Project SAVE

There are approximately seven to ten
million children between the ages of
three to five being treated for ADHD. At
the same time statistics also indicate
that one out of every four children may
possibly have an undetected visual
problem that can lead to poor concentration,
poor academic performance
and negative behavioral changes.
The worst possible case scenario
would be a child with an undetected
visual problem being misdiagnosed
an unnecessarily medicated for an
ADHD condition that does not exist.
Unfortunately, this worst case scenario
is not only a speculation but a reality!

Did you know that schools today are no longer testing the eyes of children as they once did in public schools? Did you also know that many schools today neither rule out nor even consider visual problems as a possible cause for poor academics and behavior in students? For those schools that do say they do, many of them refer parents to pediatricians who are not vision specialists. Therefore, without proper professional visual testing, students are instead being considered for learning disabilities and ADHD which are treated with either special education or strong psychiatric medications. These treatments may be suitable for learning disabilities and ADHD, but for an undetected visual problem causing the same symptoms they offer no solution, only consequences. And believe me there are consequences. I’ve seen a parent in tears because their child couldn’t be taught not by one but two separate special education programs. I’ve seen those parents with their hearts broken because their children were forced to take ADHD medication that made them feel awful and gave no significant improvements academically. An undetected visual problem left untreated ultimately means that a child’s potentially bright future is now at risk of being left behind or lost.

For students to be proficient at learning in today’s world, first things must be first. They must first be proficient with their abilities that are most foundational to learning such as VISION. A pioneering optometrist by the name of G.N. Getman, O.D. wrote the book ‘HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR CHILD’S INTELLIGENCE’ copy written in 1962 and 1984. In it he wrote,
“What a child sees and understands, he can know; what a child knows determines his cultural intelligence.”
Children today not only continue to live in a visual world but face a much greater visual demand compared to previous years due to the technological advancements that were made in the last half century. Also, with the accelerated curriculums our children face today, parents are finding themselves less and less able to assist their children succeed academically than ever before.

Project SAVE is a public awareness project that stands for ‘Supporting Academic & Visual Excellence.’ The purpose of this project is to supply as many parents as possible with information concerning a basic care that has been around for years but has gradually become overlooked. This vital information could very well provide parents with the solution to their children’s seemingly unsolvable or frustrating academic difficulties.
If you’ve any questions, need to acquire more information or would like to have
Dr. Makini speak at your next gathering,
please call 674-0744.