2026 Annual Conference

Registration for Professional, Allied Professional and Residents*

Registration for Students/TBI Survivors, Friends of NORA

HOTEL BLOCK PERIOD Ended and is sold out.  You can look locally in Peachtree City, and I will be posting a couple of additional hotels. 

FAQs

Pricing

*New to NORA? "Professional" for MD, OD, DC, PhD.  "Allied Professional" for OT, PT, SLP, VT, CBIS, MSW, etc.

New For Clinical Skills in 2026

All Clinical Skills courses now include prerequisite online coursework to be completed before arriving at the conference. This preparation allows you to maximize in-person learning and expands CE credit.

• Levels 1 & 2: Split into Part A (Online) and Part B (In-Person) — 12 hours of COPE credit total.
• Level 3: Split into Part A (Online) and Part B (In-Person) — 16 hours of COPE credit total.

Part A is a didactic pre-course available online after August 15, 2026, completable in 1-hour increments at your own pace. Each hour is prerecorded and followed by a short test to enable COPE credit. Exact dates will be announced.

Clinical Skills 1A – Introduction to Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

6 hours online  |  COPE Credit: Qualified

CS1A provides a foundational understanding of brain injury pathophysiology and its effects on daily function. Topics include structure-to-function mapping, visual processing, core principles of neuro-optometric rehabilitation (NOR), and the roles of allied rehabilitation professionals.

• Hour 1: Intro, Epidemiology & the Visual System — Melissa Zarn, OD, FAAO
• Hour 2: Neurology — DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 3: Visual Complications – The Big 6 — DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 4: Signs, Symptoms & History Taking — Shirley Blanc, OD, FNORA
• Hour 5: Sleep, Nutrition & Mental Health — Amy Pruszenski, OD, FCOVD
• Hour 6: Interdisciplinary Team Dynamics — Gina Kim, MOT, OTRL / David Katz, OTRL / Xenia Andrzejewski, PT / Katy Coleman, OTRL

COPE Credit: Qualified  |  6 total hours

Clinical Skills 2A – Clinical Applications of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

6 hours online  |  COPE Credit: Qualified

• Hour 1: From Screening Findings → Clinical Patterns— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD & Eric Ikeda, OD
• Hour 2: Functional Prioritization and Readiness for Intervention— Melissa Zarn, OD, FAAO / Gina Kim, MOT, OTRL / Xenia Larin Andrzejewski, PT
• Hour 3: Core Clinical Patterns Applied in NOR Cheryl Letheren, OD / Shannon McGuire, OTRL 
• Hour 4: Targeted Intervention Selection: Choosing the Correct Tool — Shirley Blanc, OD, FNORA / David Katz, OTRL
• Hour 5: Dosage, Pacing & Adjustment — DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD /  Suzanne Briggs, OTRL
• Hour 6: Communicating Clinical Reasoning Across Disciplines— Eric Ikeda, OD / David Katz, OTRL / Erica Guardascione, M.S. CCC-SLP / Gary LaTour, PT

COPE Credit: Pending  |  6 total hours

Clinical Skills 3A – Advanced Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

10 hours online  |  COPE Credit: Qualified

• Hour 1: Advanced Exam Structure: Function, Safety & Patient Capacity— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 2: Post-Trauma Vision Syndrome (PTVS) as the Umbrella Framework— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 3: The Three Foundational Drivers— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 4: High-Yield Neuro-Optometric Examination— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 5: Advanced Prism Review— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 6: Photobiomodulation (Red Light Therapy)— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 7: Vibration & Auditory-Motor Entrainment— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 8: Syntonics (Optometric Phototherapy)— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 9: Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF)— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Hour 10: Cognition, Lifestyle & Metabolic Support in NOR— DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD

Thursday, October 22, 2026 - In-Person Clinical Skills (Part B)

Morning: 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM (with ½ hour break). Lunch: 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM. Afternoon: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM (with ½ hour break).

Each session includes a 30-minute break. Attendees register for one track only.

