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Original poster

Glasses

33 replies

FanjoForTheMincePies · 29/12/2010 13:00

Found out today that DD has to have glasses as she is so long sighted in her left eye (+6!!) that she isn't using it.

If we don't get her using it she could lose the sight in it, so it's an additional worry!

I was wondering, does anyone know how only using one eye would be affecting her general interaction, perception etc? I am just hopeful that IF she will wear the glasses we might see general improvement.

Also, has anyone had to get a child with ASD or similar used to wearing glasses? I feel she will just rip them off her face. Sad

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IndigoBell · 29/12/2010 13:03

Fairly sure if she's only using 1 eye she won't have 3d vision - so if you're lucky she'll be slightly less clumsy when wearing her glasses.

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 29/12/2010 13:04

oh i hope so, she falls over a LOT!!

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intothewest · 29/12/2010 13:08

yes,Indigo's right about the 3 d thing - dd may surprise you;my ds doesn't wear glasses,but loves them and is always trying to take reading glasses etc so he can wear them - good luck

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 29/12/2010 13:10

Thanks!

Just been told they might take 3 weeks to come into stock, am fed up as was hoping to start her on them ASAP and well before the start of term!

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silverfrog · 29/12/2010 13:16

no first hand help here, but my step brother has to wear glasses (ASD type issues, but not full dx).
But he had to wear his glasses from tiny - 9 months or so I htink, so had to get used to them very small.

But he did get used to them very quickly, aside from the usual pulling off for fun/effect.

You may find that it makes life so much easier for your dd that she may want to wear them - will certainly open up a whole new perspective for her.

does she have many sensory issues that make you think it will be an issue?

dd1 has certainly surprised me a lot when we have needed her to do somehting we expect she will hate, and she has tolerated things like sunglasses when the sun was really bothering her, etc, as the payoff of less glare was worth the irritation of the glasses, iyswim?

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 29/12/2010 13:50

no, fortunately she has few sensory issues, is hyposensitive if anything!

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hermitmum · 29/12/2010 14:15

my asd son needs glasses but just keeps breaking them cause he dont want to wear them. i'm sure the opticians are getting fed up of me asking for them to be mended

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 29/12/2010 16:17

That's what I am worried about :(

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ohmeohmy · 29/12/2010 16:35

my ds worn them since 11 mths. MAde such a difference to his vision (very long sighted >+7) that he always wears them without a problem and gets upset if you take them off for cleaning. We have had many accidents and repairs and replacements. Even had to stop the whole of the Thameslink train line once when he threw them on the track as we got off a train) Opticians tend to be understanding when it's a kid.

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 29/12/2010 19:26

Took her to try frames tonight and she just screamed and got upset, I think we have a battle on our hands!

As if we don't have enough to deal with with her allergies, eczema and constant ear infections on top of the many appointments and trying to understand her speech!

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meltedmarsbars · 29/12/2010 21:54

Its worth trying out a few opticians - dd2 wore glasses from 6 months (that eye test was amusing!) and when she got discharged from the hospital I went to one of the high street chains to gether special glasses, they looked at them with a long intake of breath and said "that'll cost you!" - so I went to another who said "we haven't done them before but I'm sure we can". Their helpful attitude was very refreshing!

So we have been with the second firm for 7 years now, they regularly repair dd2's glasses for free, and are very accommodating.

Also, I found it best to put the glasses on as we went out the door - the distraction of leaving the house means she forgets to tear them off quite so quickly.

Smile
intothewest · 29/12/2010 22:35

I told my dh about this thread and he said 'they should make sure they get 3 pairs of the same glasses'I think the point was one to wear,one to mend and one emergency pair(just thinking about our ds when his 'play' glasses broke on xmas day)........

mariagoretti · 29/12/2010 23:05

Can the optician lend / give you an old or cheap frame (plain glass or none) for play purposes? Help to get her used to them?

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 31/12/2010 20:48

Got the glasses today (160 mile round trip to Inverness, we are staying with ILs) she will keep them on for a few seconds only but isn't upset by them, they look great too. They are very strong so hoping for good general benefits from them!

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Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 31/12/2010 20:49

We got two pairs. The staff in the Inverness opticians were much nicer than the Edinburgh ones. Might have to come up here next time too!

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Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 01/01/2011 09:41

She put them on herself today and was drawing, but only for a few second. Am just bringing them out regularly and trying to make wearing them a fun game, also telling her they will help her see better.

