Is ODD a real thing? No, there’s not a diagnostic code like this in vision or medical care. But, there should be!
Take a look around. Are kids talking to one another or are they staring at their smart phones? It’s a beautiful day out; are your kids outside playing or inside playing on their tablets? And parents, do your children see you staring at your technology and wonder why they can’t do the same?
Let’s face it; we are raising a generation of children whose world is a glowing piece of tech held 8 inches from their faces. These kids no longer have conversations; just tweets, texts, and snap chats. So yes, these are kids with
Outdoor Deficit Disorder!
Not only can this affect their interpersonal relationships but it is a leading cause of progressive myopia (distance vision changes in children in time frames of less than one year and in units greater than 0.50 diopter or degree).What can you do about it?
- Restrict their non-school tech time and give them non-tech activities to do
- Make sure they go outside and play (at any activity) 7-10 hours per week, year round
- Do not allow babies or toddlers to use your technology
- Make sure they are holding their tech at least the length of their forearm from their eyes
- Make sure their hair doesn’t come down on the side of their face where it can obscure light from the side when they are working up close
- Bring your child in for a no-charge Orthokeratology / Myopia Management consult if you suspect they have progressive myopia
Yes, you could say Outdoor Deficit Disorder is a real thing and it causes vision and interpersonal problems in those most susceptible, our children. The time to act is now!