, Dusty is my pet.

ADULT: That's right. Now, how many pets do you have?

CHILD: I have two pets.

ADULT: Smo______

CHILD: Smokey and Dusty.

ADULT: You have two pets. They are your dogs, Smokey and Dusty.

This could go on forever. Follow your child's lead but don't be afraid to shift gears in order to make the communication exchange more productive. Have fun!

Occasionally the thinking toddler will take an unexpected turn and not do as you anticipated. This same child was practicing his sounds with his mother a few months ago. The "s" is a later developing sound but the speech and language pathologist in me could not resist the urge to "work on that sound" just a little. Yes I'm guilty of sneaking in a therapy session here and there. This is how this session went:

Mother / SLP: Look at me, honey. (Always get their attention before beginning). When I say "Some", I keep my tongue in like this (demonstrating the teeth closed, tongue behind the bottom front teeth)

Child: And when I thay "Thome", I thtick my tongue out like dith (demonstrating the tongue between the top and bottom front teeth).

So, maybe this sound really can wait until he is developmentally ready to acquire it.

This was months ago, and I continue to model correct production. Occasionally he lands it just right, and then there are those other times.  Patience is a good rule of thumb.

Have you noticed how quickly children learn songs? Have you noticed how quickly they learn commercial jingles? Try singing to your children - A LOT. So, you can't carry a tune in a bucket. Word has it that when Paul Mc.Cartney started his musical career he couldn't write a note. Lionel Richie took on the music industry without being able to read or write music. Look at them now. Look for songs that have the sounds and grammatical structures, which you want to target, and put these songs to work. Make it fun! Make it productive fun.

See more about Education Remediation 

Pediatric eye/vision care requires special examination and treatment techniques. In addition to diseases and disorders of the eye and visual system which primarily affect children, special attention should be paid to the child's developing visual system.

In particular these developing systems and the stress placed upon them by the demands of school work cause tremendous problems with school and academic performance.

It is important that in addition to the examination for eye disease and eye sight as usually performed in a regular eye examination, other systems which control a child's focusing, eye teaming, eye tracking and visual perception be examined. These systems are extremely important to ensure that the child can compete with the demands and the visual stress involved in school work. Children who perform below standard in school many times show remarkable improvement with proper eye/vision care. Many times these children have had eye/vision screenings and regular eye/vision examinations which reveal no eye disease and normal 20/20 sight. They may have been given a clean bill of eye/visual health when in fact they have not been examined for many of the functions which would truly reveal their problem.

It is important to have the eye doctor check your child for proper function in the following six (6) areas:

1. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EYE HEALTH

eye disease limited to the eye and eye disease caused by other systemic diseases or disorders.

2. REFRACTIVE STATUS

Eyeglass needs and measurement of clarity of sight.

3. ACCOMMODATIVE FUNCTION

focusing problems, particularly the stability, accuracy and ease of focusing.

4. BINOCULARITY

The teaming of both eyes in maintaining good depth perception and fusion under the stressful situations caused by reading, close work and concentrated school work.

5. OCULAR MOTILITY

The tracking of the eyes particularly in precise demands like reading.

6. VISUAL PERCEPTION

The function that allows the brain to interpret what the eyes see. In children this function is the last to develop fully. All of the physical attributes of vision may be fully functional yet the child may still have problems understanding what he or she sees. Dyslexia is a classic example of a visual perceptual problem.

If your child exhibits any of the following signs or symptoms you should immediately have the child checked by a Pediatric Optometrist:

eye disease
painful or itching eyes
watery eyes
red/pink eyes
double vision
rubbing eyes
Squinting
unsteady eye movement
constant or intermittent blurriness
Sleepiness when reading
Reversing words and letters
Skipping letters, words or lines when reading Excessive or abnormal blinking
head movement or turning when reading
Using a finger to follow the lines when reading skipping lines and words while reading discomfort from reading and school work
poor reading skills and comprehension
poor or recently reduced school performance

The most important fact to remember about your child's vision is that the child may have perfect eye health (no eye disease) and perfect clarity of eyesight (20/20) and still have significant vision problems, particularly the kinds of problems that can cause poor school performance.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROPER EYE EXAMINATIONS AND EYE CARE.

