Mom & Daughter offer Advice to Parents for Back-to-School -Plus COVD "Visions of Hope" Contest Winner to be Announced In a Special Free Web Interview on Thursday, Aug. 25th at 9 p.m. EDT

AURORA, Ohio, Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When parents have to search for answers to their children's struggles, they want to shout from the rooftops when they find a real solution. They want to help other parents and families so those families don't have to struggle. Mrs. Robin Benoit and her daughter, Jillian, are two such people.

According to Jillian's fourth grade teacher, even though Jillian was very bright, her academic performance was lagging behind. She had poor handwriting, left many of her class assignments unfinished, skipped words when she read out loud, would daydream during silent reading, and was consistently going to the restroom during math.  

Jillian had been diagnosed with amblyopia (also known as lazy eye) but despite following the treatment prescribed by the ophthalmologist she continued to struggle with reading, spelling, and math. Her mom started searching the internet for information regarding vision and learning. Her pediatrician and ophthalmologist were not supportive when Mrs. Benoit thought she found the answer to her daughter's problem. But she followed her heart and continued pushing forward to help Jillian. This push led Mrs. Benoit to optometric vision therapy and a developmental optometrist who was able to help Jillian.

The results from optometric vision therapy changed Jillian's life, making it possible for her to learn and do many things she'd never done before. When they learned how widespread these types of vision problems are, Jillian and her mother decided to share their story by writing a book to help other parents who are struggling with reading and learning issues, Jillian's Story:  How Vision Therapy Changed My Daughter's Life.  

Robin and Jillian Benoit have joined with the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) in promoting its 16th Annual August is National Children's Vision & Learning Month Campaign to help bring awareness to this vital issue. In addition, the Benoits are helping COVD gather inspirational stories from parents and children across the globe that were helped by optometric vision therapy as part of the "Visions of Hope" video contest.

Optometric Vision Therapy changes thousands of lives every year. It has helped students read and write better, athletes win more games, and people of all ages do much more throughout the day. Many people who experience the life-changing power of vision therapy share their story with friends and relatives. Like the Benoits, they feel so strongly about the benefits of vision therapy that they write emails, letters, and even books about their success. This is how significant improvements in vision can be.

COVD, with support from Mrs. and Jillian Benoit, is encouraging optometric vision therapy patients to share their positive stories and is hosting the First Annual "Visions of Hope" Optometric Vision Therapy Video Contest! The contest is open to any patient who has received optometric vision therapy. The deadline for video submissions is August 10th.

After the deadline, COVD will select the best videos and we'll post them for YOU to vote for! The video with the most votes will be announced on August 25th in celebration of National Children's Vision & Learning Month. The winning video will also be posted on the COVD Blog and will be shown at the COVD 41st Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.

The public is invited to a free web-based interview with the Benoits. Find out why Jillian used to struggle with school and is now doing great -- What was the key to opening the door to her success?

Time will be provided at the end for questions, however, if you would like to email your questions prior to the interview, please email them to [email protected].

It is Mrs. Benoit and Jillian's hope that by writing their book and sharing their story they can help millions of families. Attend this FREE web event to find out what you can do to ensure your child has all the visual skills required for academic success. As a special treat, the winner of the "Visions of Hope" contest will be announced during this web event.

The meeting is being held just in time for the new school year, Thursday, August 25th at 9 p.m. EDT. Seating is limited to the first 1,000 people to respond. To register for this free event, go to:  www.joinwebinar.com and enter the meeting ID number which is 917-050-066, your email address, etc. Just follow the instructions from there.

About COVD
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is an international, non-profit optometric membership organization that provides education, evaluation and board certification programs in behavioral and developmental vision care, vision therapy and visual rehabilitation. The organization is comprised of doctors of optometry, vision therapists and other vision specialists. For more information on learning-related vision problems, vision therapy and COVD, please visit www.covd.org or call 888.268.3770.

CONTACT:  Pamela R. Happ, CAE
COVD Executive Director
888.268.3770 tel
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.covd.org

SOURCE College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD)