My daughter is 5 yrs old.She has -1.00 in right eye,normal in left eye.Dr. prescribed glass for her.I came to know about Bates method that time.She didn't wear the glass yet.Is Bates method worked out for kids.What i have to train her to get good result.How long is it take to get better result?
Its great to see a parent thats trying to help they children when there really isn't much strain and it has not become more of a habit.
Go to this webpage and read through the free online book written by Dr. Bates himself.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://iblindness.org/books/bates/">http://iblindness.org/books/bates/</a><!-- m -->
I think that if you follow his instructions you will receive success reasonably quickly. I think above all you should play up the aspect that this is to all be a game to her. To look without trying, see without concentrating and to observe the optical illusions that a person with normal eyesight naturally does. Bates commented that children were often far better at that then adults.
Quote:My daughter is 5 yrs old. She has -1.00 in right eye, normal in left eye.
That is a good start. Helping your daughter NOW is the ideal situation. But I also believe it is important that you make your own measurements -- to double-check any "prescription" that she gets, i.e., know how to check her vision yourself -- by personally checking her Snellen.
Quote:Dr. prescribed glass for her. I came to know about Bates method that time. She didn't wear the glass yet.
Otis> GOOD! That is the strongest of Bates recommendation. But it also means, that in the long-run she must always read the 20/40 line (or better) with both eye's open. That is a reasonable goal for now. Personal checking is always much more accurate (and cheaper) than third-party checking.
Quote:Is Bates method worked out for kids.
Otis> Bates is the leading advocacy -- but there ARE other methods.
Quote:What i have to train her to get good result.
Otis> First you must determine her vision on HER SNELLEN -- so you know EXACTLY what her vision is -- to start with. See:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/oph/ped/IVAC/IVAC.html">http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/oph/ped/IVAC/IVAC.html</a><!-- m -->
Otis> A good example of your commitment is to have her read
the chart and report back on her visual acuity. It should be
better than 20/40 -- naked eye -- both eyes. Just click on
"Display" several times and have her read it. If you need
help -- let us know.
Quote:How long is it take to get better result?
Otis> You will determine this by establishing an STARTING POINT
NOW. Only AFTER you report her Snellen can any of us
help you with the use of Bates for her long-term visual
acuity.
Hi selviprabhu,
It's great that you want to improve your daughter's eyesight, now is the time to do it.
I wouldn't let her wear glasses because they are most likely an overprescription and would introduce considerable strain, sending both of her eyes into hopeless myopia - unless she has very big problems seeing to the point that she strains without glasses.
Bates stressed that children's eyes are very variant. Their eyesight changes all the time. He suggests that you put up an eyechart permanently somewhere in your house, and have her read the eyechart from 20 feet away, each day for a few minutes with one eye, and both.
So have her read the eyechart with one eye, while the other is covered with the cupped palm of her hand in a way that the palm is not touching her eyeball (this allows both eyes to be open, and only one to see the eye chart). Then have her read the eye chart, covering the other eye, and then with both eyes. Establish a routine and have her do this every day for several minutes. Bates said that children that have not worn glasses usually improve after a week to a month using this method. For children this is the best way, because it's very difficult to get them to sit still doing palming. If your daughter likes palming, that can be quite a benefit.
You can record her eyesight for each eye using the xx/xx convention. The top letter is the distance that the chart was read, and the bottom is the distance at which the particular line should be read.
I'd like to point out that it's ok if she memorizes the letters on the eye chart. Reading familiar letters keeps children from straining, and it's good to practice eyesight on familiar objects. If you don't have an eye chart, you can print them off for free here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.i-see.org/eyecharts.html">http://www.i-see.org/eyecharts.html</a><!-- m -->
1. One eye is 20/20 on the Snellen -- as stated by the
OD
2. The other eye at -1 is probably over-prescribed. When you
have her read the IVAC Snellen you will find it is
about 20/30 to 20/40.
3. The requirment for driving a car is 20/40 or better. By
that standard, your child's vision is still OK. But you
should start with vision-clearing NOW.
4. When a child reads a chart with BOTH EYES OPEN, you
will find that she has 20/20.
5. For many people a DIFFERENCE of a line or two on the
Snellen is completely normal.
6. Bates said KEEP THAT MINUS LENS OFF THE CHILD. We
all agree on that point. This means that you keep
that lens off. To do that, you must verify that the child
always reads the Snellen.
7. The IVAC Snellen is RANDOM LETTERS. It is impossible
to memorize it. It is a TRUE TEST of her visual acuity -- and
that is what truly "counts".
Her eye disorder is Anisometropia amblyopia. She can read up to 10th feet line with two eyes open by standing in 10 feet. She has good vision with 2 eyes.
With her right eye, she can read 10/50 only. That is also by giving rest to her right eye.
Is it ok to read the snellan chart by standing in 10 feet? She is doing palming. I have doubt whether we have to sit straight or bend our back when doing palming.
Is this method workout, if she wears the glasses also? I am scare that she may get worse if she don't wear glasses. Till now she didn't wear glass. How long we can wait for her result by without wearing glass & follow only this method.
Yes, it's ok to read snellen at 10 feet.