Consumers of health care in general and eye care in particular are increasingly confronted with advertising and gimmickry in the market place. Without an adequate knowledge of the essentials of proper eye care consumers are frequently in the position of the blind leading the blind in their search for proper eye care. It is important that eye care patients recognize that a thorough eye examination is the most important element of their primary level eye care, unfortunately most seem unaware of its importance. Consumers should be well educated about the elements of a thorough eye examination since it provides the basis for all other further care. In the increasing commercialization of health care and eye care in particular it is ironic that patients already visually at risk are bombarded with misinformation and advertising gimmickry which further clouds their ability to understand and see fact from fiction and gimmick from quality.

Patients seeking good eye care should ensure that the eye examination covers the six (6) major areas of ocular and visual function: Eye health, Refractive status, Ocular Motility, Binocularity, Accommodative Function, and Psycho/Perceptual Visual Function.

All areas of evaluation are essential for a proper general eye/vision evaluation of all patients. Unfortunately in practice many times only the first two areas are emphasized. In particular the evaluation of childrens' vision as it pertains to the development of the visual system and school performance requires careful evaluation of the last four areas. Also evaluation of these functions are critical for college students, those who use computers extensively or who other wise do a significant amount of near reading or close work. All of these types of patients may have excellent ocular health and 20/20 sight but may still have significant visual problems which may go undetected if these last four (4) areas of function are not adequately evaluated.

1. EYE HEALTH

The examination should cover 3 basic areas.

A. Primary eye disease, such as cataracts and glaucoma where the disease is limited entirely to the eye.

B. Eye disease or function secondary to neurological function. The eye in many aspects is an extension of the brain, and many primary neurological diseases may have one or several eye signs.

C. Eye disease or function secondary to systemic diseases. Many systemic disorders such as diabetes and hypertension may have one or more eye signs. Diabetes for example is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

2. REFRACTIVE STATE

Examination of this function includes a measurement of visual acuity (ability for clear sight) at near and far distances e.g. 20/20, 20/50, 20/100 etc. This examination also requires measurement of the refractive error of the eye for both near and far distances. The refractive error is basically the correction needed for lenses to improve sight for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. This area of testing is emphasized by many patients because it is the portion of the examination primarily responsible for the eyeglass prescription. It is important to note that such a prescription cannot be adequately determined without a thorough examination for eye disease since the refractive error may be intrinsically related to the health of the eye. Patients may have perfect 20/20 sight and still have significant eye disease.

3. OCULAR MOTILITY

The eyes should be examined for their ability to move in the orbits, for restriction of such movements and for accuracy, quickness, smoothness and facility in fixating on a target. Their ability to shift from one target to another and to follow a moving target should also be evaluated. Testing of these functions has significant neurological significance. deficiencies in these functions may cause problems with reading.

4. BINOCULARITY

Both eyes must be able to work together so that they aim and point at the same target, and function without undue effort to produce one image from the two images derived from both eyes. The convergence system is the primary system responsible for this binocularity of vision. This ability in humans to make one single image from the images from the two eyes is mediated by the brain. Certain interferences with ocular function may make it more difficult and in some cases impossible for the brain to perform this function of producing single vision. Differences of refractive state in the two eyes, functionally crossed or wall eyes, cranial nerve and muscle disorders, muscle tension and visual acuity imbalances between the two eyes may all cause such problems.

These problems may result in patients experiencing double vision, headaches, significant eye strain, use of only one eye, reduced depth perception, difficulty reading, and poor school performance.

Examination of the relationship between the two eyes for any problem which may interfere with the two eyes functioning as a team is therefore extremely important.

