{"id":17986,"date":"2021-10-22T08:04:29","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T08:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=17986"},"modified":"2021-10-22T08:04:29","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T08:04:29","slug":"does-my-child-have-adhd-or-a-vision-problem","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/vision-therapy-for-adhd\/does-my-child-have-adhd-or-a-vision-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Does My Child Have ADHD or a Vision Problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"

ADHD may be confused with vision problems.<\/b><\/h2>\n

An ADHD<\/a> diagnosis may seem obvious if your child is fidgety, hyperactive, or struggles in school. However, these behaviors could be the result of vision problems.<\/p>\n

Some children may be misdiagnosed with ADHD<\/a> despite the fact that vision issues, such as convergence insufficiency<\/a>, are the root cause of symptoms.<\/b><\/p>\n

Connection between ADHD and vision problems<\/b><\/h2>\n

A study in Optometry and Vision Science<\/i> (2016) discovered that children with vision problems are two times more likely than their peers to be diagnosed with ADHD.<\/p>\n

A major problem is that teachers often do not relate poor attention and behavior in the classroom to vision problems<\/b>.<\/p>\n

According to the study, like ADHD, vision problems make it difficult for children to complete schoolwork on time or pay attention.<\/p>\n

Vision difficulties, according to some experts, have an impact on children’s “executive function” \u2014 the higher-order cognitive processes that help them plan, pay attention, and organize time and place.<\/p>\n

When a child\u2019s eyes aren\u2019t working properly, it\u2019s easy to lose focus while reading and struggle to comprehend the text.\u00a0 Words may look blurry and the eyes become strained.<\/p>\n

When prompted to read, children with vision problems become uncomfortable or fidgety. Many students act out in class or while doing homework. Their dissatisfaction can result in anxiety and mood disorders.<\/p>\n

These behaviors are often attributed to ADHD.<\/p>\n

Do vision screenings detect all vision problems?<\/b><\/h2>\n

No.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Vision screenings<\/a> do not test a child\u2019s functional vision, which is more than \u201820\/20\u2019 sight.<\/b><\/p>\n

Simple vision screenings in school test for\u00a0 \u201820\/20\u2019 eyesight <\/a>using the Snellen vision chart, from which kids read letters or symbols. If a child is found to be highly nearsighted<\/a> or farsighted<\/a>, they might fail the vision screening.<\/p>\n

SEE RELATED:<\/strong> ADHD and Vision Problems: 2 Important Studies<\/a><\/p>\n

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you<\/a> if your child is showing signs of ADHD.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\t

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Find a Vision Therapy Eye Doctor Near You<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t
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