Is it ADHD, or is it his eyes?

I knew my oldest son, Reilly, needed an eye exam before we took him to a local pediatric specialist the summer he turned 5. He seemed to have depth-perception and fine-motor issues and he never showed any interest in drawing, writing or coloring.

When I scheduled his appointment, I figured I should schedule an appointment for our younger son, Foster, while I was at it.

Turns out, not only did both boys need glasses, they needed them badly. Reilly had a severe convergence insufficiency and Foster was so farsighted that he earned the impressive visual acuity measurement of 20/300 (as opposed to the “ideal” 20/20).

We were lucky to have caught Reilly’s problem before we enrolled him in Kindergarten, because it’s a condition that’s not easily identified by the common vision tests performed by the pediatrician or school nurse.

Convergence insufficiency is a little-known vision disorder that occurs when a child’s eyes don’t work together at close range and one eye swings outward. Those with convergence insufficiency suffer from eye fatigue after a short time of reading or writing. Young children with the disorder often struggle with school work and homework, and quickly earn a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

While experts believe that about 5 percent of children have convergence insufficiency, there is some consensus among pediatric ophthalmologists that there is a strong link between the condition and the many children diagnosed with ADHD. In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, a child must have six of nine symptoms—but five of those symptoms overlap with symptoms of convergence insufficiency. “We don’t know if convergence insufficiency makes ADHD worse or if convergence insufficiency is misdiagnosed as ADHD. What we do know is that more research must be done on this subject and that patients diagnosed with ADHD should also be evaluated for convergence insufficiency and treated accordingly,” said Dr. David B. Granet of the Children’s Eye Center.

Dr. Granet said one simple way to detect convergence insufficiency is to have your child hold his head up while you slowly bring the tip of a pencil toward his nose. If one of his eyes swings out—instead of coming in to focus on the pencil—you should schedule an exam with a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Because Reilly is so young, he still relies on glasses to correct his convergence insufficiency (he’s also fairly farsighted, so he’ll have a lifetime of corrected vision). Older children and adults often find visual training and exercises improve their convergence issues and their related side effects.

The lack of clarity in this situation should give many parents even more reason to pursue a holistic approach to treating their children’s behavior issues before considering accepting a prescription medication to treat ADHD.

Supporting children’s eye health

Studies show that every child’s eyes can benefit from a daily serving of Omega 3 fats from fatty fish (see page 8), such as those found in Barlean’s Omega Swirl Lemon Zest flavored fish oil—one of my children’s favorite treats. This naturally flavored and xylitol-sweetened emulsified oil tastes like a sweet, delicious spoonful of lemon yogurt. In fact, I serve it to my kids in yogurt, because one spoonful simply isn’t enough to satisfy them—they could eat it by the dish!

For pinkeye and allergy eyes

If your children are susceptible to pinkeye bacterial infections or the redness of “allergy eyes,” colloidal silver is a must for the family medicine cabinet. Colloidal Silver is nothing more than microscopic silver molecules suspended in water. Silver has been used for thousands of years in alternative healing practices and in Eastern medicine. Colloidal Silver also has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.