checking eyesight

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/2000 10:24:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,

lleshin@... writes:

> I've become interested in the various methods that ophthalmologists use to

> check the vision of infants and toddlers with DS. Please let me know your

> stories.

>

> Len

>

>

They use the E and ask which way it is pointing. Or they use pictures and

ask what they are. They also look into the eye (after drops of atropine I

think) and check the eyes. I have the business card of the optholmologist at

the Weimer Eye Clinic at s Hopkins if you want to give her a call. She

sees the children from the DS clinic at KKI. Her name is Irene M???????????.

Good doctor but filthy toys in the waiting room. I don't want to take

back there because of that.

[Guest guest]

I've become interested in the various methods that ophthalmologists use to

check the vision of infants and toddlers with DS. Please let me know your

stories.

Len

[Guest guest]

has always seen optometrists through the Army system. We have a

civilian optometrist here though and he can answer all her questions now.

They used to use pictures of all sizes and the machines and even now, they

make his prescription too strong. He is farsighted (as I am, but I can see

near as well) and has coke bottle glasses.

Elaine

checking eyesight

> I've become interested in the various methods that ophthalmologists use to

> check the vision of infants and toddlers with DS. Please let me know your

> stories.

>

> Len

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/00 3:07:42 AM Pacific Standard Time,

egroups writes:

> They use the E and ask which way it is pointing. Or they use pictures and

> ask what they are.

,

For babies and toddlers with DS? Kellen is 9 and I don't even feel that

those methods would work for him. Those are for screening only and not for

babies and toddlers.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/2000 11:40:12 AM Eastern Standard Time,

reimeroo@... writes:

<< ,

For babies and toddlers with DS? Kellen is 9 and I don't even feel that

those methods would work for him. Those are for screening only and not for

babies and toddlers.

Jodi

>>

No, this can't be used for babies and toddlers. The pictures that were

presented were not familiar to and he missed alot. He also has been

seen by an optometrist locally along with the optholmologist at Weimers Eye

Clinic. The optometrist said he has astygmatism but opted not to put glasses

on him. I'm sure there are other things the optholmogist did, I just can't

remember them.

[Guest guest]

Alyssa was having her eyes tested at about 8 months old. She did have the

eye drops, then I remember them using a pen flashlight with a charater on the

top then flashing the light, and making lots of funny noises to keep her

attention. As she got bigger, the Dr. had boxes on the far wall with

mechanical animals that he controlled. He would light the lite in one of the

boxes and the animal would bark or growl or make a noise and move. Sue &

Alyssa

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/00 9:24:54 PM Central Standard Time,

lleshin@... writes:

> I've become interested in the various methods that ophthalmologists use to

> check the vision of infants and toddlers with DS. Please let me know your

> stories.

>

> Len

Hi Len

Sara gets her eyes checked with this machine. He will ask his assistant for

various glass looking objects that he holds in front of Sara's face. They

dilate Sara's eyes sometimes. Heehee boy I was a lot of help wasn't I lololol

Most kids with disabilities here use this Dr. He's very patient and

compassionate but talks way over my head.

Kathy mom to Sara 8...........he also drives a little convertible, must be a

fun guy lol

[Guest guest]

Kenzie (5DS) has her eyes checked in ville at the Nemoirs clinic. The

doctors there are geat.They walk in front of her and spray her face very

quickly with the dilating drops..then after her eyes are dilated..she looks

into this machine and he " reads her eyes " she doesn't have to say anything

and she loves her glasses!!

karen

[Guest guest]

I need to clarify:

What I'm looking for is how ophthalmologists are determining how nonverbal

children with DS need glasses and what strength. There appear to be

several methods, and I'm interested in what methods parents here have seen.

Len

[Guest guest]

Len

when had her eyes tested she was not yet 4 months. The doctor

put the drops in her eyes to dilate them. Then used different lenses to look

at her eyes. He used something that looked like a magnifyer also.

