Can't an Opthalmologist tell you if there are eye issues

[rafiki]

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[Slartibartfast]

I had eye therapy as a child and I couldn't actually read well before then my eyes were so bad. I remember reading my first chapter book not long after I finished therapy.

 

I think it is worth checking out but my experience with it was very positive. I do still have issues with writing due to the dyslexia but I think the therapy was really valuable as far as what I got from it.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Sis

[MariannNOVA]

IME with ds, the answer is no. The opthamologist gave him a thorough exam and said there was nothing wrong with his eyes.

 

We struggled for about 6 more months, and my sister told me that she had taken their 8 yr old dd (adopted from China when she was two) to the opthamologist and her vision was fine. The problems persisted so my sister took her to a visual therapist (is that what they are called?). Therapy began and dear niece's issues were resolved in about 18 months.

 

I then took ds for an evaluation and turns out he had tracking issues - 12 months of therapy and he was fine.

 

The vision therapist explained to me that the opthamologist cannot evaluate for the same issues that the vision therapist does.

 

HTH

[Koerarmoca]

As a previous opthalmic tech all I can say is that if the doctor notices a problem they would refer you to a visual therapist. If you speak of an issue to the ophthalmologist and its out side of their scope and would be better tested by a visual therapist they will refer you. If you speak of an issue and its with in the scope of what an ophthalmologist can test for/treat they would then either treat it, refer you to a VT or nuero. We say a lot of kids with lazy eye for example. With some kids we could treat it with an eye patch and send them on their way. with others they needed VT based on the severity.

 

 

A VT doesn't always make a diagnosis(often they see what the Dr doesn't though its ok to skip the DR and go to VT)

Edited March 17, 2011 by MichelleC

[Linda1951]

I know our Opthalmologist uses a computer to take a photo of the inside of our eyes and boy you can see a lot. not painful. no numbing involved.

wE have HAD IT DONe the last five years.

It can tell if you have a detached retena .

There are Opthalmologist for children. My dd saw one for 10 yrs ,

[wapiti]

IME with ds, the answer is no. The opthamologist gave him a thorough exam and said there was nothing wrong with his eyes.

 

We struggled for about 6 more months, and my sister told me that she had taken their 8 yr old dd (adopted from China when she was two) to the opthamologist and her vision was fine. The problems persisted so my sister took her to a visual therapist (is that what they are called?). Therapy began and dear niece's issues were resolved in about 18 months.

 

I then took ds for an evaluation and turns out he had tracking issues - 12 months of therapy and he was fine.

 

The vision therapist explained to me that the opthamologist cannot evaluate for the same issues that the vision therapist does.

 

HTH

 

Ditto. Except it was my dd9 ;). When she was 6, we took her to the pediatric opthamologist. Fine, no problems. A month later, we took her for some educational testing (IQ, achievement, etc.). The testers pointed out a potential vision issue. We went to an FCOVD optometrist. She had an eye tracking problem. It's a long story, but 6 months of vision therapy fixed that. She can now do funny things with her eyes that I can't, LOL. A lot of VT addresses how the eyes work together. Traditional eye exams do not look for that.

 

There is quite the controversy about VT between opthamologists on the one side and optometrists on the other. Many/most opthamologists neither provide VT nor evaluate for the need to do so. That's a broad generalization; certainly some do, but they are few and far between.

 

And even for an optometrist who may briefly screen for such issues during a regular eye exam, the evaluation for VT is a completely separate, and often lengthy, appointment.

[TravelingChris]

My daughter was seeing either an ophthalmologist or optometrist from about age 2 to eight. She could read but only larger print with space around it like in picture books. So she could read Peter Rabbit and those type stories but not easier chapter books. I was so frustrated since time after time we were told she had no issues. (Her other issue form early childhood was smacking into corners). I finally started calling ophthalmologists in my area and talking to the receptionist. I found one who specialized in eye coordination and eye muscular or neuro problems. He did a simple test. Bring a pencil up from further away towards the eye. SHe couldn't keep her eyes focused- one eye would turn away. THis was why she couldn't read chapter books. She was given a prescription for prism glasses and given prisms to work with. We went back eveyr month or so and this continued for about six months. SInc she had an actual medical diagnosis= convergence disorder, it was all paid for by our very picky insurance -Tricare. I didn't take her there for therapy. I did the therapy at home. I took her back to have them issue new prisms as she got better and new exercises. She got so much better she went to reading long, long chapter books like Harry Potter and Lord of the RIngs. Today, nearly ten years later, she normally reads fine. At times, if she is very tired, her convergence gets bad. But normally she has no issues. My final count- at least seven doctors missed it before the one found it.

[nrg]

Find an optometrist who is a fellow with the COVD and have a developmental evaluation. You will learn about your child's eye teaming and tracking and focus flexibility function and whether improvement of these is needed. Then you can decide about therapy or about a home therapy program. There are many factors to consider with dyslexia; it can't hurt to bark up every tree.:D

[rafiki]

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