The Eyes (Might) Have It

Is your kid driving you crazy? Have his eyes checked, says the New York Times' Motherlode blog.

In an extremely long article, which I'm guessing will be in this week's Sunday magazine, Judith Warner writes about the services of a "behavioral optometrist" and the site VisionandLearning.org, which offers vision therapy for eye problems that supposedly cause a range of symptoms that are often diagnosed as ADHD or dyslexia, among other things.

Not surprisingly, plenty of people are skeptical that some eye exercises will cure your kid's anxiety and learning disabilities, including a pediatric ophthamologist quoted in the article: "It has no validity."

The comments on the article — some from people who have tried the therapy — are mixed, and the treatment can run into the thousands.

I had therapy for my lazy eye back in sixth grade, and still suffer with strabismus, but I don't think my eye problems had any major effect on my development. But with Jackson's occasional struggles sitting still and listening to the teacher right away, I'd probably give it a shot — a consultation, at least.
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