Vision and ADD

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are characterized by inattentiveness and compulsiveness that hinder a child's academic and social skills. Currently there is no objective clinical test to confirm ADD or ADHD. If a child exhibit any six of nine characteristics, they are labled ADD and are often given drugs.

Like those with ADD, children with vision-based learning problems are easily distracted, have short attention spans, make careless errors, fail to complete assignments, lack good organizational skills, and are often fidgety and inattentive. Children with eye-coordination problems often appear to have ADD or ADHD. These children have difficulty using their eyes together close up as required for reading and writing. Often they can only control their eye movements for a short time. Then the text begins to jump and move as they struggle to aim their eyes at the same point on the page resulting in a good deal of eye-strain.

These children are often looking around the room, getting a drink, going to the bathroom, staring out the window, or talking to their neighbors. In fact they are taking "vision breaks." Often eye coordination problems develop so slowly that the children are unaware that their close-up vision is not normal. A 10 year old should be able to see clearly at about 10 cm from their eyes.

Research done by David B. Granet of the Children's Eye Center of the University of California, San Diego, discovered that children diagnosed with ADHD are three times as likely to have convergence problems than children in the rest of the population. As a consequence of the convergence problem it becomes more difficult for them to concentrate while reading. This is also one of the ways doctors diagnose ADHD.

The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association, classifies three types of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, and combined. Six of nine symptoms if inattention, and six of nine of hyperactivity and impulsivity are necessary for diagnosis.

In each case, the symptoms must be present for at least six months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level. In addition, some symptoms must be present prior to age seven, and in two or more settings (e.g. at school, work and home). There must be clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social academic or occupational functioning, and the impairment cannot be caused by other disorders such as anxiety, psychosis or a pervasive developmental disorder.

Attention - Defficit / Hyperactivity Symptoms (DSM-IV)

Sensory Integration Dysfunction (Ayres) 1979

Learning-Related Visual Problems (Kavner) 1985

Nutrition / Allergies (Rapp, 1991 Crook 1987 & Smith 1994)

Normal child under 7 (Gesell) 1943

ADHD (DSM-VI)
Inattention (At least 6 necessary) Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes.	X	X	X	X
Often does not listen when spoken to directly.	X	X	X	X
Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.	X	X	X	X	X
Often does not follow through on instructions or fails to finish work.	X	X	X	X	X
Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.	X	X	X	X	X
Often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in tasks requiring sustained mental effort.	X	X	X	X	X
Often loses things	X	X	X	X	X
Often distracted by extraneous stimuli	X	X	X	X	X
Often forgetful in daily activities	X	X	X	X	X
Hyperactivity and Impulsivity (at least 6 necessary) Often fidgets with hans or feet or squirms in seat	X	X	X	X	X
Often has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.	X	X	X	X	X
Often runs or climbs excessively.	X	X		X	X
Often has difficulty playing quietly.	X	X		X	X
Often "on the go"	X	X		X	X
Often talks excessively.	X	X	X	X
Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed.	X	X	X	X
Often has difficulty awaiting turn.	X	X	X	X	X
Often interrupts or intrudes on others.	X	X	X	X	X

As can be seen from the above table many of the symptoms attributed to ADHD coincide with symptoms of visual dysfunction or allergic responses as well as normal behaviour.

Ophthalmologist do not believe that vision and learning are connected in any way. Learning problems should, in their opinion, be treated by special education classes. Doctors routinely prescribe drugs for hyperactive children. Ritalin, the most popular drug is classified in the same category of drugs as cocaine and morphine. It makes you think about the wisdom of giving this on a regular basis to children.

The multidisciplinary approach to ADD and ADHD treatment.

Treatment of allergies to pollen, molds, dust, foods and / or chemicals by eliminating or neutralizing them has been shown to aliviate similar symptoms, and without side effects.

Vision training - improves skills that allow a person to pay attention. These skill areas include visual tracking, fixation, focus change, binocular fusion and visualization. When all of these are well developed, children and adults can sustain attention, read and write without careless errors, give meaning to what they hear and see, and rely less on movement to stay alert.

Special training is available teaching children with ADD and ADHD how to manage their internal images. There are effective techniques developed in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming by Don Blackerby Ph.D. This research shows that these children have multiple moving images to which they are trying to react. Teaching them how to pay attention to one image at a time, there is no loner any need to be hyperactive. For more information click here

Occupational therapy for children with sensory integration dysfunction enhances their ability to process lower level senses related to alertness, understanding movement, body position and touch. This allows them to pay more attention to the higher level senses of hearing and seeing.