Clinical Skills 1B - Introduction to Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

CS1 A+B: 12 hours total  |  COPE Credit: Qualified — 6 hours online + Pending: 6 hours in-person

Faculty

• Xenia Andrzejewski, PT
• Melissa Zarn, OD, FAAO
• Gina Kim, OTRL
• Shawn Josephs, OD

Clinical Skills 1 introduces the foundational principles of neuro-optometric rehabilitation and provides a structured approach to understanding how neurological injury and disease affect the visual system. Participants learn core neuro-visual examination techniques, functional visual assessment, symptom identification, patient safety considerations, and introductory rehabilitation concepts. The course emphasizes systematic evaluation of patients with concussion, traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders, dizziness, visual motion sensitivity, and visual dysfunction affecting daily life.

This course is required for anyone beginning the NORA Fellowship Process (Level I open-book questions and NORA Concepts presentation). CS1A is completed online in six 1-hour sessions; CS1B is the 6-hour in-person component held at the Annual Conference.

Clinical Skills 2B - Clinical Applications of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

12 hours total  |  COPE Credit: Qualified — 6 hours online + Pending: 6 hours in-person

Faculty

• David Katz, OTRL
• Eric Ikeda, OD
• Erica Guardascione, MS, CCC-SLP
• Gary LaTour, PT

Clinical Skills 2 (redesigned for 2026), expands upon foundational concepts by focusing on clinical interpretation, functional integration, and rehabilitation decision-making. Participants develop a deeper understanding of binocular vision dysfunction, oculomotor impairment, vestibular-visual interaction, spatial processing, and patient capacity. The course emphasizes connecting examination findings to functional outcomes while strengthening interdisciplinary communication and rehabilitation planning for more complex neuro-visual presentations.

Clinical Skills 3B - Advanced Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

16 hours total  |  COPE Credit: Qualified — 10 hours online + Pending 6 hours in-person

Faculty

• DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD
• Kyla Demers, DO
• Shannon McGuire, OT
• Suzanne Briggs, OTD, OTRL

Clinical Skills 3 focuses on advanced neuro-optometric rehabilitation strategies, complex case analysis, and higher-level clinical reasoning for patients with persistent or multifactorial neuro-visual dysfunction. Participants explore advanced examination structure, treatment progression, cognitive and behavioral considerations, environmental modification, interdisciplinary care coordination, and management of highly complex neurological presentations. The course is designed to refine clinical judgment, improve treatment precision, and support integration of neuro-visual rehabilitation into comprehensive patient care.

Thursday, October 22, 2026 - Main Conference 

4:30 PM Exhibit Hall opens

5:00 -7:00 PM Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM NORA Student Reception/Mixer with Attendees

8:00 PM Onward: Hospitality Suite - Informal networking, BYO

Friday, October 23, 2026

8:00 AM - 11:30 AM (1/2-hour break | Exhibit hall 9:30-10:00)

Retina/Neuromodulation/Neuroscience

• Follow-Up: Neuro-Imaging Evaluation of Patients After NORA 2025 — Charles Shidlofsky, OD, Amir Massoud, OD(1 hr)

• The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) in Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation: Science, Circuits, and Practical Treatment Design — Doug Major, OD (1 hr)

• Retinal Neuromodulation: How Optometrists Influence the Neuro-Endocrine System — Deborah Zelinsky, OD (1 hr)

COPE Pending

Credit: 3 hours

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Lunch Exhibit Hall

12:30 PM-1:30 PM Keynote: From Burnout to Balance: Whole Health, Autonomic Regulation, and Mind-Body Skills in Rehabilitation - Kristinn Heinrichs, PhD, PT, NCS, SCS, ATC

1:30-5:00 Afternoon (1/2-hour break | Exhibit Hall 3:00-3:30)

Afternoon - Concurrent Tracks

Track 1

• Neuro-Visual Processing Rehabilitation: Integrative Service Between the OD and OTR — William Padula, OD, / Suzanne Briggs, OT / Amber Fessler, OD (3 hrs)