5. ACCOMMODATIVE FUNCTION

The eyes should be able to easily focus up close a certain degree or amount and to do so quickly from far to near and near to far. They should both focus at the same rate, do so accurately, and maintain a stable nonfluctuating level of focus or control of the system. This ability to focus or accommodate is the primary function responsible for the clarity of sight at differing distances. An inability to focus or to be able to maintain stable accurate focusing will cause significant blurry vision even though the patient may have no significant refractive error. Also the association and relationship of the accommodative system to the convergence system is of prime importance and needs to be fully evaluated. Evaluation of the ability of the eyes to focus and produce a clear sharp image without undue effort is therefore important to detect and resolve problems with intermittent or constant blurriness, eye strain, difficulty reading and at times poor performance with school work.

6. PSYCHO/PERCEPTUAL VISUAL FUNCTION

This area involves a wide range of potential problems including types of visual disturbances or dysfunction caused by emotional or psychological factors. Problems may also be primarily of a perceptual nature and may result in confusion and misunderstanding of information taken in through an intact and patent physical vision system. The visual perceptual functions allow the brain to interpret what the eyes see. In children these functions are generally the last to fully develop. All of the physical attributes of vision may be fully functional yet the child may still have problems understanding what he or she sees. In some cases Dyslexia is a classic example of a visual perceptual problem. Other visual perceptual problems may cause deficient visual memory, form, size and shape recognition, and visual figure ground. Because such problems may interfere with the learning process these problems are usually first discovered or suspected by astute teachers, special educators, speech therapists, school and educational psychologists or psychologists in the behavioral specialties. Resolution of these problems usually require further evaluation and treatment by optometric specialists with special training in Neuro-Optometry or Behavioral and Developmental Optometry. Many of these problems may also require a multidisciplinary approach utilizing various therapists and educators for adequate resolution.

See more about Education Remediation 

Pediatric eye/vision care requires special examination and treatment techniques. In addition to diseases and disorders of the eye and visual system which primarily affect children, special attention should be paid to the child's developing visual system.

In particular these developing systems and the stress placed upon them by the demands of school work cause tremendous problems with school and academic performance.

It is important that in addition to the examination for eye disease and eye sight as usually performed in a regular eye examination, other systems which control a child's focusing, eye teaming, eye tracking and visual perception be examined. These systems are extremely important to ensure that the child can compete with the demands and the visual stress involved in school work. Children who perform below standard in school many times show remarkable improvement with proper eye/vision care. Many times these children have had eye/vision screenings and regular eye/vision examinations which reveal no eye disease and normal 20/20 sight. They may have been given a clean bill of eye/visual health when in fact they have not been examined for many of the functions which would truly reveal their problem.

It is important to have the eye doctor check your child for proper function in the following six (6) areas:

1. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EYE HEALTH

eye disease limited to the eye and eye disease caused by other systemic diseases or disorders.

2. REFRACTIVE STATUS

Eyeglass needs and measurement of clarity of sight.

3. ACCOMMODATIVE FUNCTION

focusing problems, particularly the stability, accuracy and ease of focusing.

4. BINOCULARITY

The teaming of both eyes in maintaining good depth perception and fusion under the stressful situations caused by reading, close work and concentrated school work.

5. OCULAR MOTILITY

The tracking of the eyes particularly in precise demands like reading.

6. VISUAL PERCEPTION

The function that allows the brain to interpret what the eyes see. In children this function is the last to develop fully. All of the physical attributes of vision may be fully functional yet the child may still have problems understanding what he or she sees. Dyslexia is a classic example of a visual perceptual problem.

If your child exhibits any of the following signs or symptoms you should immediately have the child checked by a Pediatric Optometrist:

eye disease
painful or itching eyes
watery eyes
red/pink eyes
double vision
rubbing eyes
Squinting
unsteady eye movement
constant or intermittent blurriness
Sleepiness when reading
Reversing words and letters
Skipping letters, words or lines when reading Excessive or abnormal blinking
head movement or turning when reading
Using a finger to follow the lines when reading skipping lines and words while reading discomfort from reading and school work
poor reading skills and comprehension
poor or recently reduced school performance

The most important fact to remember about your child's vision is that the child may have perfect eye health (no eye disease) and perfect clarity of eyesight (20/20) and still have significant vision problems, particularly the kinds of problems that can cause poor school performance.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROPER EYE EXAMINATIONS AND EYE CARE.

