A child with an autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy or pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) may also suffer from a developmental delay within their vision abilities. At Vision Therapy, we treat developmentally delayed children and progress their vision and visually integrated sensory skills. As a result, our patients’ experience an increase in their learning abilities, an increase in their abilities to perform day-to-day tasks and they respond more effectively during other rehabilitative services.
If your child (or you) has been diagnosed with ADHD, you may be surprised to learn that ADHD has many of the same symptoms as a functional vision problem.
Fortunately, functional vision problems are detectable and treatable. If a functional vision problem is the actual source of your child’s difficulty with attention, there may be no need for ADHD treatments like medication.
That’s why a functional vision problem should be ruled out first for any child who is exhibiting signs and symptoms of an attention problem.
To be clear: Your child may have a vision problem. They may have ADHD. They may have both! But the first step to determining exactly what’s wrong so you can treat them correctly is to schedule a functional vision exam.
At The Vision Therapy Center, we’ve had many cases in which parents have brought in a child diagnosed with ADHD, only to discover that many (or all) of the child’s symptoms could be attributed to a functional vision problem.
A thorough eye examination is a crucial element in the care and development of a child with special-needs. But for a child who might not be able to sit still, who cannot communicate verbally or who has trouble controlling neck muscles, a regular eye check using typical techniques can be difficult or even impossible.
An alternative approach is therefore necessary and it may involve the collaboration with other members of the child’s healthcare team, such as his/her occupational therapist or physiotherapist, to get a full sense of their needs as well as to set appropriate goals.
The consultant optometrist may need to spend more time to evaluate the eye health and visual function and they may implement an individualised plan to remediate any issues. This helps each child reach his/her full visual potential.
The Paediatric Optometry Centre help children affected by a wide range of conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, albinism, developmental delays, Down’s syndrome, cortical visual impairment and low vision. An appointment for a functional vision assessment will be recommended.
