I had a conference with new vision doctor yesterday. I checked into a new one b/c the one we are with now is farther from me, much more traffic en route and has limited hours.
The new place is so much nicer.... it's bigger, better hours more therapists, therapist are really good with DS - young, etc.
Also, they gave DS more tests and sat me down for an hour conference (free of charge)to explain the results... the other place did not do the "conference" really. The other place was super nice and good too but this place is more .... I don't know... efficient? professional?
I am feeling so much better about it all. Alhough it so breaks my heart to see from the tests how much my poor DS was struggling to "see" (despite his 20/20 vision). They gave him visual spatial skills tests, visual analysis skills tests (visual memory he scored hgh and in visual discrimination he scored really really high!), they gave him visual motor integration tests including the BEERY. They wrote up all about each tests, DS' performance and what it means in a report for me and the school with some clear recommendations for the school about what DS needs. The doctor was very, very optomistic about the VT truly fixing my DS' problem - DS is like the type of case that is ideal for VT. This guy said DS would not be a a good canidate for surgery in his opinion.
I have to say DS' reading alone has imporved so much already. After two years of it being so laborious filled with angst, eye discomfort, and misery, yesterday he read an 18 page book - "The Tortious and The Hare" so fluently, easily and he actually enjoyed it... I can't believe it. Finally. Even he was like "is this real?!? I can finally read now?!?"
I made an appointment with a surgeon anyway - just to get yet another opinon. The surgeon is recommended by a neighbor whose child (same age as my DS) had surgery last year for intermittent exotropia. They felt they had no choice but surgery. I definitely plan to stick with the vision therapy for now as it seems to be helping tremendously and the prognosis is so good. However, I like to research things thoroughly and so I do want at least have the surgeon's thoughts and opinons... Current doc said that he is pretty sure the surgeon will not recommend my DS for surgery, though.
I am feeling so relieved and optomistic. The doctor and therapist that evaluated my DS were so impressed with his intelligence... they really had may many good things to say about him and said he was a real pleasure to work with (his other VTs say this too). They all got a big kick out of him. Which is so nice to hear since all school year I hear a lot of negative comments about him.
Maybe that will change now with this problem being identified and addessed.