He was able to tell us her eyes were perfect but when she is an adult

she will be nearsighted

Maureen

[Guest guest]

my daughter kaitlyn (7) ds is near-sighted.. they tested her partly with

pictures at various distances away from her.. but mainly she was tested with

a computerized method. (sorry I do not know the exact name).. But basically

she sat in the chair and red lights scanned her eyes.. and thus determined

her prescription.. I did go to a pediatric ophthalmologist near Pittsburgh,

PA.. They seemed quite comfortable with my daughter and her young age.. (she

was 4 when she received her first pair of glasses).. Good Luck!

Tracey,

Mom to kaitlyn (7), diana (13)

Re: Re:checking eyesight

> I need to clarify:

>

> What I'm looking for is how ophthalmologists are determining how nonverbal

> children with DS need glasses and what strength. There appear to be

> several methods, and I'm interested in what methods parents here have

seen.

>

> Len

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/2000 6:03:05 PM Eastern Standard Time,

blat@... writes:

<< The letter included a form that I was to have a doctor sign and return to

the school. (Makes me wonder if the school system likes to keep " evidence "

on file just in case they ever want to prove child neglect!)

Who to believe?? It seems likely to me that Danny just didn't understand

the tester's directions--most of them are parent volunteers. >>

Must be a Virginia thing. I just write back that he is under so and so's

care and when the next exam will be. Takes care of that. They don't use

that for CPS purposes, at least that never was called to my attention on any

neglect cases. I think it's more for CYA for the schools since they are to

screen children. We once got 's eyes rechecked after one of those

notices...of course the doctor was the qualified expert and not whomever was

at the school His eyes are fine.

Bev, how is your daughter at Virginia Tech? is now in love with a

cadet. Some of his discipline is rubbing off on her. I've seen a major

change in her this year. It's wonderful having an adult daughter come home

for the holidays

[Guest guest]

Well, this topic is fresh in our minds these days, since we've been seeing

alot of the eye doctor since September. Nicky is scheduled for his second

eye surgery the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The first one was two years

ago.

Nick has been seeing the same pediatric ophthalmologist since he was 8 mos.

old. He's used a variety of methods. From what I've observed: eye

drops in the eyes, then looking into the eyes with a little scope (?) -

looks like one of those things jewelers use to look at gems; a pen lite

thing to look in the eye, prisms (our older son's eye doctor also used

those when 'he' was examined leading to surgery). The doctor also uses a

computerized machine, but I think that has been only in the last few years,

not when he was an infant or toddler.

Before the doctor comes in, an assistant does a regular type eye exam,

using either letters or images projected onto a screen on the back wall.

Nick does better with the images, which are rather stylized black and white

pictures of a hand, bird, cake, horse, car. He knows his letters fine, but

is not always consistent in correctly identifying them during the exam, and

guesses if he is having trouble seeing them. I don't think we'd get accurate

results with just this method of exam.

Nick loves going to the eye doctor. Even after the last surgery.

a

Mom of 3,

including Nicky, 9 years old, DS, Hirschsprungs Disease

Grandma of Zoe, 3 years, and Christian, 14 months

http://www.geocities.com/eureka/7926/nicky.html

work: http://www.cumberlink.com

checking eyesight

> I've become interested in the various methods that ophthalmologists use to

> check the vision of infants and toddlers with DS. Please let me know your

> stories.

>

> Len

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kali has been having eye exams since just a few months old. When she was

totally non verbal, the ophthalmologist at Riley Children's Hospital saw her.

He would use a combination of eye drops, prisms, varying degrees of lenses to

view the eyes....and of course ophthalmoscope. He would dangle bright

objects at varying distances to see Kali's tracking & check for equal

bilateral eye movement, nystagmus & other neuro & muscle problems.

As Kali understood more & was able to comply, she was able to point in the

direction of the points of the ever popular " E " .

We have progressed alot since those days :-) Thank goodness.

Hope this is what you're looking for Len.

~Sandy O

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/00 7:14:39 PM Central Standard Time, Gwhiz@...

writes:

> Kali has been having eye exams since just a few months old. When she was

> totally non verbal, the ophthalmologist at Riley Children's Hospital saw

her.

>

> He would use a combination of eye drops, prisms, varying degrees of lenses

> to

> view the eyes....and of course ophthalmoscope. He would dangle bright

> objects at varying distances to see Kali's tracking & check for equal

> bilateral eye movement, nystagmus & other neuro & muscle problems.

