Magic

Kaden has magic glasses . . .

I've posted here before that Kaden's been practicing wearing frames and I have to admit that for a long time it didn't seem very promising -- he was up to only about a minute of tolerating frames on his face after months of practicing with his ABA therapists. Several people assured me it would be different once he got real lenses because he'd realize that he could see better and that would be all the motivation he'd need to keep wearing them. I didn't really believe them because, well, because Kaden is stubborn and because the lenses in question are prism lenses which his developmental optometrist swears by but his regular opthamologist dismisses as "unproven" and "ineffective." So I didn't know what to think and the speed and decisiveness with which Kaden invariably ripped his practice frames off left me skeptical. We were determined to give it a try but I can't say we expected very much.

I am so glad to tell you that we've been blown away.  Kaden's been wearing his new glasses for HOURS at a time, through entire ABA sessions, while he plays on his iPad and watches TV, while he eats and plays with toys and, most importantly, WHILE HE WALKS and explores EVERYTHING, often unassisted.

Here's my handsome boy after breakfast this morning . . . just chillin', wearing his glasses, no big deal.

And my heart just SOARS!

From my perspective, they are absolutely magic glasses.  From the first day Kaden got them on about 2 weeks ago he's been standing up, cruising around all our furniture and taking 5 and sometimes 10 independent steps around the house as he explores, looking around at things as if he's seeing them for the first time.  Now, Kaden's been taking independent steps for quite a while but it was always with lots of prompting and guidance and cheerleading from mom and dad on the sidelines.  It is completely new for him to get up on his own initiative and try to walk from one room to another and he did it as soon as I put those glasses on his face. MAGIC! 

And it's not just different at home.  In the past, Kaden always seemed content to stay in his stoller when we went shopping or around town doing errands.  Not so much anymore.  We went to the mall last weekend and Kaden made it very clear that he wanted to get out of the stroller and look around a toy store.



Let's just say I've had happy tears in my eyes many times over the past few weeks. I still don't truly understand how prism glasses help people with perceptual impairments actually see the world better but if given a chance I would testify under oath that it's been totally game-changing for Kaden. And I will be forever grateful that people who are way smarter than me (than I? Well, that just proves the point!) have devoted their lives to figuring this stuff out for the rest of us.

And not to be left out . . .

A beautiful little girl I know just inherited a pretend pair of eyeglass frames.

Good times!