Hi CP -
Just one other thing to confuse you further - does your son have any vision problems? Apparently the regular optomatrist's visit isn't enough - there is a special branch called behavioral optomatry that evaluates how well the muscles that control the lenses work. Many find this useful, many find this snake oil - but I figured that you'd like to know.
On the other hand, you say that your K aged child doesn't read well in that he is only scoring mid first grade. My son, also a YSP, was in the 2nd highest reading group in first grade, and didn't get to the "Magic Tree House" type books until the end of first grade. He also had trouble with catching a ball, riding a bike, and had learned his letters and their sounds very early at age 2. The gap between when he learned his letters, his interest in having complicated books read to him, and his own reading certainly freaked me out. But everyone I asked just teased me as an overprotective new, older, mom. Then there are all the people who might have helped me, but I was afraid to ask by then - not wanting to look like an overprotective Mom. People acted like the problem was "how to calm me down" and not like a 4 year gap between letter recognition and actual reading was any big deal.
In retrospect I think he did have a visual tracking problem, or was at least slow to mature in that area (we certianly did everything wrong regarding too many video games and not enough outside experience) - but I stayed away from "Vision Therapy" because it sounded to "snake oil-ish" to me and DH. If I had gotten him tested earlier, perhaps someone would have suggested it be checked.
In the long run I don't think his reading "delay" did him any harm. But it sure did leave me bitter and distrustful.
Smiles,
Trinity
