Autism : Seeing through new eyes

Description

Zakkie Abdol

Abdurazaak (Zakkie), graduated from UKZN in 1993 and worked as a locum in a number of practices, each with a different patient profile. He has been in Private Practice in Port Elizabeth since 1995. The Behavioural approach to Optometry was a great source of intrigue into the Holistic nature of the individual. This, coupled with the intrinsic love of children (5 of his own!) and a good support structure of colleagues, started the quest to better the lives of many. Continuous reading and interaction with various academics, enabled him to understand and apply many of the foundation principles in everyday practice. With the advent of COVID, more courses and information became available online and many more patients benefited, significantly improving the quality of their lives. Mentoring colleagues over the years has also ,undoubtedly, been a great source of learning.

Zakkie has assisted scores of patients with Amblyopia (Lazy eye), Autism, Concussions, Dyslexia Double vision, Psychological trauma, Strabismus (Squints) and Strokes. He is actively involved in promoting Optometry’s role in learning and regular presents to Educators, Paediatric Healthcare Professionals, Schools and Parents . He thrives on having a close working relationship with Audiologists, Chiropractors, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Remedial teachers and Speech Therapists, bringing to the fore his passion for ALL the disciplines to work together. It is imperative that this holistic model has to start at an undergraduate University level, in order to provide the best level of care for every individual.