Sorry...I meant behavioral optometrists
- Thread starter jal
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Marguerite
Active Member
Ah, then yes, we have seen one and in general, he was very helpful. I referred other people to the same bloke. I had a student (after-school coaching) who I picked up fairly quickly, had a problem finding the relevant information in a word problem. She could manage the subject matter well once she knew exactly what she had to do, but extracting the information she needed from a block of text was what was slowing her down. So I told her mother to take her to the same optometrist that difficult child! had been referred to (and who eventually saw all of us except husband who has his own optometrist through work).
The mother took her daughter to a local optometrist instead, thinking that anybody would do. The local one said the girls' vision was OK, she tested within normal range. I said to the mother,"If that is correct, then the bloke I referred you to will draw the same conclusion. But I suspect he won't.
She had to wait a few months (public insurance reasons) and then took her daughter to the behavioural optometrist. And he found the problem I'd seen, prescribed glasses and suddenly the girl began to do better in school. I lost her as a coaching student of course, because she no longer needed me. I was fine with that, I would rather not be needed. I was glad to see her do well.
difficult child 1 had a problem in Coding in the psychometric testing. So did easy child 2/difficult child 2. difficult child 1's psychologist referred us to this particular behavioural optometrist (only the "behavioural" word isn't used). I recognised the name; I remembered him as a student, he was always extremely thorough and exact in his work. (Plus he had been amazingly handsome, I was curious as to how well he'd aged.)
Well, the specs he prescribed for the kids were very helpful for all of them. He picked up that difficult child 1 was gaming a lot and as a result his eye muscles were toeing in too much. He prescribed "Magic Eye" books as exercises for him. I also needed someone thorough to do my prescriptions, the eye specialist I'd been seeing for years had made a few mistakes now and then and when my specs cost $1000 a pair, I can't afford any mistakes. So I switched to him - and found that I have had fewer problems.
There are limits to what these guys can do, but if you've not experienced what they CAN do, you will be amazed.
(And my bloke is still handsome, but now in a Frank Langella kind of way. Plus the pale skin because he doesn't get out in the sun as much as he did when a student - it increases the elegant handsome vampire look. His wife is his receptionist, I fancy she'd look good in an underwired nightdress).
Marg
The mother took her daughter to a local optometrist instead, thinking that anybody would do. The local one said the girls' vision was OK, she tested within normal range. I said to the mother,"If that is correct, then the bloke I referred you to will draw the same conclusion. But I suspect he won't.
She had to wait a few months (public insurance reasons) and then took her daughter to the behavioural optometrist. And he found the problem I'd seen, prescribed glasses and suddenly the girl began to do better in school. I lost her as a coaching student of course, because she no longer needed me. I was fine with that, I would rather not be needed. I was glad to see her do well.
difficult child 1 had a problem in Coding in the psychometric testing. So did easy child 2/difficult child 2. difficult child 1's psychologist referred us to this particular behavioural optometrist (only the "behavioural" word isn't used). I recognised the name; I remembered him as a student, he was always extremely thorough and exact in his work. (Plus he had been amazingly handsome, I was curious as to how well he'd aged.)
Well, the specs he prescribed for the kids were very helpful for all of them. He picked up that difficult child 1 was gaming a lot and as a result his eye muscles were toeing in too much. He prescribed "Magic Eye" books as exercises for him. I also needed someone thorough to do my prescriptions, the eye specialist I'd been seeing for years had made a few mistakes now and then and when my specs cost $1000 a pair, I can't afford any mistakes. So I switched to him - and found that I have had fewer problems.
There are limits to what these guys can do, but if you've not experienced what they CAN do, you will be amazed.
(And my bloke is still handsome, but now in a Frank Langella kind of way. Plus the pale skin because he doesn't get out in the sun as much as he did when a student - it increases the elegant handsome vampire look. His wife is his receptionist, I fancy she'd look good in an underwired nightdress).
Marg
svengandhi
Well-Known Member
If behavioral optometrist is the same thing as vision therapist (a doctor), it can do wonders.
My youngest son wore glasses since K. As he got up in grades, his reading did not come in and he was becoming angrier and angrier in school and at home. He was also complaining of headaches if he read for more than 2 minutes and would fling his book across the room.
We were looking into behavioral schools to switch him in to when someone in my office mentioned taking their child, same age as mine, to a vision therapist.
