Seeing is Believing: Eye Exams for Classroom Success

With the school year back in full swing, we all know that for children, good vision is critical for many classroom tasks - from reading books or seeing a blackboard to viewing a computer screen. But for a child who has trouble seeing, this time of year can bring about feelings of fear and dread. The thought of having to struggle through another academic year can take a devastating toll on both the student and his or her family.

How common are visual problems in children today?

10 million school children in America have vision conditions that can negatively affect learning, with about 1 in 4 children having a vision problem.

80% of what children learn in their early school years is visual. Without those critical vision skills, many kids enter school with learning-related vision problems such as difficulty focusing between a book and the blackboard, or trouble controlling or coordinating eye movements.

Studies indicate that 60% of children identified as "problem learners" actually suffer from undetected vision problems.

Subtle signs your child may have vision problems...

Loses his or her place while reading
Avoids close work
Holds reading material closer than normal
Tends to rub his or her eyes
Has headaches
Turns or tilts head to use one eye only
Makes frequent reversals when reading or writing
Uses finger to maintain place when reading
Omits or confuses small words when reading
Consistently performs below potential
Behavioral problems
When should a child have his or her first comprehensive eye exam?

The longer a vision problem goes undiagnosed and untreated, the more a child's brain has to overcompensate to live with the vision problem, instead of developing and learning normally. Unfortunately, a recent survey showed that 57% of children did not receive their first eye exam until age five or older.

A child's first eye exam take place at six months of age
Unless problems are detected, the next exam should be at three years
Again, before entering primary school
Finally, every two years thereafter
Good vision equals good grades in the classroom!