Sports Vision

When my son was in 4th grade he started having trouble computing Math addition/ subtraction Problems that were stacked 3 - 4 high. He did not have the ability to visually hold the numbers in place & have his mind compute the problem.  Went for eye testing. There are 17 complex process's  the eyes & brain work together to take information from the environment , analyze it, and have output.  People use Dyslexia for a trash can word that encompasses all 17. Son was found to be deficient in 7 of the 17.

For example, one process is called Automoticity: the ability to see a sign/signal/number, process the info and have output.  Academically, think of flashcards.  Athletically, think 3rd base coach giving a sign to the hitter.  Another process is called Binocular Fusion:  the ability  for both eyes to see an image and relay it to the back of the retina and give the brain a single image.  Academically, reading from a textbook, Athletically, the high pop fly in center field falling fast !  Another process is called Binocularity: where it takes binocular fusion and adds the depth perception component.  Academically, reading the blackboard from the back row, Athletically, watching the fastball approach @ 83- 90mph, timing it & taking a swing.

Son spent 18 months doing vision therapy exercises & homework 15-20 minutes per night @ home & spending one 90 minute session per week in a session with Eye Dr.  when he was 10 or 11 years old.  Some exercises included isolating certain muscle groups in arms/legs and making a reverse motion with the opposing muscle from right to left side of the body.  

He went into this purely for the Academics, but the field results were spectacular. In Little League that spring, he was accused of speed pitching, as he threw  with methodical precision & speed. Hey , the batter was in the box ~He should be Ready!  I remember one game when the opposing coach was so frustrated he threw a ball into left field from the dugout just to stop play!

As an aside, my 16 year old passed his Drivers Test for his License, but failed the vision test.  Had to get eye glasses & retest before he was able to drive.  All kids should have a complete vision test once they pass puberty (13-16yrs old) and again before they head off to college!

Do you mind if I ask about the vision therapy?  We were referred to a doctor who quoted us over $300 JUST for testing and then the therapy would be around $8K.  No insurance covers it.  My son isn't blind.  He has 20/25 vision.  Also, we aren't wealthy; there's no way we could afford something like that.  Are there less expensive yet still effective therapies available? 

Many college baseball programs do vision training. I never thought of paying for it beforehand.

You will have to look into it but juggling may help.A number of years ago I went to a high school juggling event at our library.(not our HS) after The teacher had her presentation and the show the kids put on I was fastenated.I talked to the teacher for 15*20 minutes during refreshments afterword. She had been running the program for a number of years. Lots of facts and figures by using program of sorts. The resutls she was looking for with the kids was reading.Words per minute.Of course halfway thru listening to her talk I'm thinking eye/hand approach with hitting.The lady/program was from Illinois.

Dialedin -  I just sent you a PM. 

dialedin posted:

Do you mind if I ask about the vision therapy?  We were referred to a doctor who quoted us over $300 JUST for testing and then the therapy would be around $8K.  No insurance covers it.  My son isn't blind.  He has 20/25 vision.  Also, we aren't wealthy; there's no way we could afford something like that.  Are there less expensive yet still effective therapies available? 

You gotta be careful with vision therapy.   It can be a huge rip-off.  My son had something called convergence insufficiency when he was in kindergarten and 1st grade.   Couldn't make his two eyes converge on a target unless it was moving.  Made it really hard to learn to read.   

We first went to someone who specialized in vision therapy -- an optometrist, I think.   It was going to cost an arm and a leg.  Like 5- 7k.  We went to an ophthalmologist  for a second opinion.   She told us it was a waste of money.   She gave our son a home computer program that he used to help train his eyes to focus.  It cost hardly anything.  

So buyer beware.