Consumers of health care in general and eye care in particular are increasingly confronted with advertising and gimmickry in the market place. Without an adequate knowledge of the essentials of proper eye care consumers are frequently in the position of the blind leading the blind in their search for proper eye care. It is important that eye care patients recognize that a thorough eye examination is the most important element of their primary level eye care, unfortunately most seem unaware of its importance. Consumers should be well educated about the elements of a thorough eye examination since it provides the basis for all other further care. In the increasing commercialization of health care and eye care in particular it is ironic that patients already visually at risk are bombarded with misinformation and advertising gimmickry which further clouds their ability to understand and see fact from fiction and gimmick from quality.

Patients seeking good eye care should ensure that the eye examination covers the six (6) major areas of ocular and visual function: Eye health, Refractive status, Ocular Motility, Binocularity, Accommodative Function, and Psycho/Perceptual Visual Function.

All areas of evaluation are essential for a proper general eye/vision evaluation of all patients. Unfortunately in practice many times only the first two areas are emphasized. In particular the evaluation of childrens' vision as it pertains to the development of the visual system and school performance requires careful evaluation of the last four areas. Also evaluation of these functions are critical for college students, those who use computers extensively or who other wise do a significant amount of near reading or close work. All of these types of patients may have excellent ocular health and 20/20 sight but may still have significant visual problems which may go undetected if these last four (4) areas of function are not adequately evaluated.

1. EYE HEALTH

The examination should cover 3 basic areas.

A. Primary eye disease, such as cataracts and glaucoma where the disease is limited entirely to the eye.

B. Eye disease or function secondary to neurological function. The eye in many aspects is an extension of the brain, and many primary neurological diseases may have one or several eye signs.

C. Eye disease or function secondary to systemic diseases. Many systemic disorders such as diabetes and hypertension may have one or more eye signs. Diabetes for example is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

2. REFRACTIVE STATE

Examination of this function includes a measurement of visual acuity (ability for clear sight) at near and far distances e.g. 20/20, 20/50, 20/100 etc. This examination also requires measurement of the refractive error of the eye for both near and far distances. The refractive error is basically the correction needed for lenses to improve sight for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. This area of testing is emphasized by many patients because it is the portion of the examination primarily responsible for the eyeglass prescription. It is important to note that such a prescription cannot be adequately determined without a thorough examination for eye disease since the refractive error may be intrinsically related to the health of the eye. Patients may have perfect 20/20 sight and still have significant eye disease.

3. OCULAR MOTILITY

The eyes should be examined for their ability to move in the orbits, for restriction of such movements and for accuracy, quickness, smoothness and facility in fixating on a target. Their ability to shift from one target to another and to follow a moving target should also be evaluated. Testing of these functions has significant neurological significance. deficiencies in these functions may cause problems with reading.

4. BINOCULARITY

Both eyes must be able to work together so that they aim and point at the same target, and function without undue effort to produce one image from the two images derived from both eyes. The convergence system is the primary system responsible for this binocularity of vision. This ability in humans to make one single image from the images from the two eyes is mediated by the brain. Certain interferences with ocular function may make it more difficult and in some cases impossible for the brain to perform this function of producing single vision. Differences of refractive state in the two eyes, functionally crossed or wall eyes, cranial nerve and muscle disorders, muscle tension and visual acuity imbalances between the two eyes may all cause such problems.

These problems may result in patients experiencing double vision, headaches, significant eye strain, use of only one eye, reduced depth perception, difficulty reading, and poor school performance.

Examination of the relationship between the two eyes for any problem which may interfere with the two eyes functioning as a team is therefore extremely important.

