Back To School & Your Child’s Vision

Back to School Logo

It’s that time of year again – Back To School.  We all know it means we need to get our children prepared for the new school year.  This includes buying school supplies, new clothes, new shoes, and an annual physical from the pediatrician.  But did you also know it is the best time for your child to have a comprehensive eye exam?  Vision problems can result in big issues at school and impede their learning process.  Correcting these issues prior to the school year can save you and your child a lot of stress and frustration. 

The most common vision issue is myopia (nearsightedness).  Myopia causes blurring of objects at a distance.  This will result in your child having difficulty seeing things on the board or projected onto a wall.

Another common problem arises when your child’s eyes do not function properly together, this is known as a binocular vision disorder.  When this is occurring, your child will have trouble tracking objects or following along lines of text in a book or on a computer. 

An inability to focus the eyes properly (accommodation) is another vision disorder that can affect a child’s performance.  The child will often have trouble keeping words (in a book or on a computer) in focus for extended periods of time and may even develop headaches from trying to strain their eyes to focus correctly.

All of these problems, and many other less common issues, can impede your child’s progress and ultimately frustrate them.  A comprehensive eye exam can detect any issues your child may be facing and a treatment option can be implemented.  Don’t wait for your child to tell you they can’t see as most children do not realize they are having a problem.  Early detection also allows for easier and better treatment of the problems found.