No — not being able to unfocus the eyes on command is not an ADHD symptom. However, some eye conditions that affect the eye's ability to focus are more common in people with ADHD. For example, convergence insufficiency makes it difficult for the eyes to focus on close objects.
Reasons why your eyes may go blurry at night can include: You are tired so your visual system is fatigued. You have a refractive error such as long-sightedness or astigmatism. During the day, you may be able to compensate for these, but when your eyes are tired, your vision can go blurry.
1. Eye contact: Avoidance of eye contact is ADHD behaviour – your child/young person may look as if they are ignoring you but some find making eye contact really difficult. 2. Fidgeting: Not standing or sitting still or fiddling with something whilst you are talking with them, i.e. toys, cushions etc.
Results from a large survey of 75,000 children suggest an increased risk of ADHD among children with vision problems that are not correctable with glasses or contacts, such as color blindness or lazy eye, relative to other children.
The most common visual condition related to ADHD diagnoses is convergence insufficiency (reduced ability for the eyes to focus, read and work at near). Those with ADHD are three times more likely to have convergence insufficiency.
Atypical Presentation of ADHD Symptoms
Impaired sense of time (loses track of time, often late, hates waiting, avoids doing homework, etc.) Sleep disturbances (has trouble with sleep initiation, sleep deprived, can't wake up easily, etc.)
Masking is when a person with ADHD acts in a “socially acceptable” way to fit in and form better connections with those around them. This usually involves camouflaging their symptoms by controlling their impulses, rehearsing responses, and copying the behaviors of those who don't have ADHD.
Be on the lookout for nonverbal clues.
These include body language, such as moving away from you, cutting conversations short, or crossing their arms or legs. Also note facial expressions, such as red faces, scowls, tight lips, or hurt or angry eyes.
ADHD stimming is when a person with ADHD displays self-stimulatory behavior by repeating certain sounds and movements unconsciously. There are many different examples, including lip biting, rocking back and forth, humming, teeth grinding, or chewing gum.
If you're prone to extreme anxiety, and are experiencing common symptoms of anxiety such as an elevated heart rate, sweating, and not being able to concentrate, your blurry vision may be caused by your anxiety.
Many people have a tendency for their eyes to drift out when they are day dreaming or staring off into space. If the eyes are easily able to refocus, this is called exophoria. In some cases, over time, the outward turn may happen more often to the point where it becomes constant. In exotropia, the eyes do not realign.
What is exotropia? Exotropia is a form of strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes. If you have exotropia, one or both of your eyes turn outward (toward your ears). In monocular exotropia, the turning involves one eye.
Differences in the quality and fluency of speech are also often seen in people with ADHD. In some cases, this disorder has been detected and diagnosed as a result of these differences. As an individual with ADHD works to organize their thoughts when talking, using more filler words or repeating sounds/words is common.
Excessive talking is a common symptom for kids with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), who often have trouble inhibiting and controlling their responses. 1 They may blurt out whatever first comes to mind, whether appropriate or not, without thinking through how their words may be received.
High IQ may “mask” the diagnosis of ADHD by compensating for deficits in executive functions in treatment-naïve adults with ADHD.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
Symptoms of Mood Swings in ADHD
Switching from excited one moment to sad, angry, or anxious the next. Fluctuating between having trouble paying attention and hyperfocusing on an activity. Having bursts of energy and fatigue through the day. Feeling emotions intensely and having difficulty regulating them.
With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
The rarest type of ADHD diagnosed is the hyperactive-impulsive type with no indication of inattentive or distracted behavior, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The Mini ADHD Coach Medical Advisor says: “Zoning out is a common core symptom of Inattentive-type ADHD when your brain involuntarily shifts focus from the task at hand. The reason this occurs is due to the differences in connectivity between brain networks that conduct where you should (or want to) focus.
Common symptoms associated with problems with vision and ADHD include: Difficulty with reading and writing. Covering one eye while reading. Trouble sitting still or focusing during class and homework.