A developmental vision update for the VT crowd :) (Writing related)

[Tiramisu]

We recently took a trip to the regular optometrist who, last year, picked up dd#2 visual problems with his own simple testing and then referred us to a covd.org doctor who dx'd convergence insufficiency and a tracking problem. We completed our VT with that specialist who told us to later follow up with our regular optometrist, who is covered by insurance and would be able to pick up if any issues were popping up again. The good news is that he repeated the same tests and the effects of VT are apparent and have been lasted for the last nine months. That was good.

 

My youngest child who has similar writing difficulties was checked informally by an OT last year, who said she believed this child did not have any fine motor problems but suspected visual problems along the lines of dd #2, CI and tracking. She also noted attention issues. Last week our optometrist did the same testing with this dd while I was present, and her performance was equivalent to the dd who was successful with VT. So she doesn't seem to have any big visual issues but the optometrist says we can keep checking it during her annual appointments. So I'm thinking that attention may be more of an issue with her than any visual problem.

 

Lastly, dd#3 who has never had writing issues like the others had the same testing. And after seeing how my other ones performed, she was truly remarkable. Her focusing was instantaneous. It showed me that in visual issues there is such a spectrum. Dd#2 who did VT is fine now when before her focusing was severely delayed to to CI. However, she still doesn't have the lightening quick focusing that dd#3 has. Neither does dd#4. It's so interesting.

 

When my oldest gets checked in the summer, I'm so curious to have him do the same testing with her. A covd.org doc picked up visual problems with her but he said they were neurologically based in a way that VT wouldn't help.

 

I am a now firm believer that vision issues affect writing in terms of handwriting difficulties and a reluctance to write. I think kids with these issues can become very good writers, as my older ones certainly have, but that accommodations can be very helpful day-to-day schooling. 

[Mukmuk]

Thanks for the update, Tiramisu. With a sample size of four, you can see many correlations. :D

 

I've been so busy with travel and doing VT with Ds throughout, it's all I can do to read snippets on the forum. I'm understanding so much more- ds now has convergence, yay! I got him to answer the progress evaluation questions at the VT, and he's now able to tell us that he's had double vision all along. He thought it was normal of course, poor kid. He had ways of getting rid of it for short periods of time- blinking, looking away, looking out with one eye, but mostly, it was like an overhanging condition. For sure, it affected *everything* he did. No wonder he's anxious and rigid, since new situations and places are hard to suss out for him.

 

Well, it's 2 months down. We have many more months yet. But he's starting to draw. Reading rate has slowed *down* - "I want to catch every word". He's picked up more non-fiction at the library and actively looking up areas of interest. Physics is a problem though, because he finds it hard to figure out directions. He knows his left and right, but anything more esoteric and multidirectional requires a huge effort. He loves the conceptual stuff though, so we're going through very slowly. Mostly, he's a much happier kid and who wants to watch documentaries and fun TV- he never liked them before!

 

We love VT (okay- he just loves the effects of it!)!!

[OneStepAtATime]

Thanks for the update, Tiramisu.  And Mukmuk, too, for that matter.  Yeah!

[kbutton]

Good news all around. So exciting!

[Julie of KY]

My oldest has had a huge improvement in handwriting from VT this year. It has truly been remarkable. I scribed for the first ten years of school and now he choosing to take his own notes and writing (somewhat) legibly. His processing of language from idea to words has also dramatically improved.

... in his case VT was specifically done for his handwriting issues.