Vision Therapy Evaluation #2

I don't think I ever took the time to write about Lamb 2's first evaluation with the doctor at the beginning of March. Perhaps some time I can go back and do that.
Yesterday Lamb 2 had his second evaluation. He goes to vision therapy twice a week. One time is one on one with a vision therapist. One time is on the computer with a therapist supervising. Every 2 months of therapy the Dr. evaluates his progress.
The first evaluation I wrote up 3 pages of documentation for the Dr. This seemed normal to me after teaching in the classroom; I was asked some times to document students for their doctors or therapists. The Dr. said he had never had a parent do that before. This evaluation I didn't plan to write anything up but my M-I-L suggested that I did so everything was discussed with the Dr. instead of wishing I said something after the appointment. This time my documentation was only one page.
After his evaluation I sat down and typed up notes for myself so that I can communicate with his occupational therapist better. Here are some of those notes about evaluation #2. This will make more sense to those of you that have children that have done similar therapy than it will to others.

1. ATNR is fully integrated! Hooray for being done with those exercises!
2. Duck/pigeon walk is improved but continue to work on this at OT and home.
3. Pattern block activity-Dr. showed a pattern with 3 blocks and asked Lamb 2 to flip the pattern or turn the pattern upside down. Lamb 2 could use lots of work on this.
4. Dr. did some bilateral integration-Dr. touched Lamb 2's right leg and left arm and told him to lift those. Lamb 2 should continue to work on this at OT.
5. OT should continue to work on fine motor to help Lamb 2 with piano and handwriting.
6. Dr. was pleased to see Lamb 2's piano theory book that Lamb 2 wrote the letters in the boxes the correct size.
7. OT should work on digital discrimination-one hand pick up one finger at a time when therapist points to that finger, then do with both hands, then do with hands folded, then do with hands folded and crossed. This will especially help with piano.
8. OT should focus on gross motor and fine motor and leave vision exercises for VT. VT moves quickly and by the time a message of what skill to work on would get to OT, Lamb 2 would probably have already mastered that skill and be working on the next skill.
9. Lamb 2's biggest problem is eye movement speed. All of his vision therapists and the Dr. have noticed this. VT will focus on this now.
10. Lamb 2 had improvements but the next evaluation will be at 8 year old standards vs. his current 7 year old standards. The biggest jump is between 7-8 years old. For example his reading numbers in vertical rows has improved to 30% at 7 year old standard. At 8 year old standard this same score would only be 1%.
11. Dr. was pleased with improvements especially such a noticeable difference in duck and pigeon walk and reading numbers at a 7 year old level. (It made doing duck and pigeon walk up and down our hallway almost daily worth it!) But Lamb 2 still has a lot to work on. Dr. really doesn't know when to predict when Lamb 2 will graduate from VT beccause some areas are so improved and other areas are still drastically behind where he should be at his age. Dr. thinks graduation from VT will happen this fall, but not sure when. We prepaid for 9 months of therapy so it is possible we need to pay for a few more months, but we'll deal with that when and if we need to.
12. Dr. really wants to see Lamb 2 reading Dr. Seuss level books soon because he is turning 8 and he is so eager to learn to read. He suggested daily reading with Lamb 2-beginning with Lamb 2 following along with parent reading and trying to get to the level of parent reads a page and then Lamb 2 reads a page. I had not done anything like this recently as I wanted to give him time to do VT before asking him to read. But I think Dr. is right and we NEED to squeeze in time to practice reading with Lamb 2 daily, not just do phonics and math. This will be important to continue this summer too. I do think Dr. is right that if we can get him to read some easy books it will increase his confidence.