OT and VT

[Lecka]

So, my son age 7 (almost 8) has about 3 issues: crossing the midline, bilateral coordination, and then visual-motor integration or visual-perceptual skills (possibly the same thing but OT and VT using different names).

 

He gets a small amount of OT at school, and there my understanding is they are focusing on crossing the midline.

 

I have committed to private OT, and my understanding is she is going to focus on bilateral coordination, bc at school they must have more of a handwriting focus.

 

Then I took him to a covd optometrist yesterday. He said his eyes jump around as he reads. He said this could improve with VT (he said they do a progress report after 6 sessions, rarely there is no progress and they quit, more often it requires 12-18 sessions).

 

I am interested in adding this, but wondering if it is overkill, or better not to do too much at the same time?

 

I am interested in what the overlap is between OT and VT, also. But with so many things going on in OT, I feel like it might be good to do the vt even if it is something that Could be done at OT.

 

On cost - - vt is $75/session and we can pay it. OT is covered by insurance.

[Lecka]

Updating -- I talked to the OT and she is working on it, also. She said she will work on it for a few months and then see where he is.

 

She said sometimes kids will go on to need vision therapy and sometimes not. She said some kids are fine with either one but some will need both.

 

It sounds good to me.

 

Edit: my understanding is that his eyes jumping is related to crossing the midline.

[PeterPan]

nt

[Lecka]

Okay! That explains why she said she needed to do more "baselines" next week.

 

I have thought about it, and as much as I want this resolved, I can't handle having him in another therapy right now. It can at least wait until summer.

 

It just exhausts me to drive around town and keep my other kids occupied.

 

 

[PeterPan]

nt

[geodob]

You wrote that: 'my understanding is that his eyes jumping is related to crossing the midline.

But with vision, we don't have a midline, but rather a different 'field of vision' on each side.

Where field of vision from each eye is sent to their own side of the visual cortex.

Then the images from both sides are merged together.

Where they overlap each other in the center field of vision.

But you might consider the situation if their was a difficulty with merging the images from both eyes?

How your eyes would cope with this, to form a single left to right visual image?

So that the 'jumping', is quite possibly a continual process of each eye, looking across to see the field of vision that the other eye sees?

[Lecka]

Honestly I don't have a clue. I just know I have been told by two people they see his eyes jump when he tracks, and also from two different people (one overlapping) that he has trouble crossing the midline. I might be mixing them up.

 

I just want to take him somewhere and then do exercises they recommend for home. I don't have a lot of energy for it, and it is a lot more confusing than reading programs. I am good at reading programs, lol.

 

On the bright side all these people are pretty surprised he is reading on grade level, so I am pleased about that. I am hoping this won't be too difficult.