 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / Vision / December 20045 year old with Convergence Insufficiency
I'm the mom of a very smart 5 year old son. My son began Kindergarten this year and I was shocked to learn he is failing reading, writing and math. In other words: everything. I took him to a pediatric neuro-opthamologist who diagnosed convergence insufficiency. This means that although my son has 20/20 vision he is unable to focus for close up work. You know. . things like reading, writing and math! I want to go to the school district and request an IEP or 504 under the American's with Disabilities Act. My son obviously needs special attention to ensure he learns. But I have no idea how to go about this. Also, our doctor told us to do "pencil push-ups" 10 reps once a day. We're trying to do this, but isn't there something else we can do at the same time? The doctor wants to see my son again in 2 months. He also wants my son tested for ADHD. Any suggestions on additional exercises or how to deal with the school district would be very gratefully appreciated. Thank you. > I'm the mom of a very smart 5 year old son. > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Any suggestions on additional exercises or how to deal with the school > district would be very gratefully appreciated. Thank you. Seems like there must be more to the story than that. Does he have any convergence ability? Is his accommodation intact? What is his AC/A ratio? There are exercises other than pencil pushups, and more interesting to a 5 y/o boy. This would be one case I would recommend taking to a pediatric optometrist or one who prescribes vision therapy. Here's the thing: Even children who are monocular, i.e. have a lazy eye, can succeed in school, which is why the neuro-ophth is probably suggesting additional testing. Happy Thanksgiving. DrG > Also, our doctor told us to do "pencil push-ups" 10 reps once a day. > We're trying to do this, but isn't there something else we can do at the > same time? Pencil push-ups are a "classic" treatment for CI, but probably not the most effective treatment. Other techniques like computer orthoptics and vectogram training are available, more engaging equipment and techniques for presenting independent images to each eye and exercising convergence. These techniques are collectively a part of "VT" for Vision Training or Vision Therapy. The Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial is a NIH-funded pilot study soon to be published in Archives of Ophthalmology. In this study, pencil pushups were compared with a group of four other VT techniques conducted in-office, and with placebo treatment. Pencil pushups were found roughly equivalent to placebo, while the VT battery was shown significantly more effective. Doctors practicing VT are quite a varied bunch. To find a reputable therapist, I'd suggest contacting the Binocular Vision department at the nearest school of optometry for referral to a doctor near you. If you'll tell us where you are, we can point out the closest schools of optometry. In some cases, reading glasses with prism can be helpful. This might be a less-expensive fallback, considering that some insurance plans will not cover orthoptics. > The doctor wants to see my son again in 2 months. He also wants my son > tested for ADHD. Not just ADHD, but other learning difficulties. After two kids with AD, I strongly agree with the IEP approach. -MT, OD > I'm the mom of a very smart 5 year old son. > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Any suggestions on additional exercises or how to deal with the school > district would be very gratefully appreciated. Thank you. An better alternative to pencil pushups: A brock string, which you can buy or just make your self... http://www.indiana.edu/~v755/graphics/grhtml/brock1.htm http://www.eleganteyeoptometrycv.com/brock_string.htm http://www.merrimackvision.com/pr_teaming.html Your son is five years old and he's failing reading, writing and maths?? I didn't know kids could "fail" at this young age! Does his teacher have unrealistic expectations of him?? - he's only 5 after all! One other thing I noticed: in my experience, smart kids with eye or vision problems often may have trouble with reading (and writing, spelling and even behaviour), but are usually good or at least reasonable at maths... if your son is struggling with maths too then maybe there's more to it than just his vision? Just a thought. Ophthalmologists specialise in pathology of the eye - diseases, surgery, etc... I'd suggest taking your son to a behavioural optometrist; they specialise in vision and learning, and especially in "20/20 kids" who are still having problems. See http://www.covd.org/ and http://www.oep.org/ Good luck with it, Dom Yep, he is only 5 -- and in Kindergarten in public school. Thanks to the "no child left behind" legislation the public schools expect kids to leave Kindergarten being able to count to 100, write and read a "simple" book. No kidding. Or they'll hold him back a year. In Kindergarten! Thanks for the info on the brock string. I'll look into it. Is there any program I can buy him? The MD mentioned one with goggles for $200 -- but I've been out of work for 2 years and $200 is a lot to me these days. > Yep, he is only 5 -- and in Kindergarten in public school. Thanks to the > "no child left behind" legislation the public schools expect kids to leave [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > $200 -- but I've been out of work for 2 years and $200 is a lot to me these > days. Wow, the pressure on kids these days. Kindergarten used to be for finger painting and signing songs! I don't think we're doing the kids any favours by pushing them so hard so early, especially the boys. But that's getting OT... It's hard to recommend a program without knowing more details about his eyes (there's a lot more to vision than just "convergence insufficiency"). Rather than rushing out and buying a program, I'd take him to an optometrist who specialises in vision therapy (i.e. a behavioural optometrist) - you may be able to borrow/hire the training equipment, or even use it during visits to the optometrist's office. On the other hand, it may be that the Brock String and pencil push-ups are enough on their own (I doubt it though). Dom > Is there any program I can buy him? The MD mentioned one with goggles for > $200 -- but I've been out of work for 2 years and $200 is a lot to me these > days. There is no need for any program. Just let him play on a swing, or swing him while you hold him with your hands. Then teach him to learn the Pot-Hooks snellen chart, and tes his vision far and near, with the clear mind not to strain him or imposing ends: just let him familiarize with the pot-hooks. Then teach him also to learn to look at the sun, which will be very easy for him to do, for few seconds or more every day. Then let him exercise his memory and imagination, with games like peek-a-boo, and things like that. read the books by Dr. Dates and Emily C. Lierman in particular, with many cases of children with such kind of difficulties cured in few days or weeks without the use of nothing that common sense and faithful practice. Avoid as much as you can any lenses or deceiving instrument like that. For more information please visit http://TheCentralfixation.com >Then teach him also to learn to look at the sun, which will be very >easy for him to do, for few seconds or more every day. Please don't. This is dangerous to the eyes. Rishi is a nut who posts this stuff to anyone who happens along. Ann > >Then teach him also to learn to look at the sun, which will be very > >easy for him to do, for few seconds or more every day. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Ann Perhaps you are an idiot? > One other thing I noticed: in my experience, smart kids with eye or > vision problems often may have trouble with reading (and writing, > spelling and even behaviour), but are usually good or at least > reasonable at maths... That's a generalization of course. I have nystagmus and strabismus and I always did worse at math. I also tend to have a much better sense of hearing, particularly three dimensional location of sounds, that many people with normal eyesight. I also have a good auditory memory- I can remember stuff I hear pretty well. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.