Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Vision issues or similar-looking problems: IDing?

Hi! As promised, I'm starting a new thread to ask a couple of questions about potential vision issues in my DS4.

Do you have to be referred to a specialist to have your child checked? (Our insurance doesn't require a referral to pay out, so we're good there.)

Any idea how old the child has to be before they can make a meaningful diagnosis? Did anyone who has a child with vision issues notice problems pretty young (like 3 or 4), or was it only later that you saw trouble?

I keep tossing around the idea of having DS4 checked by a specialist. I even asked my pediatrician about it. I prefaced it with, "I wouldn't even ask you this, because I know it sounds crazy, but since we're here and you know DS7 and how GT he is:

"DS4 isn't reading yet, and everyone else in the family read before age 4--even aunts and uncles...on both sides of the family! I know that it's perfectly normal for a 4yo not to be reading yet, but I wonder if there might be something wrong and I want to catch it early if there is a problem...etc., etc."

He assured that I didn't need to worry. But he didn't check anything. He just "there, there"'d me. I hate and despise being "there, there"'d!

So what do you all know about vision issues, or even other issues or LDs that might manifest in a similar fashion, like central processing problems, for example? I'm still not worrying, but I'm keeping a close eye on things, and I'd like to know what my options are for assessment and diagnosis.

Thanks, all!

Oh Kriston, I have been "there, there'd" so many times, I can't even begin to count!!!!

The only thing the specialist told me was I needed to have a regular eye check up from within the last year before I came to see him. I had my DS checked on Wednesday and the regular eye doctor said he didn't see any problem. I went to the specialist on Friday and he tested deficient in 2 areas. They checked for a whole bunch of stuff and everything else came out just fine. The doctor gave me information on what these deficiencies would present as in real life and they fit my DS perfectly! It was like a light bulb just went off for me!!!

I have been telling everyone I know about this and another person I know had her 6 year old tested and he has some pretty severe deficiencies. She knew he had problems already but she didn't know how severe they were until she had him tested. One thing I learned from all my research was that 15% of the population has some type of visual problem. That is 3 out of every 20 people, or 3 out of every classroom!!! To me, that is HUGE!!!

I knew my DS had problems since he was very young but I never put all his problems together so I didn't realize they were related. He hated reading, when he did read he'd start on one line and then wind up on the one below, he'd reverse letters (past the age you should do this), his handwriting was hideous (still not perfect but definitely better!), etc. I just didn't know these things were all part of the same thing.

Go with your gut is all I can say. Have you noticed any of the things I mentioned? Or is there anything else going on other than his not reading? Even seemingly unrelated things might help point to a problem if there is one. Hopefully there isn't but I think you are smart to think about this while he is young. I only wish I had known earlier.

Hi K,

As you know C-Dog was just diagnosed with a vision processing issue. I think you can have DS4 tested because the Dr. said something about age-norming DD's results and it would all be in the report we are supposed to get.

I didn't even talk to our pediatrician about it. We saw him the day after her test, for school exam, and I told him. He just said, yes, it's genetic, runs in families, glad you caught it blah blah blah and that's about it.

I saw trouble earlier, probably since about 4 or 5. Things that stuck out were that C-dog started reading sentences at 3 then never pursued it further, but I justified that as being possibly other issues because of her age. Her handwriting is awful. It's obvious that she had fine motor issues, and the eye is fine motor so.......but that's also a different issue, I think.
She also was flipping letters and numbers, but the problem is that it's totally age appropriate for children that are developing intellectually in a normal rate, so it's hard for a Dr. to tease it out at his age.

I looked for a Dr. at : covd.org

I talked to the Dr. prior to the interview. I basically told her C-dog's IQ results and ALL the history that I could think of that I thought was relevent, including that her K teacher thought she was..........well, you know all that.

I think that's what made the difference and why the Dr. took a very close look instead of saying something like, we'll take a look again in a year or so,,or whatever.

