The Solution Center has been instrumental in helping my son do better in school and to increase his confidence. The teachers at his (now former) school told me at the end of the year that they thought he may have ADD or dyslexia because his reading and spelling were behind schedule and he did not seem to be able to focus. I didn’t automatically believe them; not because I was afraid of a diagnosis of ADD or dyslexia, but because I knew they did not have enough facts to be able to tell me these things (he had not been tested by anyone at that time.)I knew I wanted to get a jump on the situation and find out what was going on right away. I found out that psychiatrists who do testing for ADD/dyslexia have a several-week waiting time for an appointment, so I asked some friends and colleagues what they thought. A friend of mine told me about The Solutions Center and suggested he have his vision checked. I didn’t understand at first because he had just had a complete eye exam and the doctor told us his eye sight was perfect and not to bother coming back for five years. However, looking at The Solution Center’s website and the great information and research results it gave me, I began to put the pieces together and I realized something important: eye sight and vision are two different things. The Solution Center goes beyond checking eye sight (can you see far away / can you see close), to examining how the eyes are working with each other and with the brain, and assessing the connection between what a child sees, and how they are able to process it and carry it through to their ability to read, write, spell, and do anything else at close range.
Going to The Solutions Center the first time and having his vision thoroughly checked, we immediately found the problem – my son’s eyes were not working together well, and in fact were working against each other as they tracked across the page. Once the issue was diagnosed, he was signed up for vision therapy sessions right away. I also went to the workshop they offered for parents and teachers and learned for myself what he had been going through. I was saddened by what I saw and learned, but at the same time was extremely grateful to know that he was now in good hands with the doctors and vision therapists at The Solutions Center, and I knew they were going to help him.So far my son has had 2 sets of vision therapy sessions, and we complete the 20 minutes of “homework” each night. We have had two scheduled reevaluations with the eye doctors and he is improving greatly. His eyes are being trained to work together better; I can see it in the sessions and when we do the therapy at home. I also learn from the vision therapists exactly what is going on and why, which helps me understand the process and what we are trying to and able to achieve.
The most important thing I’ve seen as a parent is that since school has started is that my son is writing much better, his spelling is becoming less of an issue, and he is now spending a lot more time reading books. I knew he wanted to read, but he just never seemed to be motivated to actually read for long. Now I know why; his eyes weren’t letting him absorb the information because all his energy went into trying to read the words themselves. We moved to a new public school where the teachers understand much more about vision issues, and they are telling me his confidence is already building, and he is doing very well. He seems much more relaxed and happy. For me that says it all. Many thanks to the vision center for all the help! My recommendation is that you continue to spread the word! I have since sent letters to each of the teachers at his former school to suggest they attend one of their workshops to get information they need, so they don’t automatically suggest ADD and dyslexia to the parents.