Any experience of behavioural optometry for visual perception and processing?

[sattva]

Hello, I'm new to this forum, and hope anyone with experience of behavioural optometry can advise. (Have also posted in SEN but will delete either post depending on traffic.)

Youngest DC has been assessed as being on the extreme opposite ends of the Wechsler scale for verbal vs. visual abilities. It is a hidden 'dyslexia' and 'dyscalculia' that only emerges for information presented in written form - hence a major issue at school. Comprehension is outstanding across the board for verbal learning, including mathematical concepts. The areas of extreme and specific difficulty are visual perception and visual processing speed; and 'compensated' for to date (11 and starting at a new school in September) by extreme ability in verbal comprehension and working memory, resulting in a relatively depressed average 70% centile. Concentration and social interaction, with peers and adults, are also outstanding.

Much abusive commentary has occurred at school over seven years about laziness and clumsiness, from HT to TAs, although much kindness has also been shown by a few staff too. We don't want the ill-meaning comments to continue at this level, although we accept that some people will not be able to restrain themselves. We have completely no expectations of support from school. Although the new school has an outstanding reputation (as did the previous one), in our experience any 'outlier' is a nuisance and other children have always had priority because DC is exceptionally resilient and socially mature, never complains or displays depression, and has made many close friends including a few devoted staff. We realize how fortunate we are.

We have had a summer of touch typing and a laptop is ready for September. Our previous concern about 'dyspraxia' was not confirmed, but the lifelong ability frequently to fall over from standing, and 'thump' walking, remains. Hence our interest in behavioural optometry.

I'm hoping someone who knows about the impact of behavioural optometry on visual perception and processing will share their experience. Please feel free to PM me if that's easier.

Many thanks in advance.

I've pm'd you

Hi Sattva and welcome. You've come to the right place :)

I've done vision therapy, retained reflex therapy and auditory integration training on 2 of my kids, and can recommend all of them.

What I can't tell you is what order to do them in :) Whereabouts in the country do you live?

For my 2 AIT was the key that had to happen first.

All kids with visual perception problems also have retained reflexes. So you need to do retained reflex therapy.

But this is where it gets complicated. There is huge overlap between vision therapy and retained reflex therapy. RRT includes a few vision exercises - and VT includes a few RR exercises.....

I think RRT was far more effective than VT. But really I suggest doing both :(

RRT takes 12 - 18 months. Whereas VT only takes about 2 months. So there is some merit in starting with VT and then moving on to RRT........

PM me for more info......

Thanks ProfOffG and Indigo for helping, have PM'd now. I'm sure that like so many other parents, we've staggered from one lifebuoy to another, in the hope it'll be the one that does the job.

sattva

There are three cognitive subtypes of developmental dyslexia: auditory, visual and attentional. So an auditory processing disorder, a visual processing disorder, an attention disorder can cause the dyslexic symptom.

I have a PubMed Online Visual Processing collection of research papers, which includes many Free Full Text papers, which may help explain the full range of potential issues.

And you might find my PubMed Dyslexia and Dyscalculia research paper collections provide some useful information as well

Thanks for the links, dolfrog. It's helpful to know what there is. I was scanning them for everyday solutions. Has anyone found that PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) make a lasting difference?

Hello,

Just wondered if anyone can let me know if moorfields do any tests regards visual perception
thanks