Ian Jordan

[Flora]

I took William and Luke to see Ian Jordan today..... What an amazing bloke! I don't think I've ever met anyone more passionate about their work than Ian is.

 

He has a very simple but hugely effective way of getting children to talk about things. So much came out that I didn't have a clue about.

 

William has prosopagnosia (probably spelt wrong). I really had no idea. A few weeks ago he mentioned not seeing people's noses and mouthes but I didn't think it could be that. Today I found out that William has never really seen a face properly When Ian was playing with the lights William looked amazed when he was looking at my face, with some lights he could see parts of faces with various features missing(lips, eye brows, nose, pupils etc), but with a red light he could see a whole face. It was very emotional and I was totally lost for words (very rare). On the way home I asked William what it was like for him and what was the best part and he said 'I didn't know you were so pretty mum' Ian got William to talk more about it and we found out that when there are crowds of people he doesn't see ANY part of their faces, just blank heads. It explains so much; why he hates crowds; why he won't look at people; why he is scared of people talking with their face close to him; why after TWO years he only recognises two children in his class - one boy who he has spent alot of time with, and one boy with bright ginger hair. I really had no idea that he was affected like this.

 

Ian did a few more tests with lights to ascertain what colour lens was best; red! Then he used some red lenses to test william with and then without them. It isn't subtle... the affect was very dramatic. He also did something amazing which is to do with one of Ian's area of research. I'm not allowed to say what it was but I was utterly , absolutely incredible. We also found out that William has problems seeing in 3d, things move towards and away from him which is probably why he doesn't like going out.

 

It turned out that Luke too has trouble seeing faces but not as bad as William. He was amazed though when Ian used the lights on my face and Luke could see the whole face without effort. He was laughing his head off at the affect the lights were having on my face and each one was different. Funnily Luke was best with the blue/green colours but William's visual system broke down totally when using the blue. At one point Ian gave William a sherbert lemon and then put different coloured lenses on him, the different colours changed his perception of taste; it tasted nice with the red lenses but 'odd' with the blue. The same was done with William smelling my hair; with the red lenses it smelled of shampoo but with the blue it smelled 'odd'.

 

I'm sure there is much more but this post is long enough, but I was totally blown away. Absolutely amazing stuff, and hugely entertaining. It's so refreshing to find a professional who isn't all serious. I just can't wait for them to get their glasses with the lenses.

 

Lauren

[Suze]

lauren it sounds amazing.......I,m so envious and jealous......... to have discovered a problem your boys have and also the oppurtunity to rectify it is brill.You must be so pleased..........well done Ian

[Flora]

Suze, I'm just glad and feel lucky that we had the opportunity to do this. It really is powerful stuff; something I forgot to mention was Luke and his eye tracking, he has a distinct flick of the pupils and uses one eye at a time for tracking because of this (can't remember what it's called... nystygmus.... something like that spelled totally wrong I know) the blue lenses corrected this immediately. All I need to do now is sort the ###### schools out to get off their bums , but we all know it's easier said.

 

Lauren <'>

[lizzie]

I got a great big lump in my throat after reading where William said he didnt realise you were so pretty!!! <'> What a sweety!! xxx

[Zemanski]

Join the Ian Jordan appreciation fan club, Lauren

 

prosopagnosia is fascinating isn't it?

 

And such an important barrier to social interaction - Com has very similar problems to William but needs a royal blue lens

 

Did he play any tricks with your perception? I need the same colour as Luke, I think, but I love to stim with reds, especially the circle pattern with the lines radiating out from the centre. I want one of those lamps just to play with

 

If you want to talk about proso PM me

 

Zemanski

[Flora]

Zemanski..... Yes he did! I arrived with a splitting head ache and Ian cured it with a lovely shade of green I also couldn't see words or numbers on a bit of paper (just lots of lines) until Ian changed the colour. I could really do with some green lenses for myself

 

I will pm you zemanski.

 

Lauren

[DaisyProudfoot]

I'm a huge fan of Ian Jordan and I could have kicked myself for not getting to his event in Sunderland recently.

