Being the rather impatient (and anxious) mother that I am, I signed Nolan up for the free InfantSEE vision screening program at our local optometrist's office. He'll have a visit with a pediatric ophthamologist as a toddler, but the screen is free and has the great potential of letting us relax about his vision.
The actual exam was mostly fun for Nolan- they had him follow a pen light with a toy on top, looked at his eyes through prisms, and did a lot of dancing. The dancing was because he kept pulling his hearing aids out and he couldn't hear the really neat rattling toy in the distance- so the assistant had to dance to get his attention. Hey, whatever works!
We did find out that the only thing Nolan hates more than ear drops are eye drops. No fun with the dilation of his pupils, but it was over quickly and they checked his overall vision.
He does have mild myopia, but no other eye problems at the time. Thank goodness! His right eye is -1.00 diopters and his left eye is -1.50 diopters (no astigmatism). They don't correct for mild myopia in babies (he doesn't need to see the blackboard), so we're good as far as his eyes are concerned. He may need glasses in kindergarten or preschool, though.
When he sees the opthamologist as a toddler they'll do an ERG (electroretinography). I'm not too worried about Usher's Syndrome, though, since his hearing loss doesn't fit the profile. We'll still have him evaluated at the proper time, of course.
I am much relieved to know his eyes look great. Vision was the last "medical" thing we had to check with regard to his hearing loss.
The other good news is that we scheduled his first booth test for May 15. We can finally settle the question of his not responding to us: is it age or a drop in hearing level? I have a feeling it is the former, but it is always good to be sure. Its been six months since his diagnostic ABR, so it is time to verify hearing level.
7 comments:
Great news!
Good idea to have another hearing test...we like to get in the booth at least once every 3-4 months, just to make sure nothing has changed!
It is so amazing to me how well they can check vision on little ones! Toes hasn't had a vision test yet, but will in a few months.
Good luck with the booth test!
Oh, Ethan HATES the eye doctor! So happy to hear that Nolan is seeing well, what a much needed relief. I can totally relate to the anxious mom attribute btw.
And I love that of all the folks on the listen-up group, the most helpful people are the ones that I already "know" from online. Those goals really put me on the right track. Big thanks!!
Having his vision checked definitely made me feel better, since we don't know the cause of his hearing loss. Getting the booth test will make me feel better, too (no matter which way it goes).
Heather, good luck with Ethan's IEP! I can't imagine trying to meld the hearing loss with apraxia to get the right supports approved. We have enough problems with just keeping EI for Nolan's hearing loss!
Hello! I found your blog from Christian's blog. Nice to see another mom doing all she can to help her child hear! I look forward to reading more about you!
By the way, the John Tracy clinic was instrumental in guiding my mother how to teach me to "hear" and talk in my early years.
Nolan is such a cutie! Enjoy him while he is little for they grow up too fast!
He is just too darn cute :) I'm glad the vision test went well! And, hopefully he'll enjoy the booth as much as my kids do. They fight over who gets their hearing checked-LOL.
Hello! It's me again! I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you are taking care of Nolan's eyes. I've always said that my eyes were my "ears" for me because they allowed me to see when I couldn't hear. . .especially for lipreading.
By the way, I "tapped" you for a meme. . .don't know if you do them but you can find more information on my blog. I would love to know more about you! I won't be offended if you are not interested! I normally don't do them either. . .
~Laurie in TN
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