Vision Problems ...

I learned something new that I did not know even existed in the world. Honestly, I thank God everyday for my son's homeroom teacher at his small Lutheran School. If it weren't for her being ALL OVER his behind everyday, expecting nothing but THE best out of him, he would never have been diagnosed with ADD; and therefore, he would never have attended nine months of Occupational Therapy for his related fine motor problems ... and ... this takes the cake ... we would never have found out that he has a vision disability!

You see, we were plugging away through the school year and feeling like things were so much better with ds's new medicine for his ADD. His fine motor skills did improve through Occupational Therapy over the last nine months, although not greatly. I am glad he was able to make the improvements he did, but his handwriting is only slightly better. This is not a big deal in today's computerized world though.

However, at the school conferences in November, ds's homeroom teacher insisted that there was still a problem. Keep in mind that my son's grades were all very good. Every single grade was between 80 and 90 percent. But he has this pattern with going along well and then completely bombing miscellaneous assignments along the way here and there, always keeping him out of the 90's for his overall trimester grades.

So, we went back to the pediatrician and we sought some additional medicine. He continues to take 72 mg. of Concerta, but we have now added Intuniv to his Concerta each day. His attention at school has improved a little more, so that is good.

But then, as we were concluding Occupational Therapy earlier this month, ds's OT mentioned that he had accomplished all of his goals, but that he still had some problems with visual depth perception. What the heck is that??

Well, because the homeroom teacher insisted that there were still learning problems, we went to one of the three Developmental Optometrists in our City and found out what this problem was. (Only a Developmental Optometrist can diagnose vision problems that contribute to learning disabilities apparently. Who knew? I mean, I was taking him to the best eye doctor wasn't I? He had been going to an Opthalmologist for goodness sakes!)

But no. Opthalmologists don't diagnose eye motor issues. They test for visual accuity and provide care for eye diseases and perform eye surgeries. The Developmental Optometrist does all of the above (accept surgeries) and more.

So, we found out that my son, whose eyes look just fine and normal to the everyday observer, do not track well together. Because of this, he cannot distinguish images in 3-D and he is in the 18th percentile for his speed in tracking his eyes from left to right and from right to left. So, 82 percent of kids his age can move their eyes across type faster than he can .. and perceive the information they are viewing. Since this is a perceptual problem, my son can see the type, he just can't perceive it. I know. Strange, huh?

But, when it comes to tracking his eyes vertically (like reading up and down columns,) he is in the 1st percentile! No wonder he has problems with math. For the most part, math is done vertically!

The best news about all of this is that this problem can be corrected. There is something called Vision Therapy that he can attend weekly. Again, this is something I had no clue even existed. So, in January, we will begin ninth months of Vision Therapy. Hopefully, this has ds done and completely ready for high school in the Fall.