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Original poster

Why do the words wobble

50 replies

wobblingwords · 21/01/2023 23:16

My DD is 8 and she says the words sometimes wobble when she reads.

The teacher says she is doing really well in class but at my request she’s going to do a test for dyslexia to rule that out.

Had her eyes tested and she has 20/20 vision.

Could there be another reason?

OP posts:
determinedtomakethiswork · 21/01/2023 23:28

That sounds like classic dyslexia. Have a look online for the coloured overlays and try them out at home to see whether those help her.

stayathomegardener · 21/01/2023 23:32

Google Irlens.

It usually presents with dyslexia.

Original poster
wobblingwords · 21/01/2023 23:44

I hadn’t heard of Irlens before. I have just googled and apparently it hasn’t been fully medically recognised as a thing in its own right. Might be a feature of something else though apparently.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irlen_syndrome

Thank you both for your comments. It looks as though you can get overlays on Amazon for less than a tenner, so worth me buying to give them a try.

OP posts:

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Copperoliverbear · 22/01/2023 04:56

Dyslexia? X

Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 05:15

If it's only sometimes and she's otherwise doing well in school, maybe it's fatigue. Is she sleeping and eating well?

Trez1510 · 22/01/2023 05:22

I experience migraine.

Before I go into a full attack (nausea, vertigo, vomiting, excruciating pain) I notice words wobbling on paper and screen.

Other forms of migraine can present with abdominal symptoms. I guess if she's experiencing this on an ad-hoc basis, followed by abdominal issues etc., it might be worth considering.

underneaththeash · 22/01/2023 08:22

has she had her eyes tested?
mot could just be that she’s struggling to maintain single vision (to stop things going double), due to a binocular vision issue or that she’s quite long sighted and is struggling to accommodate.
it was also be a pattern glare problem - a bit like some people get when looking at lines on an escalator.
or it could be a sign of dyslexia.

I would take her for an eye exam (it’s free - you don’t need to pay for anything specialist at this stage).

Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 09:54

Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 05:15

If it's only sometimes and she's otherwise doing well in school, maybe it's fatigue. Is she sleeping and eating well?

Yes she’s eating and sleeping fine. Goes to bed about 8.40, asleep for 9.30. Has a limited diet that she’ll tolerate but eats plenty of foods in all food groups (she’s the ‘plain pasta’, ‘jacket potato with cheese type - beige food with lots of fruit and veg).

OP posts:
Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 09:55

underneaththeash · 22/01/2023 08:22

has she had her eyes tested?
mot could just be that she’s struggling to maintain single vision (to stop things going double), due to a binocular vision issue or that she’s quite long sighted and is struggling to accommodate.
it was also be a pattern glare problem - a bit like some people get when looking at lines on an escalator.
or it could be a sign of dyslexia.

I would take her for an eye exam (it’s free - you don’t need to pay for anything specialist at this stage).

Yep, eyes have been tested - 20/20 vision

OP posts:
Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 09:56

Trez1510 · 22/01/2023 05:22

I experience migraine.

Before I go into a full attack (nausea, vertigo, vomiting, excruciating pain) I notice words wobbling on paper and screen.

Other forms of migraine can present with abdominal symptoms. I guess if she's experiencing this on an ad-hoc basis, followed by abdominal issues etc., it might be worth considering.

That’s an interesting one, thank you. It would fit with the fact that it’s not all the time and sometimes wobbles more than other times.

OP posts:
Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 09:58

Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 05:15

If it's only sometimes and she's otherwise doing well in school, maybe it's fatigue. Is she sleeping and eating well?

Reading this again, although I said she’s eating and sleeping well, it could be fatigue related to something else like a virus perhaps?

OP posts:
Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 17:05

Can I ask, is she actually bothered by it? As a child I used to see a lot of trials when lights moved and I remember when the light came in through the gaps in the Venetian blinds in the morning the blinds would seem to wobble. I'd stare at them for ages before getting up.

I was about 8/9/10. Maybe it's her eyes developing 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don't get the wobbling anymore but I sometimes get a sort of jump when I'm reading and my eyes fart and skip about and I have to find my place again.

