Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Vindicated and not happy (vision issues)

Do you know which specific issues your dd is dealing with re vision? For our dd, VT was tremendously helpful. The one gotcha is that - in her case, the issue was muscle weakness, and muscles need to be exercised. She made tremendous progress with learning to read (and enjoying it) with her first round of VT, as well as in many other areas relating to vision. Two years after finishing up that first round, she needed a refresher round because her muscle strength had regressed. She went through round 2, did well for around two years, and is now again experiencing eye fatigue and occasional symptoms that her eyes aren't working together well. I don't think she needs another round of VT, but I do think that it's going to be important for her to keep up with a few of her key strengthening exercises throughout her life. DD is 13 now, and not overly thrilled about that idea! OTOH, she is very aware of what a difference it's made in her life

Best wishes,

polarbear

Don't know, all we've got so far is the quick "follow my finger" test in the PT's office. So no way to know if it's muscular or something more central/neurological/complicated.

So you've only had a PT note the issue so far - are you planning to see a Developmental Optometrist for an eval?

polarbear

Yep, the PT suggested a particular Pediatric Ophthamologist, and my primary doc says that person is excellent and is putting in a referal for us.

Also, what is up with all the smart kids with vision issues around here? It this a Real Thing? Or just an illusory correlation?

So this is my guess - and that's all it is - a flat out guess lol! I think that first, you won't find parents posting or researching much online when all is well with their kids' world. Hence, chances are you'll find a higher-than-normal percentage of kids with any kind of challenge here.

Second part of my guess - high IQ kids are possibly more likely to have high IQ parents who are also perhaps more likely to dig dig dig until they have the answer for everything

polarbear

ps - that's great you have a reference to a good Ped Ophthalmologist!

FYI We were sent to a "good" ped opthomologist 4 years ago who said DD "had the best set of eyes he'd seen all year." No problems, no need to return for 5 years.

Fast forward - Developmental opto earlier this year said DD has double vision she can force together but it doesn't come naturally, has no near vision, each eye sees a different image so her brain alternates turning off one or the other, one eye is 20/32 the other 20/40, has outstanding distance and peripheral vision which further distracts her brain trying to sort out the images, etc.

Keep in mind that DD has migraines and 40+ points difference between her verbal comprehension and visual perception scores so there were obvious concerns. YMMV but I would be sure to check the ped opthomologist's position on the validity of VT before putting full faith in him/her.

Polarbear -- very likely! But I also wonder if there's one of those random genetic linkages, like left-handers being more likely to be good at math.

Pemberley -- sorry to hear about your bad experience! Since the PT recommended this person, hopefully they are on board with treating convergence problems.

My DS9 has had vision issues from the beginning, and we started taking him to a ped ophthalmologist before a year old. I will second that they tend to believe surgery and lenses fix vision issues and aren't necessarily VT supporters (and in fact, may be strongly opposed to it as quackery). That said, I still am on the fence myself, and curious. DS's alignment issues returned a year ago as blurred vision that was resolved by adding a bifocal to his strong farsighted Rx (his current physician is an specialized optometrist).

However, we just recently, separately, got a diagnosis of DCD (so now I'm revisiting posts on this forum!), and I'm so wishing there were a point person who could just manage his whole being, the gifted, the vision, the anxiety, the motor issues. Guess that will have to be me!

On a related note, I myself had alignment issues from birth (no distance issues, though), and only focus with one eye (I can switch it myself, on demand), but my left eye focuses, while the other is purely peripheral. Brains are amazing at compensating and finding a solution. Too late for me on VT, though.

We just came from DD's recheck with the developmental opto and all I can say is O.M.G.!

3 months ago left eye was 20/40 and right eye was 20/32 - now both are 20/20. She rattled off a number of areas that are now measuring age appropriate, another bunch that were significantly improved but we still need to keep working to improve. Not making any changes to reading glass prescription or 2x week office visits but will be tweaking home assignments to focus on the more limited areas that need work.

For me the most important thing she said is that the 46 point difference between Verbal Comprehension and Visual Perception on the WISC-5 in January was not a valid measurement. "She couldn't see the page. There was nothing to measure." And "If you put DD with her abilities inside the body of a kid who was actually able to see the page you would have gotten a competely different result." Finally a reasonable answer to the evaluator saying that the difference in DD's scores exists in 0.0% of the population! DO is going to do her own Visual Perception test later this month. ("We didn't do it when she first came is because everything was so crazy - she couldn't see anything on the page - it wouldn't have told us anything...")

So for what it's worth VT seems to be working here. I wish we didn't have to travel so far but it has been SO worth it!