Vision Problems Can Be Misdiagnosed As ADHD

Today, I was researching information to help me testify on some pending vision screening legislation that could truly make a difference in your child's learning success.

In addition, I received an e-mail from a mom of a 10 year old, who asked for help, because despite a regular eye exam, her son was still struggling in school. A portion of my reply to the mom is below, as well as a link to the NBC news segment on how vision problems can often be misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD.

For more than 30 years, American schoolchildren have suffered from declining reading scores, and today, the National Center for Education Statistics says that nearly 70% of America's 4th, 8th and 12th graders are not reading at grade level.

As I've said so many times, you want your child to beat these odds. My daughter did, and is now a pediatrician helping heal children. Hundreds and even thousands of others have been helped in the same way my daughter was. Had I not discovered the source of her vision problems early however, it could have negatively affected her entire school career and she might not be a doctor today.

As a parent, howtolearn has worked very closely with multiple optometric associations and developed an inventory that can help you give your eye doctor more information about what may really getting in the way of your child's learning progress.

If you're concerned that your child may have ADD/ADHD, which one of our medical doctor experts recently told me may be the latest "fad" diagnosis, you may be very interested in the NBC5 Chicago newstory on why vision problems may be mis-diagnosed as ADD/ADHD.

I welcome and encourage your comments and we have several free Instant Learning tips newsletters that you may want to receive or show to your friends.

America's Reading Crisis: Nearly 70 % Don't Read At Grade Level

Former President Jimmy Carter said, "Vision is the single biggest handicapping problem in children."

If you're stumped as to why your child struggles to read, school eye chart exams won't give you the answer. They are for distance eyesight only, and no child reads a book at 20 feet away while covering one eye.

Before heading back to school, give your child a comprehensive vision exam, listen to your child read aloud and ask the following questions to get to the bottom of the problem and how to solve it.