5. ACCOMMODATIVE FUNCTION

The eyes should be able to easily focus up close a certain degree or amount and to do so quickly from far to near and near to far. They should both focus at the same rate, do so accurately, and maintain a stable nonfluctuating level of focus or control of the system. This ability to focus or accommodate is the primary function responsible for the clarity of sight at differing distances. An inability to focus or to be able to maintain stable accurate focusing will cause significant blurry vision even though the patient may have no significant refractive error. Also the association and relationship of the accommodative system to the convergence system is of prime importance and needs to be fully evaluated. Evaluation of the ability of the eyes to focus and produce a clear sharp image without undue effort is therefore important to detect and resolve problems with intermittent or constant blurriness, eye strain, difficulty reading and at times poor performance with school work.

6. PSYCHO/PERCEPTUAL VISUAL FUNCTION

This area involves a wide range of potential problems including types of visual disturbances or dysfunction caused by emotional or psychological factors. Problems may also be primarily of a perceptual nature and may result in confusion and misunderstanding of information taken in through an intact and patent physical vision system. The visual perceptual functions allow the brain to interpret what the eyes see. In children these functions are generally the last to fully develop. All of the physical attributes of vision may be fully functional yet the child may still have problems understanding what he or she sees. In some cases Dyslexia is a classic example of a visual perceptual problem. Other visual perceptual problems may cause deficient visual memory, form, size and shape recognition, and visual figure ground. Because such problems may interfere with the learning process these problems are usually first discovered or suspected by astute teachers, special educators, speech therapists, school and educational psychologists or psychologists in the behavioral specialties. Resolution of these problems usually require further evaluation and treatment by optometric specialists with special training in Neuro-Optometry or Behavioral and Developmental Optometry. Many of these problems may also require a multidisciplinary approach utilizing various therapists and educators for adequate resolution.

Originally published at The Education Network Journal

Copyright McKenna Publishing Company © 2015

The Mental Health Care Blues
Stigma and lack of access affect mental health treatment for many Black New Orleanians
by C.C. Campbell-Rock

NMEX is the best choice for your Internet Marketing Base
NMEX is an excellent platform to host your primary or secondary websites, but more important you should have a presence on NMEX as your base for internet and affiliate marketing activities, even if you host your primary and secondary websites elsewhere on the Internet or on social media. Internet Marketing is the most important factor in modern global marketing campaigns. Once you establish a primary and secondary website somewhere on the Internet you must still establish an ongoing and consistent Internet marketing campaign and presence to promote your products and services. NMEX allows you to host both your primary and secondary websites, and your Internet marketing base all on one platform.

If you are trying to sell, market or promote anything over the Internet you must utilize the Seven (7) Priorities of Internet Marketing to be successful.

These Seven (7) Priorities of Internet Marketing based on their relative levels of importance are as follows:

Internet Marketing Priority
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of Content
2. Targeted Email Marketing (TEM)
3. Data Mining & Auto Posting (DMAP)
4. Content Affiliate Marketing (CAM)
5. Product Affiliate Marketing (PAM)
6. Paid Advertising (PA)
7. Social Media Networking (SMN)

The first step in implementing these priorities is having an Internet site, presence and marketable content which is SEO and Internet Marketing Primed and globally competitive.

NMEX based sites are unique and different from non-Internet Primed Marketing Sites because of the following major attributes: 