 

Lauren you must be so happy for your children. Perhaps one day all children will be able to be tested for these problems and they won't have to suffer years of struggle.

 

Ian Jordan

[Flora]

I'm a huge fan of Ian Jordan and I could have kicked myself for not getting to his event in Sunderland recently.

 

Lauren you must be so happy for your children. Perhaps one day all children will be able to be tested for these problems and they won't have to suffer years of struggle.

 

Ian Jordan

 

Wouldn't that be great? I fear that will be when we all move to LaLa land Daisy Highly unlikely with the state of the NHS that anything so wonderful would happen any time soon.

 

Lauren

[oracle]

I can't wait for Ian to come back here (Sunderland) - we are forming a queue and it's getting bigger - hint hint.

 

He is quite a guy and some

 

Oracle

[LKS]

Lauren This sounds absolutely fascinating. Ian had e-mailed me some literature about some of the problems our children can have. Just reading about it was amazing you must have been stunned to see it in action.

[justamom]

Lauren, Ian Jordan sounds like a fantastic guy where will be next???? or do you have to make app to see him??? Its just at the special school were i work i know a child that might benefit from his lenses..

 

Justamom

[Zemanski]

I thought there was something about him doing a talk in the south sometime this month - Phas or Carole might remember

 

Z

[Ian Jordan]

a few tickets left in Bedford on Tues evening ?5

e mail bhen@btinnternet.com

[justamom]

thanks for the infor but a bit far for me...... Any in Chelmsford?????

[Zemanski]

If you think this parent might be interested the details of Ian's techniques and the clinics which offer the service are on this link

 

http://www.orthoscopics.com

 

Zemanski

[zaman]

Does anyone have a list of where and when the talks are going to be?

[rainbow queen]

just been reading these posts and have a few questions if thats ok?

 

school nurse has tryed 5 times to do an eye test for my son but he wont co operate so shes told me i should try getting his eyes seen to .

wondering is there a difference in opticians then? and is it better to ask what they will test for ect.............

 

my neice has irlams as well -dose it run in familys

and my sons dad is colour blind

[jayjay]

I am one of the lucky ones i am going to see Ian Jordan on Tuesday night at Bedford had my ticket for weeks now and i go to there support group there.

jayne xx

[Ian Jordan]

send me your contact details -

may be able to help

Ian

 

 

just been reading these posts and have a few questions if thats ok?

 

school nurse has tryed 5 times to do an eye test for my son but he wont co operate so shes told me i should try getting his eyes seen to .

wondering is there a difference in opticians then? and is it better to ask what they will test for ect.............

 

my neice has irlams as well -dose it run in familys

and my sons dad is colour blind

Edited May 7, 2006 by Ian Jordan

[niki]

WOW and ummm wow! what an amazing result, i know im a bit late entering this post but.........WOW!

[madmooch]

I saw Ian in Sunderland and he was Amasing

Please come back Ian I'll even put you up

 

Clare

[llisa32]

Just thought I'd rebump this one as it's a pretty interesting topic

[Mumble]

Just thought I'd rebump this one as it's a pretty interesting topic

Thanks Lisa <'> It's obviously a day for dragging up old threads

[Wardie]

Isn't it amazing how sometimes things just come together? My sister has been telling me about her daughter who, although very bright is slipping at school. Turns out that her eyes aren't seeing all words, something about one eye skipping words so that she reads what she sees but it doesn't make any sense because she is missing bits! I'm not sure if this is the same thing as you are describing?

I have also been questioning my DS's perception as aged 10 he still struggles with some stairs, as if he just can't see where to put his feet. Does anyone know if this is part of the same thing?

 

Ally

[Mumble]

I have also been questioning my DS's perception as aged 10 he still struggles with some stairs, as if he just can't see where to put his feet. Does anyone know if this is part of the same thing?

I don't know (well that was helpful wasn't it . . . ). However, (and this will sound wierd), I can't tell where the parts of my body that I can't see are. So if I don't watch my feet when going up or down stairs I fall up or down them. If I'm concentrating on the stairs and someone calls me from above or below and I move my head to look in the vague direction of the noise (that's another problem - can't tell where sound often comes from) I sometimes stumble. I often bang my arms (unfunny bones) on door frames because I don't judge going through them accurately.