> As Kali understood more & was able to comply, she was able to point in the

> direction of the points of the ever popular " E " .

> We have progressed alot since those days :-) Thank goodness.

> Hope this is what you're looking for Len.

>

> ~Sandy O

Ewwwwwwwww a nurse and her terminology lololol how silly we must all sound

Sandy lolol

Kathy mom to Sara 8

[Guest guest]

Len,

Karrie has seen the same ophthalmologist since she was 8 days old. He

came to see her in the neonatal unit, 5 days after her heart surgery. We

still see the same doctor. I feel that he is the most knowledgahle about

Karrie's eyes, since he follows her every 6 months.

He always has the nurse dilate Karrie's eyes. Then, he looks into her

eyes with this kind of computerized eye thingy. (Pretty scientific, huh?

Sorry I don't know the name).

This summer, he determined that Karrie was becoming too far-sighted. Her

right eye was also beginning to drift inwards. So, she now has glasses,

too. And she is finally getting used to them!!

Sue mom to Kate 11 and Karrie 4 w/ds

[Guest guest]

Danny has been seeing an opthamologist since he was a little over a year

old and has had glasses for FARsightedness since he was two. (He's nine

now.) He was last checked in March of this year, and the doctor said that

his eyes hadn't changed in a couple of years.

The methods used by the doctor are drops for dilitation, examining

through some sort of scope, tracking toys, identifying projected pictures

and letters, trying different lenses.

Imagine my surprise this week when I received a letter from the school

stating that they had checked his eyes and found him to be NEARsighted!

The letter included a form that I was to have a doctor sign and return to

the school. (Makes me wonder if the school system likes to keep " evidence "

on file just in case they ever want to prove child neglect!)

Who to believe?? It seems likely to me that Danny just didn't understand

the tester's directions--most of them are parent volunteers. Or maybe he

didn't feel like going to the trouble of deciding which letters he was

seeing and, therefore, deliberately gave wrong answers. My decision was to

call the school and tell them that I doubted that such a dramatic change

could take place in his vision in such a short period of time, so he will

get his check-up at the regular time, next March, when the insurance will

cover it.

(Len, please correct me if you think I've come to the wrong conclusion.

I'd hate to find out six months from now that his vision changed because of

a brain tumor!)

Bev

[Guest guest]

At 06:08 PM 11/18/2000 -0500, Bev Latalladi wrote:

> (Len, please correct me if you think I've come to the wrong conclusion.

>I'd hate to find out six months from now that his vision changed because of

>a brain tumor!)

No, I think you're right.

Len

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/00 11:04:42 AM Central Standard Time,

lleshin@... writes:

<<

What I'm looking for is how ophthalmologists are determining how nonverbal

children with DS need glasses and what strength. There appear to be

several methods, and I'm interested in what methods parents here have seen.

>>

Liam's doctor puts drops in his eyes and waits 40 minutes or so (which feels

like 40 hours when we wait in the waiting room). He then puts lens in front

of his eyes and watches his pupils respond. Now I'm a little nervous from

the discussion on the other list that these drops may contain atropine. Liam

is farsighted (like me) only much more so.

The doctor has a huge practice, exclusively pediatric. My peditrician takes

her so to him. I know he sees a lot of kids with DS.

Kathy, Liam's mom (2 1/2)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/2000 8:47:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, B4alltoday

writes:

<< Ewwwwwwwww a nurse and her terminology lololol how silly we must all sound

>>

OMG! Sorry Kathy.....I wasn't trying to sound.....well, you know. I thought

that I was speaking English....of course, I was answering Len. I even left

out the word mydriatic ( the drug that dilates the pupil ) so I wouldn't

appear too medical.

Just trying to be me,

~San :-/

[Guest guest]

's opthamalogist has always used a method where he shines lights

through different lens held up to 's eyes. I am sure there is a name

for it, but I just don't know it. When I told my dad this, he was ready to

sign up...no more " Better, worse? Better, worse? " !

R.

Mom to (6, ds) and Grace (3)