1. All NMEX sites are Internet Marketing Automation Primed (IMAP) - Internet Marketing Automation utilizes processes which allow promotion and marketing of material in an automated fashion, reducing time and effort in marketing campaigns.
2. NMEX Sites are primed for hosting your Primary Domain Name - While you may not have the resources, expertise and time to build and maintain a globally competitive Internet Marketing Automation Primed (IMAP) website for your Primary Domain Name (e.g. www.nationalmarketreport.com), you will be able to direct your Primary Domain Name to your NMEX based and hosted website (e.g. www.nationalmex.com/report) and receive all of the benefits of a fully domained website with NMEX Internet Marketing Automation Primed (IMAP) capabilities.
3. NMEX Sites are easily structured and Search Engine Optimized (SEO) - Full (Primary) Market and After (Secondary) Market Search Engine Optimization of sites and content is the top priority of professional Internet Marketers because it utilizes organic search processes to passively bring traffic to the site and content.
4. They are fully integrated into a marketplace environment designed with integrated marketing tools and services - The NMEX Platform is an integrated marketplace which contains many tools and services to assist registrants in marketing, promoting and selling their products, services and NMEX website.
5. They are Data Capture Ready (DCR) - Data Capture and Mining is one of the top priorities of Internet Marketing Experts. All content pages on NMEX are designed to easily capture visitor contact information, preferences and interests.
6. They are Image Opportunized, FotoOpps capable - Pictures are worth a thousand words, Videos a thousand pictures, NMEX sites are opportunized to utilize images to assist in marketing campaigns. A special NMEX program called FotoOpps further assists in utilizing images to affiliate market NMEX based products and services.
7. They are Content Marketing Ready - Relevant and Interesting Content is the hallmark of modern Internet Marketing in the highly competitive Internet marketing environment. NMEX Sites have numerous ways to display and layout content, and afford sophisticated organization of content in various formats which is essential for proper Internet Marketing and SEO efforts.
8. They are Affiliate Marketing Optimized - Affiliate Marketing is the hidden gem in Internet Marketing and Sales. Experts and various studies reveal that a fast increasing percentage of all Internet sales are now accomplished through one or more Affiliate Marketing processes. An increasing cadre of talented independent Affiliate Marketers are constantly setting the standards in Internet Marketing. All studies show that Internet Marketing is currently the most important way to sell products and services either directly or indirectly, but now increasingly accomplished through Affiliate Internet Marketing. All NMEX sites, tools, and services are optimized for Affiliate Marketing.
9. They are Community & Social Media capable - The NMEX Platform is built with a combination of unique state of the art Content Management Systems (CMS), and Community/Social Media Technology which allows non technical, non coding users to build and update their NMEX website and content. It also provides for a significant amount of interactivity between registered users, site visitors, and other Community and Social Media platforms and sites. This interactivity and ability for users to easily post information, images and even build and customize their own websites without coding and technical expertise is a most important factor in keeping NMEX websites relevant and constantly updated. This capability also significantly reduces the need for expensive professional Information Technology (IT) assistance and the associated costs of operations.
10. NMEX provides compartmentalized operations for Users and Registrants in any field or industry - While NMEX is a comprehensive platform which provides sophisticated integrated tools and services for the general development of any business effort, the platform can be utilized with a compartmentalized approach, keeping each site and business essentially distinct from others at the Users discretion. Users therefore need not concern themselves with the broader purpose and functions of the total Platform, and instead primarily focus on their own niche and industry within the Business Development Exchange.
11. NMEX Sites are Userpoints (Nupits) enabled - Registered Users on NMEX automatically accumulate Userpoints (Nupits) for productive utilization of their Sites, based on a special algorithm. Nupits can be beneficially utilized in many ways. They can be used to redeem awards, or as a type of Exchange based currency to negotiate and pay for Nupit enabled transactions on the exchange. This is a powerful feature of NMEX Sites which significantly adds to the business development and marketing efforts of NMEX Registered Entities.
12. NMEX Sites are free and easy to build and maintain - The combination of tools, services and marketing expertise available on NMEX are completely free with no need to upgrade to a subscription level for most Registrants. This is basically unmatched elsewhere, and a most important benefit in reducing the tremendous costs and need for professional services in developing a business in the highly competitive modern global business environment. 

These factors make NMEX platform based websites significantly different from most if not all Internet based marketing platform sites, and particularly very different from the many primarily Social Media based platforms and sites.

Similar to their counterparts on a stock exchange NMEX MarketMakers assist their clientele in making a market for their product or service on a National Market Business Development Exchange.

Marketmakers are important because they make a market for their clients' products and services, and facilitate the development of companies and producers.

NMEX MarketMakers are experts at structuring marketing campaigns and utilizing the Marketing Automation and Integrated Tools & Services available on the NMEX Platform to properly promote and market products and services.

MarketMakers operate independently of NMEX, except that they are specially subscribed to NMEX in order to utilize its platform in the representation of their clients' interests. They assist companies and producers who may need to outsource their marketing activities and who would like to use the marketing automation and integrated tools and services of NMEX.