[Wardie]

I don't know (well that was helpful wasn't it . . . ). However, (and this will sound wierd), I can't tell where the parts of my body that I can't see are. So if I don't watch my feet when going up or down stairs I fall up or down them. If I'm concentrating on the stairs and someone calls me from above or below and I move my head to look in the vague direction of the noise (that's another problem - can't tell where sound often comes from) I sometimes stumble. I often bang my arms (unfunny bones) on door frames because I don't judge going through them accurately.

 

Wow! I do that- I just thought I was clumsy - I fall up, down, through and under anything and constantly sport bruises. I thought it was my weight - but actually I've probably always done it. Maybe that's what J does. Although some stairs are definitely more a problem for him than others and I can do any stairs as long as I'm watching where I'm going>.

 

What coping mechanisms do you use? Is this a common AS characteristic? Forgive me I can't remember - are you dyspraxic? Could this be dyspraxia?

 

BTW I wouldn't class myself as having AS - however when I look at my son's behaviours it seems to me that he took a combination of me and my DH and made him. I am known for outspokenness (very un-female especially at school), make good eye-contact and know when I've upset someone - although I don't seem to be able to not say the words!

 

Hmm - just read the previous paragraph - I think all it proves is that I don't really understand AS. Sorry, I don't mean to offend, I just mean that whilst I have always been different, the differences haven't been enough to cause real problems. Similarly for DH. We got through school, bit battered but achieved just fine and have professional careers in IT. J seems to multiply our "mild" (sorry couldn't help it!) problems to ones that really impact him.

 

Dear me! talk about rambling! I'll stop now.

[wishingwell]

Hi Wardie

 

 

My sister has been telling me about her daughter who, although very bright is slipping at school. Turns out that her eyes aren't seeing all words, something about one eye skipping words so that she reads what she sees but it doesn't make any sense because she is missing bits!

 

My DS was aways having problems with copying and writing his words down he would leave out a different letters. He could verbally spell but could not copy them from one page to another without missing out a letter in the word. Hasn't got this problem now since getting his colored lenses. They also made a big difference to his balance and co-ordination, he was forever walking into things. PE is not a big problem he can join in and enjoy it wearing his glasses, before he hated PE, his hand and eye co-ordination was so bad it was impossible for him to play team games. And he was teased for being so awkward.

[llisa32]

Hi Wishingwell....was interested in your response as thats exactly one of the problems my son is having..

 

How old is your son and did he mind wearing the glasses?

 

My son's dad is worried that either our son won't wear the glasse's because of the fear he'll look different - particularly as they'll have coloured lenses, and that he might get teased and then not wear them.

 

What's been your experience?

 

Thanks for your time

[Mumble]

What coping mechanisms do you use?

Arnica cream and plasters!!

 

Yes, my diagnosis is AS and dyspraxia - and I think my walking into things is partly due to both of these - 'spaces' change size for me - now that probably sounds really wierd - an example - I can't drive over the Menai Bridge to Anglesey (and had to have my eyes closed if someone else was driving) - despite seeing a bus fit through the archway, the sides would seem to pulsate in and out and I was convinced the car would never fit and lining up to approach the arches was a nightmare - solution here? Drive further down the road and go over the Britania Bridge instead - easy!!!!

 

Sorry, I don't mean to offend, I just mean that whilst I have always been different, the differences haven't been enough to cause real problems. Similarly for DH. We got through school, bit battered but achieved just fine and have professional careers in IT. J seems to multiply our "mild" (sorry couldn't help it!) problems to ones that really impact him.

Well I've been thinking about this overnight as some of the old debates have resurfaced - one aspect for diagnosis of AS (at least in adulthood - I don't know about children) is that it causes clinically significant difficulties with everyday functioning - so I think that has to be judged individually, because everyone's everyday will be unique. If I won the lottery and was living in a little croft with a swimming pool on a Scottish Island with beautiful views and able to work on my writing without any time pressures and knowing that I'd never have to attend conferences or present my work then I don't think I would have 'clinically significant problems'. It is all context dependent and we all have a)our own expectations and b)different expectations from others placed on us.

