Samantha Slotnick, O.D., F.A.A.O.

Behavioral Optometrist

 

What is a Behavioral Optometrist?

Behavioral Optometrists help patients integrate their visual needs with their lifestyle needs, so that each patient may enjoy comfortable vision for their various activities and interests (e.g., driving, reading, computer use, sports, and specialty hobbies and vocations, such as building models, knitting, etc.).  They may modify prescriptions for balance and comfort   Behavioral Optometrists may also provide vision therapy and vision rehabilitation services to assist patients in optimizing their own natural abilities to use their visual skills and process visual information.

Dr. Slotnick’s Credentials

  • B.S., University of Rochester, Graduated Cum Laude
  • O.D., State University of New York College of Optometry
  • Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometry Honor Society
  • Certified – Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Residency at SUNY College of Optometry
  • Fellow – American Academy of Optometry
  • Candidate for Fellowship – College of Optometry and Vision Development
  • Associate – College of Syntonic Optometry
  • Associate – American Optometric Association
  • Certified Paragon CRT Orthokeratology Specialist
  • TPA Certified – Treatment of eye disease and use of Therapeutic Pharmaceutical agents
  • Lecturer – Strabismus Training Seminars
  • Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals, Professional of the Year, 2009
    • For Demonstrated Leadership and Professional Achievement
  • Dr. Martin H. Birnbaum Memorial Award, 2005
    • For Outstanding Knowledge and Skills in Behavioral Optometry

Vision is the sense which enables our minds, our hearts, our very essence to come in contact with the world around us.  Vision, therefore, is a tool, serving and supporting the person. 

Behavior and vision have a dynamic and intimately interconnected relationship:  Our use of vision shapes and influences our behavior and our intellectual development, which in turn shape and influence our use of vision and our visual development.

            As a behavioral optometrist, Dr. Slotnick seeks to customize every vision evaluation to the individual’s needs.  When evaluating children, she considers learning-related demands on vision.  With adults, she attends to ergonomics and lifestyle needs.  She explores the adaptations that each individual has already made to cope with his or her personal visual challenges, and she takes these tendencies into account when prescribing.   

Dr. Slotnick prescribes with a mindset of treating and managing visual problems over the long term, rather than simply addressing current visual symptoms.  For example, blurry vision at distance may be the symptom of a focusing problem at near-point!  In this case, many doctors would increase the power of the distance prescription to address the symptom.  Dr. Slotnick would do this as well, but she would also address the underlying problem: a need for focusing assistance at near-point.  This is preventative care, reducing the likelihood of a need for a higher lens power the following years.

 Another option for managing this case is therapeutic care:  Vision therapy can help such a patient to retrain the brain to make more efficient use of the eyes, so that the underlying focusing problem is corrected.  A near-point prescription may help to stem the progression of myopia, but vision therapy would alleviate and resolve the imbalance in the visual system which caused the myopia in the first place.

 Dr. Slotnick is eager to share her holistic perspective in support of the Rivertown community and its children.

Publications:

Slotnick S, Sherman J. Beyond Ophthalmoscopy: Enhancing Clinical Ability with SD-OCT.  accepted, Review of Optometry, to be published 2009 Jun. 

Sherman J, Slotnick S, Boneta J. Discordance between Structure and Function in Glaucoma: Possible Anatomical Explanations.  Optometry, article accepted 2008 Dec. 

Slotnick S, FitzGerald, D, Sherman J, and Krumholz D.  Pervasive Ocular Anomalies In Posterior Microphthalmos. Optometry, 2007 Feb; 78(2):71-77.  

Slotnick S.  My Most Useful Glaucoma Diagnostic Instruments.  Vision Care Product News. 2007 Jan; 7(1). 

Slotnick S.  Bridging the Gap from Paper to Paperless.  Vision Care Product News.  2006 July; 6(7). 

Slotnick S.  Expanding Billable Services with Diagnostic Instruments.  Vision Care Product News.  2006 May; 6(5). 

Slotnick S and Sherman J.  Combination Devices: An Affordable Upgrade.  Vision Care Product News.  2006 Feb; 6(2). 

Slotnick S and Sherman J.  FYI on BIOs.  Vision Care Product News.  2005 Jul; 5(7). 

Sherman J, Bass SJ and Slotnick S.  Authors’ reply.  Optometry. 2005 Apr;76(4):224-225. 

Sherman J, Bass SJ and Slotnick S.  Glaucoma without cupping.  Optometry. 2004 Nov;75(11):677-708.

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