Discovery of Eye Therapy & Vision Information Processing

It's hard for me to find a starting point when talking about eye therapy and Vision Information Processing.  I usually begin way back when my son, CJ, was a tiny tyke.  But I promise I won't talk about every little adorable thing he did along his 12 year life journey so far - although it's all really cute!

Do you ever doubt yourself?  Or think you're making something small into a bigger thing than it needs to be?  Well, I had moments of this, but mostly I just knew.  I knew something wasn't clicking, something wasn't quite working properly but I couldn't explain it.  Even from Kindergarten, even though all of his teachers swore there was no problem because he was so sweet (well, they were right...he's perfectly sweet).  I wrote out the following in hopes that I could find someone who would read it and offer the perfect solution.  But it just wasn't coming.

The following was written out of frustration and desperation for help from somewhere, anywhere:

My oldest son, now 12 in grade 6, was born premature and I was told he would be behind his peers up until around age 8 or so.  I firmly believe that his beginning in the world played a part in his educational delay, but that there is something else at play as well.  As the years have progressed, I noticed his low motivation level and lack of enthusiasm and what appears to be laziness in every area of life have remained the same.  When going from a private school to deciding to homeschool beginning in 3^rd grade, I figured that was the answer and that I could motivate him to do his studies because I know him best.  While I believe I’ve helped him in more ways than the school ever could have, I still struggle daily with his motivation.  He is not a bad child in any sense of the word.  As a matter of fact, most people will tell me what a joy it is to talk with him.  When it comes to doing the work that requires a paper and pencil, his mind seems to wander and he could sit in the same seat all day long, happy as a lark, just day dreaming or staring off into nothing.  If you remind him to do his work, he will…for a minute or two.  Then he’ll be back to staring off.  It’s constant nagging, it feels, on my part, for him to finish his schoolwork.  I have got to the point where I let him know I am available as a teacher on-duty until 2pm (we start at 9am typically), and after that point, I will not be sitting with him.  If he has a question, he can ask, but I will not harp on him all day as I only have so much patience I can offer – and many other tasks to get done, not to mention two other younger brothers of his to school also.  And yes, he can finish his work in that amount of time easily.  After 2pm, I’m off duty, and any activities that happen after that he cannot participate in until his schoolwork is finished.  That never seems to be motivation enough.  If I allow him to have a break during the day (such as jumping on the trampoline, riding a bike, or getting up and away from his schoolwork), I pretty much lose his attention the rest of the day. 

Many days he is still working on school up until bed time.  I’ve had friends tell me he’s just being lazy and we need to punish him.  We’ve tried punishments (such as losing activities), which I guess I would consider more consequences than punishments.  We’ve tried taking things away but he doesn’t care.  He could play with the fuzz on the carpet and turn it into one army of carpet fuzz against another…which shows his creativity when he wants to!  He does like the hands-on learning style, however, in 6^th grade, it is almost impossible to do math or English or reading as hands-on, although he will listen to audio books just fine.  I can do hands-on to a point, but there does come a time when you just have to write something down or read it.  Our history and science lessons are all hands on and very little book work.  Writing was with a coop together once a week with homework to bring back the following week but we ended it because he just couldn’t keep up with the pace, even though it was under grade level.  We’ve tried rewards where if he gets his work done by a certain time of day (far more than it should take), he gets to go on a date with mom or dad – his choice.  Every reward system we put in place will work for a week or two and then it loses steam and we’re back to the same un-motivation.  I say “almost work” because he will get close to being done, but never quite finish it.

Let me explain a typical day and his personality.  He is the sweetest child, can talk with anyone young or old, loves others and little children, and loves God.  Most people would never think there is a “problem” with him just from meeting him and knowing him.  His talking is slow, deliberate, at times uncomfortable with awkward pauses, and at times he will repeat the first few words of the sentence he just said over one or two times, before finishing the thought.  Almost like he is thinking through what he’s going to say, but he has a hard time getting it out.  He has never seemed to have one passion/hobby/love.  He dabbles in many things but has never stuck to one thing.  He understands what he’s learning even though he says it’s hard, he CAN do his schoolwork quickly when he wants to (if I threaten to have him skip out of an activity because he’s not done), he’s careless when it comes to specifics (for example, in math, the answers WOULD be correct if he would line his numbers up correctly – which he does know how to do just doesn’t), and works slowly on any project given in schoolwork/chores/fun activities.  He has one speed and it’s slow.  The only time I’ve seen him work fast is when he was going to lose a beloved activity (usually a sleepover that had been planned, or activity with his friends).  He will go into a panic mode to get it done and then it’s done sloppy with many mistakes.  He does play with his two younger brothers well, with their toys, and with his own toys.  He likes legos, action figures, trading cards, going to P.E. with other homeschoolers, listening to music, and talking with and being around people.  My words doing school time are typically along the lines of, “You need to concentrate on your work,” “Focus on what you’re doing,” “Great job with those two problems you have done.  You did them right!  Let’s keep moving now...” “Where are you at on that?” “Have you made any progress?” “What are you thinking about?” “You need to get going!”

I’ve read online about dyslexia and he doesn’t seem to portray the signs for that.  I’ve also researched different maturity delays and disabilities and I can’t say he entirely fits into them.  I hesitate to take him to a doctor as I already know he will most likely be diagnosed with a general disability and medicated. 

Let me tell you what I’ve done/tried, as many of my friends and family have offered solutions that we’ve already tried (for many weeks in a row, not just a few days, just to give them all a fair chance). 

-Limited schoolwork

-Went back grades on schoolwork

-Sat over him to make sure he wasn’t getting distracted

-Earphones with soft music (tried different genres) playing to drown out noise

-Blank, empty space to work distraction free

-Discussions on what is happening with his schoolwork, why he can’t concentrate, etc.

-Visits to the chiropractor for natural help

-Does not play video games except for occasionally

-Set schedule to give him consistency

-Punishments (loss of activities)

-Rewards (date nights with mom or dad as his love language is quality time and words of affirmation)

-Researched and had him tested for different learning disabilities (dyslexia, etc.)

There is an overall lack of motivation, what is perceived to be laziness, and lack of enthusiasm for any one thing – especially schoolwork.

My husband and I took time specifically at the end of one church service a few months back to go to the altar together to pray for our son.  We knew we didn't have the answers, but we know the One who does.  

After signing him up at our local homeschool coop to participate in an English Literature class with fellow middle school and Jr. High-ers, it took all of a month for the teacher to approach me with concerns of her own.  She seemed to understand him, almost like she had seen it before.  She asked me if he behaved certain ways or thought certain ways and my answer was always a resounding YES!  My excitement grew as she started talking about eye therapy, vision information disorders, right brain and left brain, corpus callosum, and a host of other things that made no sense at the time.  But she suggested eye therapy and seemed to think it could be "fixed" within a short time.

She gave me this checkoff chart to see if any of them fit:

(Courtesy of Oregon Optometric Physicians Association: www.oregonoptometry.org)

I checked off so many of those that my heart started to pound faster in amazement that I may have found a solution to our circumstance, and in complete terror that I had checked off so many.

I took it back to her and she just nodded along as I rambled on about how much that pamphlet said about his personality and how I could help him.  And then she gave me a couple of more local places that actually offer eye therapy and help with Vision Information Processing.  Oh yes...I set up appointments right away.

THANK YOU, LORD!  He had heard our prayers, cries, and our heart.  While this journey is going to be long, we have a journey to go on!