How does it feel to be the parent of your child?
My son, Braden, has visually perception disorder. He was first diagnosed with this a year ago when he was in third grade. When he was growing up he always had perfect vision. Still to this day he has perfect vision. Having visually perception disorder does not mean you have poor vision. It affects the way the brain perceives and processes what the eye sees. As a parent it is very difficult to see your child struggling in school and getting frustrated in math and reading. When we are at home working on his homework, Braden always wants to give up on homework because he is having a hard time with math. For Braden it takes longer than the average student to finish his homework. Braden is always crying to me saying, “Why am I stupid”. I always tell him that he is not stupid and that he is a very intelligent little boy. To keep Braden positive about himself I always need to praise and give him positive reinforcement. Since Braden has been diagnosed with visually perception disorder, each day has gotten better. I keep telling him that he is a unique individual and that it just takes longer for him to do things. I will always love him no matter what happens to him.
How is your child developmentally the same or different from other children at the various ages?
Braden is physically developing the same as his other friends. He is a fun, loving, energetic, and silly little boy. He loves to be around his family and friends playing with anything he can. His favorite activity he loves to do is play cars with his dad. Braden also loves being outdoors and going camping with the family. Another thing he loves to do when he is playing outside is ride his bike. Braden is also physically built the same ways as his fellow classmates. He is an average boy with similar weight and height as his classmates.
When it comes to academics he is behind most of his classmates. He struggles and puts more effort in to his work because he has visually perception disorder. Braden has a hard time in math, writing, and remembering visual images. When the teacher instructs the classroom on a math lesson he becomes disengaged because it is hard to focus on the board. When he has the notes in front of him instead of looking at the board it is easier for him to understand what is happening. Braden has a short attention span and can be disengaged in the lesson very easily. One day Braden is able to understand what to do, but then the next day he will forget. My husband and I take it day by day to help Braden out as much as we can. Other than his difficulties in school, Braden is the average fourth grader. It just takes him a little longer to do things than most fourth graders.
What professionals/agencies do you deal with? What services are available to you and your child? How did you find out about the above services?
When Braden was first diagnosed, my husband and I were very fortunate that he had an amazing teacher that worked with us to get the best services for him. Pre-diagnosis, Mrs. Roybal his third grade teacher was very concerned for him because he was showing signs that he was not recognizing the letters and not able to focus on the board. So one day after school she pulled us aside to discuss what was happening with him. She told us that she was concerned he might be falling behind in school. Mrs. Roybal advised us that maybe we should take him to the doctor to get his eyes checked out. The doctor said that Braden had perfect vision. So he decided to run some tests on him and found out that he had visually perception disorder.
After we found out that Braden was diagnosed with visually perception disorder, his teacher Mrs. Roybal talked with the RSP teacher and was able to get him an IEP plan. By having the IEP plan Braden is able to have special accommodations in the classroom. Some of the modifications that Braden gets is he is able to take the test longer or the test is read to him. Braden is able to have everything enlarged so it is easier for him to read the material. Also, Braden as a therapists that pulls him out of class once a week to work with him on different techniques to help with his eyes. I am very thankful that Braden had a great teacher when he was diagnosed because she was there for us and she spent a lot of time working one-on-one with him.
When we are at home I also have materials that will make it easier for him. I have dark bolded line paper so it is easier for Braden to write and work on math. Also, once a week we have a tutor that works with Braden on math because that is his worst subject. When I first found out that he was diagnosed Braden’s doctor referred me to a support group where other families had a child with this disorder. I believe this really helped out because they gave us a wealth of information and ideas on what to do with Braden. The internet also, has been a great resource for finding information on visually perception disorder.
What financial burden, if any, are you experiencing?
My husband and I have been very fortunate that we have not spent a lot of money on Braden disorder. By having an IEP for Braden the school has been paying for his material and even his therapists that work with him once a week. If it was not for the school we would have to pay a lot for Braden. The only thing we pay for is his tutor which is $100.00 dollars a week. That can be costly, but it is well worth it in the long run because it has really help Braden improve in math. Also, we pay for some of his materials that we keep at home but that is not too expensive. The last thing that we pay for is his doctor visit, which we only have to pay for his co-pay because of out insurance we have. We have lucked out on the amount of money that we have had to pay on Braden disorder.
What other information do you want to share?
When your child is diagnosed with visually perception disorder you must realize that all children learn differently. When my husband and I first found out that Braden was diagnosed with visually perception disorder we had to try many different therapies until we found the best one that worked for him. You need to realize it takes time to find what works best for you child. Also, you need to be patient with your child as much as possible. You do not want to show your child that your frustrated because then they will reciprocate. Once your child is frustrated they will want to give up. Seek the proper support network because they are very beneficial and will be there to help you as much as they can to make your child succeed in life. Even through your child is diagnosed with this disorder this does not mean they are going to be unsuccessful. Once we found what worked for Braden it is getting easier each day. He knows what to do when he is struggling. Remember to love you child no matter what and be very positive around them.
Glogster:
http://argraham.glogster.com/visual-perception-/
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