 

his hand and eye co-ordination was so bad it was impossible for him to play team games. And he was teased for being so awkward.

Oh don't I remember that - I still couldn't catch or hit a ball when I was 9. I was incredibally frustrated - telling me what to do didn't help "watch the ball mumble, watch the ball" - what did they think I was trying to do I was told by the teachers that I was immature and stupid when I tried to explain that I couldn't see the ball I was supposed to be watching because it was going too fast and the sun was too bright. I couldn't tell where my hand and racquet was to hit the ball if I didn't look at that - I couldn't tell where the ball was (and still sometimes couldn't) if I didn't look at that - those two difficulties are rather incompatible in playing sports.

 

My son's dad is worried that either our son won't wear the glasse's because of the fear he'll look different - particularly as they'll have coloured lenses, and that he might get teased and then not wear them.

Hi Lisa - when I was teaching, an AS boy in my class had green glasses. We didn't have any problems with teasing - firstly there were quite a few kids in the school with various coloured lenses or with various other disabilities - but also my class knew that they would be subjected to a 'talking to' if they ever tried anything :lol: Actually, the other kids thought they were (to use their words) "cool".

[wishingwell]

Hi Lisa

 

He's 12 and been wearing them for 2 years. When we initially went for the first appointment he was clearly upset about the dept of the colour in the lenses and was very unco-operative. His dad and I took him out for a break and to talk to him, we wanted to explain to him that they might help him with the problems he was having and that they would only be used at home first to see if they where going to be a help, we would not be pressuring him to wear them it was for him to make the discussion and for him to feel comfortable. We returned to complete the tests and the things we discovered where absolutely amazing. The one that sticks in my mind was when a ball was thrown to him without the lenses he couldn't caught it, but with the lenses he could. His posture was poor and now he walks straight with his head up. There were to many things to list that we found out about his vision and it made us aware of the serious difficultly he was facing every day. We as parents felt that it was worth spending the money and having the glasses, we where prepared to take the chance, he had a lot to gain from these glasses.

He had picked a lovely pair of frames. When we went to collect the first pair his face dropped, they where a deep blue colour, but he refused to wear them leaving.

So we traveled home and had no idea if he would ever come round to wearing them. Off he went to play his PS2 and i brought him in his tea along with the glasses. After tea he did put them on. No-one passed comment that he was wearing them the next day he went to school without them came home struggled through his homework to get his time on his PS2. And to my amazement he was wearing the glasses playing his PS2. This continued for about a week and he was making great progress with playing his games, he then move on to wearing them for homework, the quicker he got through the h/work the more time he had for his games. No more headaches and he was not as stressed, I suggested he should wear them to school, I spoke with school and they where very encouraging towards him using them and talked positively to the other children. Who now think he is cool. His school work has improved also his writing is great, it now flows and he no longer digs holes in his pages, no more pain when writing. He has started grammar school and he has been asked why he is wearing them he says the light hurts his eyes I've asked has anyone said anything that is upsetting about them and he says no they think my shades are cool...

He decides when to wear and when not to. If he's going out with his friend he leaves them at home but for school, karate, making things, computer, video games, TV, and reading he automatically wears them. He wears them more than not.

[llisa32]

Thats great, thanks so much for taking the time out to give me that info <'> really really useful!

 

Many Thanks

Lisa

[Bagpuss]

Lisa, re wearing glasses and being teased. We recently went to see Ian, for our DD's. Turned out our DS NT had bigger probs and we ordered some glasses with green lenses in. I told DS he only had to wear them at home for homework, thinking there was not a chance he'd even consider wearing them at school, being nearly 14. Blow me, he took them to school, without us knowing, and wore them class. His mates were intrigued and all tried them on. I don't think anyone teased him. They all thought it was cool too.

 

Unfortunately he lost them yesterday and is now grounded

Edited September 18, 2007 by Bagpuss