As far as bent back or straight back, it's entirely up to her. I prefer to have a good posture - if she can (straight back). Having said that, some people build too much tension in their back as they attempt to keep it straight. So pick a position that encourages good poster, and whichever is more comforting and ensure she isn't hurting her back. Many people think that posture is very important - so if anyone gives their advice on this, listen to them
Another approach to improve refractive amblyopia is to patch the good eye for a few hours each day. I'm not quite sure on the length of time because I've never done it, you may have to do some research on that.
Based on the teachings of Bates, along with personal experience of myself and everyone that I know, not many had worsened their eyesight by not wearing glasses. However, almost everyone I know had their eyesight rapidly decline once they put on their first pair of glasses. Dr. Bates warned that once you start wearing glasses, treatment becomes increasingly difficult! Also, make sure she isn't squinting.
With 20/20 in both eyes -- you MIGHT consider patching the
20/50 eye.
I would avoid using a minus lens at this point. If the
child is going to "grow" out of it -- then she should not
be wearing a minus lens.
Here is a case very close to what you describe.
The majority-opinion is to put the child into a strong
minus -- which is the recommendation below.
Otis
++++++++++++
Re: Balancing "correction" and visual system training
"maxkolbe3" <maxkolbe3@...> wrote:
> Thank you for all the replies. I am very grateful that you all share
> your knowledge and experience.
> So now I'm wondering if one eye has normal vision (say 20/20) and
> the other is myopic (say 20/50), would it be possible to improve the
> vision in this latter eye by patching - in the same way that tana's
> child improved the vision in the hyperopic eye? Would it depend on
> the extent of the myopia, for instance what if the eye was 20/200,
> would there be more improvement than if it was 20/30? Is this ever a
> therapeutic strategy, or are corrective lenses always applied? In my
> experience, corrective lenses do not heal in such a scenario, they
> merely compensate for the deficiency - but I'm aware my experience
> is not statistically significant ;-)
DrJudy> In the majority of cases of myopia, both eyes are myopic so there is no
better eye to patch, so the question becomes: if myopes are left
uncorrected, will the myopia go away? That has been the source of
endless debate in optometry.
In Tana's case, the original poor acuity was with correction, ie, even
with glasses the acuity was poor and was poor at far and near. This
poor acuity existed at the cortical level, not the retinal image
level. Patching the better eye forced cortical awareness of the poor
eye and improved cortical acuity. Hyperopes can accommodate to create
a clear retinal image, so once cortical acuity is improved, then
uncorrected acuity is improved.
In myopia, the corrected acuity is fine, the near uncorrected is fine
and only the uncorrected distance is poor. The reduced uncorrected
acuity is due to the retinal image being unfocussed, not due to a
cortical level problem. You are, I think, hoping that the uncorrected
will improve and that will happen only if the myopia itself goes away
so that a clear retinal image is present without glasses. I'm not
aware of any studies of treating new unilateral myopes by patching.
I have one Question.My daughter is reading Snellen chart from 10 feet.While she is doing with her right eye,she can read T,E,O except letter P in 50 feet.then she could not read letter B & D ,others are clear for her in 40 feet ( I have to believe her).
Anybody know the reason.How can I judge her VA in her right eye.
How many hours she has to do patching for her right eye?If anyboby know, please answer me.
Since she is young,is it worth to consult any teacher to teach her Bates method.
The ONLY way you can tell your child's visual acuity -- is
to have her read this chart. If necessary, adjust it for
10 feet -- as the instructions state.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/oph/ped/IVAC/IVAC.html">http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/oph/ped/IVAC/IVAC.html</a><!-- m -->
The generally accepted standard is that she must read
1/2 the letters correctly (guessing is allowed), to
pass the line.
The standard for driving a car is that you pass the 20/40 line,
WITH BOTH EYES OPEN.
It is NORMAL for there to be a slight difference between the
eyes of 1/2 diopter, and that translates to one eye with
20/20 and the other with 20/40. (Stated in the LEGAL
DMV standard.)
I suggest (as Bates and others suggested) that you do
what you can to avoid any glasses at this point.
Typically they do not help -- and only make matters worse -- in
the long run.
There are second-opinion ODs who support that position with
considerable force. What you are told -- will depend
on what your paticular OD happens to believe -- but
that is not science.
Quote:I have one Question.My daughter is reading Snellen chart from 10 feet.While she is doing with her right eye,she can read T,E,O except letter P in 50 feet.then she could not read letter B & D ,others are clear for her in 40 feet ( I have to believe her).
Yes, and she should show interest in what she and your are
doing.
Anybody know the reason.How can I judge her VA in her right eye.
You judge it -- by pressing "display" on the 20/40 line, can
confirming that she read 1/2 the letters correctly. That is
how you do that.
Quote:How many hours she has to do patching for her right eye?If anyboby know, please answer me.
Otis> Assuming you find a truly SUPPORTIVE OD, then when she
reads, a few hours a day.
Quote:Since she is young,is it worth to consult any teacher to teach her Bates method.
Otis> That is your choice. There are ODs who support Bates
(as I posted) and other ODs who have cleared their vision
with these methods. (I will post one shortly).
Otis> The second-opinion is to not panic and put her into
a lens at this point.