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Showdown · 01/01/2011 09:49

Fanjo - she really needs to wear them all the time. She may not like it, but it's not an option to not wear them. Getting a lazy eye (one which loses sight) is something that will affect her for the rest of her life. It's one of those 'be cruel to be kind' scenarios where you just can't give in to her not wanting to wear them.

Have you been told to patch the 'good' eye at all? Not saying you should, but have the discussion with your doc.

My 11mo DS has been in glasses since 7mo.

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 01/01/2011 09:54

I know she needs to wear them, believe me. I am trying to break her into them gently though as if she starts hating them it will become a huge battle.

They haven't mentioned patching yet, only had first appt on Wed, I assume they are trying the glasses first, she is reviewed in 3 months.

Have ordered a strap to keep them on too.

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Anna85 · 01/01/2011 10:38

My DS wears glasses and has done since he was 3 (now 5 and has ASD).

I always thought that he wouldn't wear them and rip them off but I was surprised and didn't mind them at all!!! The only trouble I have with them is they seem to fall done all the time as the bridge of his nose isn't that big! x

r3dh3d · 01/01/2011 11:30

DD1 was an absolute nightmare with her glasses. Different disorders but also lazy eye risk so same sense of fear/urgency! Tips fwiw:

  • associate glasses with rewarding activity. For DD1 it was eating, and for months we were droning "glasses, food; no glasses, no food" and every time she ripped them off we'd take her food away. Once she ate with them on, we moved onto bath time, TV time etc.
  • enlist school. Actually we'd got them on board with patching long before so it was just swapping patches for glasses, and with patches I had to give them the quite firm "your child will go blind if you don't forcibly restrain them from removing the patch" type literature from GOSH before they would use as much force coercion as we did at home. You could get your GP to write a similarly strong letter.
  • enlist transport. Someone was already being paid to sit 1:1 with DD1 for an hour a day so we tasked them with repeatedly replacing the glasses every time they came off - every 5 seconds if necessary.
  • get 2 pairs, ideally 3. If they come off frequently, they get broken frequently. DD1's glasses usually get broken at school because she chucks them slyly on the floor and one of the TAs steps on them. But she has also thrown them into dense shrubbery and (with either fabulous aim or incredible luck) under the wheels of her buggy.
  • clean them constantly, and get school to clean them constantly, and moan when they come home dirty. No funny wipes needed, run under the cold tap for a few seconds is fine so no excuses. They will only be accepted if they make vision better not worse and for that you need to be able to see the world around you, not your lunch.
r3dh3d · 01/01/2011 13:50

Just remembered - when the consultant told us DD1 would have to have glasses, I asked him if they made a sort of velcro-balaclava device with the lenses in because that was the only way I could imagine the thing staying on.

He thought I was joking. Hmm

It was a struggle. But she chucks them off no more than 2 or 3 times a day now, and usually only when bored or when I can't get at her to stop her eating them (eg at speed in the outside lane of the M40)

LollipopViolet · 01/01/2011 14:23

Fanjo, do you wear glasses? Or can you get some with fake lenses in? Maybe seeing you wearing them might help?

FWIW, I only look out of one eye at a time apparently. I can't do those "magic eye" things where you stare at a picture, and I do a great line in tripping over thin air, but other than that it's more the short sightedness and lack of peripheral vision that is a problem. If you can get a sports strap that fastens securely to the head it'll help (if your dd will tolerate it of course).

But agree, get her wearing them full time and hopefully you'll see some benefits sooner rather than later :)

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 01/01/2011 16:51

I do wear glasses, I am very short sighted.

She is just throwing them off. Have ordered a strap and will also use kirbigrips. She doesn't mind having them put on, but obviously things look different with them on and she doesn't like it and takes them off.

Have tried 100 times today. She is very determined!

HAve noticed now how much her eyesight affects her depth perception etc, so I want to crack this!

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Showdown · 01/01/2011 20:17

Good luck - it must be very frustrating if she doesn't want to wear them! She'll give in eventually. Perhaps it's easier when they start wearing them when they're really young & they're more accepting. DS rips them off in the car pretty regularly...they go straight back on when we stop!

How about bribery? Is there anything she'd love to have which would work as a good incentive?

Original poster
FanjoForTheMincePies · 01/01/2011 20:29

She loves chocolate but we are trying to cut down foe the sake of her teeth!

I hope she will give in, she is extremely stubborn and set in her ways!

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