has anyone done vt a 2nd time?

[LaughingCat]

DD the older did VT in 2011 - overall I was happy with it and she had clear improvement.   However, after she reads for a short time, she starts making more and more mistakes, losing her place and misreading words.  This seemed to me to be due to eye strain so I went back to the covd Dr. and she said DD's convergence had back tracked and recommended more VT.    However, this time there has been no clear improvement and I am not getting any feedback from the therapist.    I am basically at a point where I need to decide if this is worth going on with,....

 

- so I wondered if anyone on this board had done vt a 2nd time and seen improvement from it? 

 

For a little more information,   I had a very uneducational talk with the therapist about my concerns, she has recommended I talk to someone else (which will happen on Monday). The Dr. I went to has since moved and there is a new Dr. that I have never spoken too.   There are actually a lot of reasons I am leaning toward quitting but I can see very large potential some of the exercises they do in the VT that are not doable at home -- if only they would do those type of exercises every time, I would probably stick with it in spite of all my reservations.

 

 

[SKL]

We did two sessions, but not back to back.  After the first one (when my dd was 3/4) I saw marked improvement, but she still had some issues.  The doctor said let's see if her improved vision leads to other improvements over time.  I had her tested last fall (~age 6) and it was determined that she should have more therapy over the summer (when theoretically we'd have more time to devote to it). 

 

The issues they addressed were different from the ones previously addressed.  I feel there has been improvement.  I also feel that leaving a gap between therapy sessions was helpful in sorting out what just needed more time/practice vs. what needed specialized help.

[PeterPan]

I'm very distracted by this awesome Creative Live class I'm watching, but a couple questions.  One, alternate doctor options?  Definitely don't like being dissatisfied. Two, did they look for retained primitive reflexes or low tone or other *reasons* why her vision is backtracking?  And three, why in the world aren't they giving you things you can do at home???  

[bluedarling]

Both my sons essentially had VT twice.  The oldest had it for 6 weeks when he was 7, with little to no improvement.  We then did 1.5 years when he was 12?  That seemed to work wonders.  His brother originally had VT with a neurodevelopmental chiropractor, who after little improvement sent us on saying he must need prisms.  He didn't, but he had 1.5 years of therapy along with his brother, and again that therapy was great.  The doctor who was successful in getting change for them said the other doctors had laid a great foundation, but that it just takes longer to get lasting change.  The neurodevelopmental chiropractor had worked on primitive reflexes and IM.  With that said...the psych who just evaluated my boys said their low coding scores mean they still have visual processing issues.  I'm supposed to call and ask about that!  (If they need VT a third time, I'm afraid I'm not interested!)  Anyway, in our case the second round was great....sounds like yours isn't.  How long has this round of VT been going on?  It may just be taking longer for this issue to remedy than the last issue?  I don't recall seeing immediate improvement in my boys, but they made slow steady progress.  AND they had homework (computer programs). 

[LaughingCat]

They are giving us homework - but that's one of my issues because there's been practically no new homework - it's the same homework we had last time.   Really there's been no real acknowledgement that she did VT before (other than I didn't have to buy the "kit") and minimal acknowledgement of anything I've said regarding homework (some of which we did quite a lot of before even after VT ended  but plenty of others I admit I did not have her do at all after ).  The good side is DD has actually been working harder for me than last time - and some of the homework exercises are hard for her.   I suppose I could consider this an expensive reminder lesson in how to use the materials we already owned :glare:   

 

FWIW they don't "do" retained reflexes or tone - but they do add in things that require working memory/rhythm in a way that's hard for her.   We have had 6 sessions so far over the summer (due to various reasons we and the therapist both had to cancel several weeks each).   

 

 

 

 

[LaughingCat]

Well, I had the conversation- she did do a good job of talking about DD about where she is at and needs to go.  She did a poor job of addressing my concerns about some of the repeat homework and exercises.   One particular tracking worksheet we have done many, many, MANY times (long after we ended the previous VT and an app version occasionally after that) - and yet DD is not where they think she should be speed wise.  Their statement was (today's person said same as therapist)- if she can't do it up to expected speed then obviously she needs to continue doing it  -- it reminded me of math facts where everyone keeps telling me DD would be able to do her math facts quickly if she just did more repetitions.  After all the repetitions we've done, I'm just not buying that.  In the end I gave up on this point figuring I can do as many or little as I like since they are homework.

 

She did agree after much discussion that they would focus solely on accommodation and convergence and not add in visual memory and rhythm.    IMO what she was calling "visual memory components"  are not actually visual memory at all -- naming objects (animals, colors, whatever) is recall and processing (yes, you might choose to use a visual strategy to recall objects - that does not make any request to name objects a visual memory exercise  :glare: )  However, really I wanted to drop these because they are using recall, rhythm etc to make exercises "a little" harder - and not taking into account if the child is finding the "add-in" the hard part.   I will add in these things at home at a pace DD can handle (didn't bring that up to her though LOL! )    I am hoping this will bring us to a point where 100% of the session is addressing DD's visual struggle rather than the 50% or less currently (IMO obviously as they clearly think 100% is now)

 

Anyway, I would appreciate any feedback (including if you think I'm way off base in my assertions above)

 

 

 

 

[PeterPan]

I'd find a new doc, new therapist, etc.  Our place had multiple, multiple ways to approach any given concept.  So for instance they have a notebook with TONS of activities each patient buys, but they will select out just particular ones.  And *they* actually pulled the plug on our VT after a month where we seemed to be hitting walls.  Just listening to what you're saying, you're describing a few exercises done ad nauseum and blame-shifting when it doesn't work.  Our VT doc told us to go do more OT when the VT wasn't working.  So I want to know why the VT doc is even willing to do the VT.  Oh, but we know why, because it's $$$ in the pocket for them.

 

Sigh.  Some of what you're describing to me is confusing anyway. Our place separates out visual processing (visual memory, etc. etc.) and doesn't work on it AT ALL until the tracking, convergence, focusing, etc. etc. are working properly.  It's sorta cart before horse to expect the visual processing to kick in when you haven't actually got the eyes functioning correctly, kwim?

 

I'd see what your options are for another doc, another place.  They're not all the same, not at all.  You aren't getting basic questions answered like whether there's a REASON for her lack of progress.  Can you email the doc and ask that?  That would be a civilized thing to do.  If today it was the therapist you talked with, then email the doc.  I wouldn't pay any more though.  In our sessions for VT we accomplished a TON, right down to business, brass tacks.  She could accomplish in 1 hour what took me a week to get done with her.  Your place seems to have spent a lot of time talking.  (That wouldn't make me happy as a customer, just saying.)  So I'd email the doc and ask flat out why she's not making the progress you expect, etc. etc.  See what happens.  Maybe the doc will call you and talk it through.