Track 2

• Integrating Cerebellar, Vestibular, and Oculomotor Systems in Clinical Practice — Paul Brewer, OD & John Hatch, DC (2 hrs)

• Rebuilding the Injured Brain: Cerebellar-Based Neuroplasticity in TBI Rehabilitation — Ryan Cedermark, DC(1 hr)

5:15-6:15 PM: NORA General Membership Meeting

Saturday, October 24, 2026

7:00 AM - 7:50 AM

Billing and Coding: Get the most out of offering neuro-optometric visual rehabilitation - Denise Helle

8-00AM-11:30AM (9:30-10:00 Break | Exhibit Hall)

Morning; - Concurrent Tracks

Track 1: Pediatric ABI & Concussion

• Transforming Futures: A 4-Pillar Framework for Pediatric NeuroVision Care After ABI - Ingryd Lorenzana, OD / Ronald Gall, OD
• The ABCs of Syndromes Involved with Persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome and Other mTBIs - Cheryl Letheren, OD (1 hr)

Track 2: Objective Assessment & Neurorehabilitation

• Diagnostic & Therapeutic Value of eye Movements (Eye movements in Dx and Tx of Neuro-Health Issues) - Cedrick Noel, DC (1 hr)
• Clinical Integration of Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) in Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation - Ayra Sayyed, OD (1 hr)
• Reading After Brain Injury: The Interaction of Vision, Cognition, and Language (Erica Guardascione, MS, CCC-SLP)  (1  hrs)

11:30 PM - 12:30 PM Lunch In The Exhibit Hall

12:30 PM-1:00 From Cradle to Cane: The Profound Impact of Oculomotor Function on Human Potential, Tamara Petrosyan, OD, Chief of Clinical and Scientific Affairs, Eye Hero

1:00 PM - 4:30 PM (1/2-hour break | Exhibit hall 3:00-3:30)

Afternoon - Concurrent Tracks

Track 1: 1:00-4:30

• The Future Is Now — Using Photobiomodulation (Syntonics) in Your Neuro-Optometric Practice — Rob Fox, OD (1 hr)
• Multisensory Processing and Training in Concussion Rehabilitation — Steve Curtis, OD (1 hr)
• Speed Dating Rapid-Fire Session: Newest Advances in the Field — Speaker TB (30 min)
• Latest News / Cutting-Edge Research (GLP-1 and More) — DeAnn Fitzgerald, OD(30 min)

Track 2: 1:00-6:30

• Understanding Peripheral Prisms — Charlie Saccarelli, Optician(1 hr)
• Lens-Based Therapy for Posture, Balance, and Gait — Samantha Slotnick, OD (1 hr 45 min)
• The Sneaky Verticals: Analyzing Head Tilts and Ocular Misalignments Following a TBI — Shirley Blanc, OD (1 hr)
• Special Post Prism Hands-On Seminar (1 hr 45 min)

7:00-9:00 PM Annual Banquet with Keynote: The Benefits of Combined Hyper-Baric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Vision Therapy on TBI/Concussion Recovery - Vincent E. Schaller, MD, DABFM, CIC

Sunday, October 25, 2026

8-00AM -12:00PM (10:00-10:15 Short Break)

Morning Session - Stroke & Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation 

• The Power of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation (NOR): Treating Patients with Stroke and Visual Impairment — Alexandra Talaber, OD

• Stroke Across the Continuum: An Interdisciplinary Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Approach to Neurovisual Rehabilitation — Viktor Vesely, MD(1 hr)

• Panel: Shepherd Center: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Vision Care; from our colleagues at Shepherd Center, Atlanta - Moderated by Gina Kim, MOT, OTR/L CIBS, CSRS: panelists: Helen Burke, OTR/L, Janna Iyer, OD, FCOVD; Karla Travitz, MS, OTR/L (1.75 hrs)

12:00 PM: Raffle & Prize Drawing — All present registered attendees eligible - must be present to win

12:30 PM: Conference Adjourns