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Son's eye problem - can anyone advise/empathise

21 replies

lisalisa · 04/03/2003 15:18

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Jaybee · 04/03/2003 15:28

I agree that 3 is young to be learning letters although, some 3 year olds will happily do so. It may be that he is bored with looking at letters and is ignoring them. Can you determine where he looks at the letters i.e. are they being held up in front of the children or is he looking at them like he would look at a book. If it is the first, can he see the TV, does he notice detail on the TV? If the second, what is he like when looking at favourite books, can he point out characters or a car etc.
I suppose there is no harm in getting his eyes looked at, at least you would know either way.

SoupDragon · 04/03/2003 15:31

I can't really offer much but it's best this is picked up sooner rather than later. Your DS doesn't need extra help/remedial lessons yet - he just needs to get his eyesight sorted out. If it's not sorted, then he may require help/remedial lessons.

He may simply need glasses.

Hugs

Jimjams · 04/03/2003 15:31

I agree that 3 is a bit young to be getting over excited at not remembering letters. However if he does have a visial problem then it would be worth finding out about it now- as it may be able to be corrected and then not be a problem. There are all sorts of problems that can lead to dyslexia type vision- often to do with eye tracking (so moving the eye along a page). I'm not sure how theyll test though. other problems can be things like bleaching- this is when the letters "dispapear" into the page (think about tying to read something in really bright light). A lot of this type of problem can be corrected by wearing coloured lenses- called Irlen lenses. There is tuff about them on the web- may be worth doing a search in google.

However and this is a big however- I doubt the optometrist will check for this type of thing-they do do a test to see whether children can see a shape on a background of lines (I found it really hard!) - but mainly it's just a genral eye check.

MY ds1 has some sort of visual problem as he always shuts one eye when looking at something close up- the vision tests came back as normal (I thought they would). He's having a big three day assessment in June- and they'll look at his vision again then- but they've said that it's likely he has an "eye dominance" problem so he sees double when things are close. Not sure what they can do for that.....

I wouldn't worry about labels or getting remedial help - the children who really need extra help have to fight tooth and nail for every minute so they don't dish it out unless absoutely necessary (and usually when threatened with tribunals ) Believe me I know! (unfortunately) Let us know how youy get on.

lisalisa · 04/03/2003 15:57

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musica · 04/03/2003 16:04

I agree that if he does have a vision problem it is best to get it picked up sooner rather than later.

If you think it may be something like dyslexia, the school may have a SEN tutor who could assess him. Jimjams is spot on about tracking - a common symptom is being unable to follow the words across a page, or finding the line of words 'moving' on the page, or being unable to find the beginning of the next line having reached the end of the previous one. Although you can get tinted lenses, a transparent coloured plastic sheet on top of the paper will work just as well. Other common symptoms can include being unable to multi-task as well as you would expect - one of the tests for dyslexia is to stand the child on a low narrow bench, and ask them to do increasing numbers of tasks, and after a certain number they wobble off the bench. Sounds unscientific, but it is a good guide!

Having said all that, I wouldn't worry at age 3 - it is very young to be worried about letters/numbers.

Jimjams · 04/03/2003 18:30

It depends on what they would do for the 149 - and whether they;re looking for the right stuff- For some of these dyslexia type vision problems (bleaching etc) you won't get the right sort of tests from an optometrist- you may need to see someone specialising in Irlen lenses/dyslexia/developmental problems etc. I would do the basic test to rule out any problems and then take it from there. if you decide to take it further then I can give you some tips on where to look for help.

robinw · 04/03/2003 18:43

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anais · 04/03/2003 20:12

I agree with everyone who's said that if there is a problem then the sooner it's picked up, the better. My advice would just be to go and get his eyes tested. Surely knowing one way or the other is better than wondering and worrying.

Best wishes

Jimjams · 05/03/2003 09:02

robin- eye dominance is a developmental problem- it's a problem with sensory integration rather than the eye itself. He has all sorts of "dominance" problems eg hasn't settled on left or right hand etc etc This is why optometrists etc don't really pick up on these sorts of things- you need to see a developmental or sensory integration sepcialist- OT's can be good (if you can find one- I never have- average waiting list for paediatrixc OT is 2 years +)

lou33 · 05/03/2003 09:50

Argh Jim jams don't say that! We just received a letter saying we are on a list waiting for ot!

Jimjams · 05/03/2003 10:40

i've collected a few of those lou Actually I have yet to meet someone who's actually seen an OT (without going private). Let me know if you get an appointment!!! My friend - who's daughter has some quite bad mobility problems - has waited 3 years. She has been told she will now get an appointment but that's partly because she had words with the head of to and partly because her daughter's condition is now seen as being degenerative.

lisalisa · 05/03/2003 11:04

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Jimjams · 05/03/2003 11:42

lisalisa- after reading your post this morning I agree totally with you. The nursery teacher sounds mad. Maybe he'd prefer to look at pictures rather than letters!!! aggh this obsesson with reading in this country just drives me to distraction agghhhhh.

lou33 · 07/03/2003 15:02

Jimjams, have to tell you that while at phsyiotherapy with ds today we met our future ot! I asked her with trepidation when we would be likely to see her (after your story about a friend waiting so long) to be told within about 2 months! And she is going to combine her appointment with pt so we don't have 2 trips. Yipee

SoupDragon · 07/03/2003 15:41

Lisalisa, if he needs to hold giant letter cards close to his face to read them due to "short sightedness" you would have noticed him bumping into things and sitting with his nose to the TV screen by now!!

Jimjams · 07/03/2003 16:26

glad to hear it lou- you seem quite well off for services in your area. Mind you I suspect that some of it comes down to diagnosis. I have heard it said that a change in diagnosis form say autism to fragile X will provide many more services (with no change in actual needs). Mind you I would say that with a dx of cp- OT was an absolute necessity so pleased you won't be languishing on a a waiting list!

lou33 · 07/03/2003 18:30

Not as glad as me Jimjams, you had me worried for a minute! I still can't believe the speed we get everything here after coming from an area where we got nothing at all. It's all sinking in still. I just wish it was as good for others.

MABS · 08/03/2003 18:53

Great Lou, let me know what they do - we've been told we'll be 'lucky' if we see at OT in 6 to 8 months....

judetheobscure · 08/03/2003 19:40

lisalisa - have you told the nursery that your ds doesn't want to go to nursery because of the letter learning. He's much too young to be expected to learn them if he doesn't want to, and the nursery's approach is going to put him off reading, perhaps for life, even if it does turn out he needs some help with his vision. Can you tell them (difficult I know) to back off with the letters until he's ready for them?

lisalisa · 10/03/2003 10:58

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Jimjams · 10/03/2003 14:16

mabs - we've been 8 months on the OT list and still waiting......

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