I had been taking my child to the most higly rated and recommended pediatric optholmalogist in my area for years. On the first visit with the VT, she told me that my son's glasses were all wrong. He is severely near-sighted in one eye and equally far-sighted in the other one, a not very common condition. The eye doctor had been AVERAGING the two numbers and giving him glasses that didn't correct either problem.
The VT prescribed progressive bifocals and within a week my then 9 year old had old person glasses. His headaches disappeared almost immediately and with some vision therapy, his reading improved and so did his behavior.
From a child who was on the verge of being placed in a therapeutic school, he is (one year later) reading above grade level, doing math above grade level, well-liked by kids and staff and most importantly, headache free and happy.
People told me the VT would just take anyone's money for hokey treatment, but I took my older son to see her. He had an eye muscle problem from birth and had had surgery. She examined him and determined that she could not do anything for him at this point, though she did suggest bringing him in for another evaluation when he reaches driving age because she could help with his peripheral vision issues but he didn't need that at this point.
I like the therapy because it's non-invasive and doesn't require medications or bloodwork.
My youngest son wore glasses since K. As he got up in grades, his reading did not come in and he was becoming angrier and angrier in school and at home. He was also complaining of headaches if he read for more than 2 minutes and would fling his book across the room.
We were looking into behavioral schools to switch him in to when someone in my office mentioned taking their child, same age as mine, to a vision therapist.
I had been taking my child to the most higly rated and recommended pediatric optholmalogist in my area for years. On the first visit with the VT, she told me that my son's glasses were all wrong. He is severely near-sighted in one eye and equally far-sighted in the other one, a not very common condition. The eye doctor had been AVERAGING the two numbers and giving him glasses that didn't correct either problem.
The VT prescribed progressive bifocals and within a week my then 9 year old had old person glasses. His headaches disappeared almost immediately and with some vision therapy, his reading improved and so did his behavior.
From a child who was on the verge of being placed in a therapeutic school, he is (one year later) reading above grade level, doing math above grade level, well-liked by kids and staff and most importantly, headache free and happy.
People told me the VT would just take anyone's money for hokey treatment, but I took my older son to see her. He had an eye muscle problem from birth and had had surgery. She examined him and determined that she could not do anything for him at this point, though she did suggest bringing him in for another evaluation when he reaches driving age because she could help with his peripheral vision issues but he didn't need that at this point.
I like the therapy because it's non-invasive and doesn't require medications or bloodwork.
thank you too svengandhi,
Yes, it is a vision therapist.
difficult child reads pretty darn well. It took a bit to come, but when it did, it did. He's in the therapeutic school and doing well (he's in 2nd grade and doing math on a 4th grade level - reading is on grade level too, although comprehension needs work), but the Occupational Therapist (OT) did the evaluation last yr and noted a problem with-his eye convergence. They've been working on it, but it hasn't improved too much, hence the recommendation for the specialist. (We had a PPT annual review this week). He does fall down, bump and trip into things, but yet can hit a baseball overhand pitch since he was around 3-4. So I am at a bit of a loss on that.
But I do hope this may answer a few questions and most of all if needed, help him. I agree, it is nice to have a therapy that doesn't require a medication or a blood draw (although he's awesome at those!).
Yes, it is a vision therapist.
difficult child reads pretty darn well. It took a bit to come, but when it did, it did. He's in the therapeutic school and doing well (he's in 2nd grade and doing math on a 4th grade level - reading is on grade level too, although comprehension needs work), but the Occupational Therapist (OT) did the evaluation last yr and noted a problem with-his eye convergence. They've been working on it, but it hasn't improved too much, hence the recommendation for the specialist. (We had a PPT annual review this week). He does fall down, bump and trip into things, but yet can hit a baseball overhand pitch since he was around 3-4. So I am at a bit of a loss on that.
But I do hope this may answer a few questions and most of all if needed, help him. I agree, it is nice to have a therapy that doesn't require a medication or a blood draw (although he's awesome at those!).
svengandhi
Well-Known Member
Jai -
Convergence is one of the most common issues VT's work with. It was a relatively small part of my son's issues. He was in therapy for 9 months but my co-worker's son, who only had convergence issues, finished in about 3 months.
I wish I had figured this out when he was in second grade. Now I feel like he is still behind the 8 ball going into middle school.
Convergence is one of the most common issues VT's work with. It was a relatively small part of my son's issues. He was in therapy for 9 months but my co-worker's son, who only had convergence issues, finished in about 3 months.
I wish I had figured this out when he was in second grade. Now I feel like he is still behind the 8 ball going into middle school.