Properly SEO'd and Market Primed sites and content allow searchers to see and find you at the time they are most interested in what you may have to promote or sell when they conduct their search. It avoids your having to conduct an active campaign to recruit and convince them to visit you. Also, it is therefore less obtrusive than all the other Internet marketing processes which require you to actively find and contact your prospective contacts, which in today's saturated modern marketing environment is a major hurdle to overcome in order to be effective. Such active campaigns often interrupt and irritate viewers, particularly if you are repeatedly pitching products to the same audience as in typical social media networking and marketing.

The power of the NMEX platform is that it allows the sites and content within the platform to be easily and flexibly SEO'd unlike most other platforms, and particularly those of the popular Social Media Sites which are almost impossible to independently SEO in any effective form. The inability to effectively and independently SEO sites and content on such platforms is a major reason they are not used by professional Internet marketers to hold their primary content.

Internet Marketing Priority
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of Content
2. Targeted Email Marketing (TEM)
3. Data Mining & Auto Posting (DMAP)
4. Content Affiliate Marketing (CAM)
5. Product Affiliate Marketing (PAM)
6. Paid Advertising (PA)
7. Social Media Networking (SMN)

The steps to effective SEO and Content Market Priming are covered in detail by several Videos in the Video section of this center.

Generally the following steps should be implemented:

1. It is extremely important that your profile page and any PinBoard used as the main page of your NMEX website or Content be properly SEOed. Your Profile description should be filled near the top of the description with the proper Long Tail Keywords related to your Site. You should use the Blog section to place your major articles and content. You may also use the Page section for content. The profile page should include the Latest Blog widget and Page widget so that there is a display of a list of your Blogs and Content directly on the Profile Page. The entire NMEX platform is effectively SEO'd through proprietary processes to make NMEX an Authoritative and Relevant Site for the various Search Engines. This process is continuously updated to keep current with changing SEO alogrithms. This is an important step in affording individual sites and content on the Platform with powerful general SEO coverage.
2. Ensure that the content to be SEO'd is unique, of high quality, and tied directly to important Googleized keywords and phrases as possible. Typically well written content of more than 300 words, with well described and attached photos and videos enhances this process. In establishing the appropriate keywords, phrases, authorities, and competition Google Keyword Planner has become the standard tool to utilize, along with Google Trends and others. This process is covered in detail in the Video section
3. Whenever budgets allow, appropriate domain urls should be purchased/obtained and pointed to your particular site and/or content on NMEX. This process is covered in detail in the Video section.
4. Blacklinks on Authority sites should be established. This process is covered in detail in the Video section
5. SEO on the Internet is effectively controlled by Google based practices, therefore the most important general Social Media Network to spend time and attention on for SEO purposes is utilization of your Google Plus account and its Authorship and Webmaster Tools provisions. Whenever possible, linkages should be routed through your Google Plus account to your website and content. SEO for secondary search purposes by sharing content on social media platforms with the automated NMEX sharing tools will facilitate search listings on these platforms.
6. Use of some third party SEO tools and software can sometimes be helpful.

Ultimately your affiliate and Internet marketing efforts will essentially consist of three (3) steps. First, creating a Point of Sale (POS) site, usually by using the NMEX market and/or voucher facility, then creating some type of Capture Content (CC) with a NMEX pinboard, blog, page, news item, map, or photo album, and finally conducting your Active Marketing Outreach (AMO) program and activities to bring internet traffic and potential buyers to your Capture Content and/or Point of Sale sites.

Marketing Integration & Automation (I&A) Tools & Strategies
To assist Registered Entities and Business Development Clients in implementing marketing programs and priorities NMEX provides sophisticated state of the art Marketing Integration & Automation (I&A) Tools & Strategies through its specially designed I&A marketing platform and online hub.

Sites built and hosted on the NMEX platform are specially primed for sophisticated Internet Marketing with Search Engine Optimize (SEO) Friendly, FotoOpp Ready (FOR) and Data Capture & Sharing Ready (DCSR) capabilities.

See more in the section on 'Just Being on NMEX Makes a Difference'