Otherwise my eyesight is fine.

Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 17:06
  • trails not trials
Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 17:06

For gods sake. My eyes dart about 🤦🏼‍♀️

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 22/01/2023 17:06

I was going to say migraine, which I see has already been suggested.

Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 19:06

Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 17:05

Can I ask, is she actually bothered by it? As a child I used to see a lot of trials when lights moved and I remember when the light came in through the gaps in the Venetian blinds in the morning the blinds would seem to wobble. I'd stare at them for ages before getting up.

I was about 8/9/10. Maybe it's her eyes developing 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don't get the wobbling anymore but I sometimes get a sort of jump when I'm reading and my eyes fart and skip about and I have to find my place again.

Otherwise my eyesight is fine.

Thanks for this. Yeah - I’m not sure whether it bothers her as such. It’s something she will tell me is happening in a ‘I’ve got a funny lump on my leg’ sort of way which I suppose it’s up to me as the parent to say ‘pppfft, yeah we all get those, it’ll go down in a day or so’ or ‘ooh let’s get a plaster on that/call the doc/give you a day off school’.

I think with the wobbly words, it made me instantly think ‘….dyslexia…?’ so I paid attention to it.

So no it’s not really bothering her, it’s something that I want to monitor/understand so I can help her in the best way.

OP posts:
Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 19:08

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 22/01/2023 17:06

I was going to say migraine, which I see has already been suggested.

I wonder if it’s an early pre cursor to migraines? Maybe hormonal - being 8 - she may be going through changes which are affecting visual perception sometimes in a migraine-ish way.

Or dyslexia…

OP posts:
PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 22/01/2023 19:12

wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 19:08

I wonder if it’s an early pre cursor to migraines? Maybe hormonal - being 8 - she may be going through changes which are affecting visual perception sometimes in a migraine-ish way.

Or dyslexia…

Show quote history

Yes, at that age her body will be gearing up for puberty. The onset of my migraines coincided with puberty; and I'm sure it's no coincidence that since menopause I hardly ever have them.

Getthefiregoing · 22/01/2023 19:21

@wobblingwords

If she's had her eyes tested and her vision is fine, has no pain or headaches, is doing well academically and doesn't seem to struggle reading, and doesn't seem bothered by it... I'd leave it. Note it and leave it for now.

I remember doing all sorts of daft stuff with my vision when I was a kid- pulling my eyes to a squint to see how it changed my focus, intentionally glazing over and crossing my eyes to see double vision, looking at lights to see the imprint of the light when I looked away, rubbing my eyes to see stars, and as I said before, focusing on the blinds in the window til they wobbled. I used to do that with certain patterns like kitchen tiles and paving tiles too.

She might just sometimes be glazing over and the words wobble a bit.

EducatingArti · 22/01/2023 19:24

How is she with spelling. Does she spell well for her age or does she have difficulty.

ClarificationNeeded · 22/01/2023 19:55

DD has this, sometimes the words cross over too, does that happen to yours? She tested negative in the dyslexia screening.

stayathomegardener · 22/01/2023 20:10

Slightly puzzled you say Irlens isn't recognised, I agree there a lot of unauthorised practitioners but it's officially diagnosed and appropriate glasses supplied by a department at Wrexham University.

Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 20:40

stayathomegardener · 22/01/2023 20:10

Slightly puzzled you say Irlens isn't recognised, I agree there a lot of unauthorised practitioners but it's officially diagnosed and appropriate glasses supplied by a department at Wrexham University.

No offence intended - have a look at the link I posted. It’s what I found when I googled it.

OP posts:
Original poster
wobblingwords · 22/01/2023 20:42

ClarificationNeeded · 22/01/2023 19:55

DD has this, sometimes the words cross over too, does that happen to yours? She tested negative in the dyslexia screening.

She hasn’t mentioned this, but maybe this is happening too…?

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 22/01/2023 20:43

EducatingArti · 22/01/2023 19:24

How is she with spelling. Does she spell well for her age or does she have difficulty.

For primary spelling my dyslexic son would always get his spellings correct. It isn't always something that affects actual spellings per se.