blackcat, my dd11 had severe double vision until she went through vision therapy the first time at age 8. We don't know when or how it started, but she never once told us she saw two of everything - she just accepted that as normal, and until she was tested by the developmental optometrist and we found out, I don't think it occurred to her that everyone else wasn't also seeing double. She had amazing improvement from her first round of vision therapy, most likely because her double vision was due to weak eye muscles and the VT strengthened them. Over time, after she'd completed her first round of VT, she slowly began seeing double again - and again, she didn't bother telling us, just accepted it. For me, that would be beyond frustrating but for whatever reason, for our dd, she just accepts it as part of life and doesn't get upset or worked up over it. Note - now that she's had successful VT and seen the world without her double vision, she does know she'd rather only see one of everything
but she'll still not tell us if she's seeing double, or if we ask and she is she'll just say "yep, I see two" very nonchalantly as if it's not a big deal.
Our developmental optometrist told us that for some kids (including our dd) who have double vision, the brain will actually shut off vision in one eye as a way of coping with making everything not-double. We were able to tell when our dd's brain would do this because she would tilt her head in a funny direction when she was reading or writing or trying to watch tv or look at something up close.
I don't know if VT would help your ds - our eye dr feels it's really helpful for issues related to muscle weakness but not successful for other issues - but I think the exam that DO's give when a child is first assessed for vision therapy screening might be helpful even if VT wouldn't - the assessment will tell you how your ds' eyes are working together - which is very different than a typical eye dr exam where you find out how each eye is functioning individually. You'll find out whether or not eyes are tracking, how much peripheral vision your child has, etc.
Best wishes,
polarbear
