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chicken lady
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| Posted: Oct 02 2006 at 8:52pm | IP Logged
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Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this. My soon to be 9 yr old dd wants so badly to read, I have tried so many different things for her, so now I thought I would try this approach. The poor dear flips numbers, letters, can barley read Bob books after 3 yrs of tutoring, it makes it really hard when she is the one who wants to read. She is becoming aware of other children her age all seem to know how to read. If nothing else please pray for her, and for us to have the wisdom to know how to best help her.
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Sharie
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| Posted: Oct 02 2006 at 9:51pm | IP Logged
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I have used vision therapy in the past with several of my children. My first question is: have you seen a good pediatric optometrist?
VT takes a lot of dedication to do it correctly. Typically you work at the dr. office each week and then have daily homework.
We have had varying results with the children. The last son to use VT "graduated" with flying colors, fixed his converengce/divergence problems but still can't read. He gets high scores during eye exams though!
I know it has helped many, but for my most severe dyslexics it wasn't the answer.
Please feel free to ask questions here or you can PM me.
Blessings,
Sharie
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Ranchwife and mom of 5
Chrysalis
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ladybugs
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| Posted: Oct 03 2006 at 8:15am | IP Logged
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We will pray for your dd!
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Love and God Bless,
Maria P
My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!
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BrendaPeter
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| Posted: Oct 03 2006 at 12:03pm | IP Logged
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Dear Molly,
Is she wearing glasses with prisms in the lenses yet? Our behavioral optometrist fit our son with these & he has improved tremendously!!!!! He also has some vision therapy but it is minimal.
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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ALmom
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| Posted: Oct 03 2006 at 12:59pm | IP Logged
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Molly:
I just saw this. Yes, we have had much experience with vision therapy. We worked with a fellow from the C.O.V.D. who was 3 hours away - but a local vision therapist who coordinated with him. The optometrist had an entire group of vision therapists in his office and sees people throughout the entire SE.
My experience has been very, very positive. We have a dd who was like yours - had begun even saying she was dumb, was frustrated because all her friends were writing in cursive and she couldn't even get her printed letters facing the correct direction. At 9 she was barely sounding out words in CHC Little Stories. A good "school" day for her was any day in which we could work at desk work for 5 minutes max., literally. She seemed coordinated to me - and in the summers I began to think maybe she was finally maturing and ready - only to find that we were nowhere once school began again. (And we were not doing traditional school either (not all the time - we tried it in desperation once and my dd went hiding under the table with blankets all around trying to concentrate. I knew she was trying very hard and we just had to find an answer for her) - I tried everything - backing off and waiting and letting her play, becoming firm and insisting that we concentrate, hands-on Montissori style, playing, phonics, etc, etc. Nothing seemed to help - then we went into vision therapy. Within 2 weeks my dd told me that she thought I had been nuts to say she had a vision problem but she guessed I was right, she was excited that she could run fast (I never thought she couldn't), she became more self-assured (my dad noticed that she would actually stay and talk more). Everyday there seemed to be more that she could do in her own mind. We made the decision to count therapy as school for the duration as we had discovered that she was alternately suppressing her eyes and we figured that until her eyes were ready, trying to read was a waste of time and energy better spent in therapy - more like playing tug-of-war with her eyes. The therapy was exhausting and expensive (we went 2 days per week to the therapist in addition to working daily on our own - we took Sundays off as a day of rest which was very much needed). Being consistent with our exercises, stepping back from academic demands and continuing with therapy until the doctor released us was the key. This child immediately jumped 3 grade levels in reading, writing and spelling - immediately at the completion of vision therapy without any teaching/schooling. She is my best reader, writer and loves independent learning.
I have also done vision therapy with 5 of my 6 children. All have made improvements - the youger ones it is hard to tell how dramatic because we found the problem before beginning school with them and just waited. We are still working with one son - having to do home therapy ourselves because our local therapist does not have a local optometrist to work with and so cannot practice. It is much harder on your own - progress is tons slower and more frustrating - you don't catch underlaying problems as quickly, etc. A therapist is worth the money, imo - but if this is completely unavailable then you can make progress dedicated on your own, working with a good developmental optometrist. There is a web site - parents active for vision (pavevision.org). They tend to claim the problem is all developmental - ie premature birth, too much TV, not enough outside time, etc. None of these were a factor with our children - we suspect heredity played a part as amblyopia runs in our families. The information on some of the signs of vision problems, where and how to find a doctor, etc. are all very good. It took us 2 years to find a good diagnosis - many optometrists, MDs, etc. so don't give up just pray and listen to your heart and keep looking till you know you have your answer. We will be praying for you (St. Lucy pray for us!).
Janet
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4Real Forums : Special Blessings
Topic: Eye Vision Therapy
