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.
