Community Outreach

Dr. Larson and the staff of OCVT give careful consideration to their community outreach efforts. They select initiatives that promote social and citizenship responsibilities among the OCVT team members that align closely with OCVT beliefs and values. Dr. Larson believes better vision and better learning promises better living. The OCVT initiatives are:

OCVT Initiatives:

OCVT Vision and Learning Grant
The purpose of the grant is to help improve the reading and learning skills of deserving Greater Austin Area students who have learning-related vision problems contributing to their reading and learning difficulties. Schools are invited to submit their grant candidates to OCVT on an annual basis. The grant is for students from families who cannot afford to pay for a vision therapy treatment program. OCVT’s Grant is in the form of services provided. OCVT provides eye exams, evaluations and vision therapy treatments to grant recipients at no cost. Since its inception in 2009, many recipients from Austin area schools have benefited from OCVT grants. To date, the total value of services provided by the grants exceeds $375,000. Starting in 2015, the grant became available to San Antonio area students. Read More

InfantSEE
Texas Optometric Association (TOA), in conjunction with the American Optometric Association (AOA) has designated Dr. Larson as the Austin area spokesperson for children’s vision issues and the InfantSEE Program. OCVT is an active participant in the InfantSEE Program. Dr. Larson is an InfantSEE committee member for the state of Texas. They conduct workshops with hands-on training for paraoptometrics and optometrists at TOA conferences such as the TOA Convention and EyeCon. Read More

Special Needs Advocacy
Dr. Larson concentrated her post-doctorate research on the optometric management of children with Autism and ADHD. She meets and speaks with parents, teachers and other special needs support groups about vision system deficiencies affecting children with special needs. Most recently, Dr. Larson donated and conducted a full day educational seminar for the Down Syndrome Association of South Texas in Hallettsville, Texas.

Advocacy for Community Volunteerism
Each quarter OCVT team members select an Austin area Philanthropy effort (OCVT participations: Ronald McDonald House Charities, Capital Area Food Bank, Texas Advocacy Project – Backpacks for Hope, A Million Thanks – Thanksgiving letters to our Troops, Coats for Kids) in which they actively participate.
Dr. Larson is a former member of The Junior League of Austin – The Junior League of Austin is a diverse group of dedicated women working to make Austin a better place. The Junior League of Austin is a nonprofit organization formed in 1934 committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.