I got this link on the forum and had C-dog attempt all the excercises. They are fun little video game type tasks for kids, she liked it. The issue she had stuck out tremendously and that's what made me finally make the appt.

http://www.eyecanlearn.com/

Can't help you out with other processing issues such as auditory. Sorry. Oh one other thing, phonics seems to be an issue with vision processing or visual spatial learning types. C-dog did not get phonics AT ALL.. She took a computer class this summer for phonics and it finally clicked, but it was very different than her sister. She literally learned to read by memorizing sight words. Now she gets phonics, but we had to have her do a special program at a learning center. It seemed very unusual.

Hope this helps.

Neato

Oh, p.s. EandC mom was the one who originally posted all that info... Thanks EandC!

What I see: the fact that he's a) VERY interested in books, yet seems to have trouble differentiating words from one another, not even able to recognize another copy of a word in a book immediately after I've pointed the word out and sounded it out for him, b) not reading letters on signs even, and c) writing without reading. These things seem vaguely indicative of some vision or processing issue...but certainly not definitive. Maybe ge just isn't ready to read yet! And I'm afraid that since he can't yet read, they won't be able to diagnose him even if I do take him in.

His age doesn't help. 4yos aren't SUPPOSED to read, after all, so I'm just the crazy lady who needs to be "there, there'd" back to reality. *sigh*

And I'll say again as I've said before, if he's a GT late bloomer or an ND kid, then HURRAH! But I would rather be proactive and not wait until he's suffering to get him help if he does need it. My gut keeps telling me that something is up. I just don't know if there's any way to check for it yet.

Thanks, E&CMom!

Oh, and 'Neato, since we cross-posted...

DS4 hasn't yet been tested for GT, and I'd rather wait to have the school do it for free if I can. That's a year away. So, sadly, I don't have that ace in the hole to pull out to avoid being "there, there'd."

I'll try the exercises with him. Maybe that will help me. Thanks!

Kriston, I think they could test him as long as he knows his numbers and letters. I know some of the tests I saw just had numbers or letter on them, not words.

I think 'Neato had the right idea, call a doctor, tell them what is going on and see what they say. If your gut is telling you something is up, I'd say listen to it.

Go to that website and sit with him while he tries each of the "games". I really do think you'll see something stick right out if it's a vision processing issue. At least you will see if there is a glaring problem, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem if you don't see anything, does that make sense?

Okay I also just read that post of yours. You haven't had him tested yet, not sure if he's gifted.

Hee hee hee.

And even though it says they are excercises, I used it as a screener and she was identified as vision processing issue in the part of the excercises that she couldn't do.

Good luck

Oh good Kriston, something I can help *you* on!

First of all, eye docs (all kinds) can test kids that can't even respond. They can test 6 month olds, which is what the optometry association recommends for first vision check. My daughter has seen an ophthalmologist for vision related issues since she was three months old. She's just turned 4 years this month. The doc uses pictures instead of letters and numbers.

2nd, most eye docs don't worry about vision issues related to near vision and reading before the age of 5 because that's when most kids start to read and do more near work. But a GT kid may in fact be held back by the vision issues if not diagnosed. Also, most kids stay slightly far sighted until pre-school age or later, so they often aren't concerned. But, a GT kid who might otherwise be reading or doing near work can't if they are far sighted too badly.

3rd, some visual efficiency skills don't develop until the age of 7 or 8. Efficient visual saccades for example, rapid fixation between targets, is slower to develop than visual tracking. Saccadic movement is what we use to read. Likewise, some perceptual skills develop slower than others. So, yes, there might be some areas that are not developed to allow for reading or efficient visual processing or perceptual skills and they might just need more time.

I would suggest that you locate a couple of developmental optometrists and just call them to see if they would do an exam on a 4 year old. I can't imagine why they wouldn't. If you have coverage, you should just go. You'd only need a referral if your insurance required it. Otherwise, it's no different than finding an eye doc for yourself. I say go for the exam and rule out any problems. Ruling out is always a good thing!