Optometrist Jess Perri, who has 16 years of experience, is urging parents to consider an eye examination before pursuing lengthy and costly assessments for ADHD in children with learning difficulties. She said many visual problems can mimic the symptoms of ADHD and may be easily treated with prism glasses and simple eye exercises.

Perri explained that vision and attention share similar pathways in the brain, meaning conditions where the eyes do not work together properly can present as inattention or hyperactivity. As a result, visual issues may be mistaken for ADHD.

One mother, Louise, shared her experience of having her son Tyson assessed for ADHD despite him having a known vision impairment. Tyson was later cleared of ADHD after undergoing an extensive and expensive assessment process, which Louise described as emotionally and financially exhausting.

Louise said Tyson’s concentration issues stem from his vision condition, which causes his eyes to work constantly at an intense pace, leading to fatigue similar to ADHD symptoms. She echoed Perri’s advice, encouraging parents to test their children’s eyesight before proceeding with ADHD evaluations.

Perri noted that a simple eye test could be the missing link in helping a child reach their full learning potential and may even prevent unnecessary stress, expense, and medication.