In the crazy rush to get the kids back to school, the last thing on your to-do list might actually be the most important. An annual eye exam is essential for good eye health, just to make sure there are no underlying issues that need to be addressed.
Sobering Statistics to Consider This School Year
Studies have shown that 1 in 4 children have some form of vision problem, yet only half of children under the age of 12 have ever gone to an eye care professional. Children don’t know what is “normal” versus, what isn’t. They don’t actually know they have a problem, and can suffer needlessly for months or even years until the problem becomes so obvious to other people, such as teachers, that they are referred to an eye doctor.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. Eye issues can cause children to do poorly in school, especially if they can’t see the board or can’t read well. Eye issues also affect their other skills, such as sports and socializing with others. Vision and hearing loss are the #1 causes of disability in the world. Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to help our children do their best in and out of school.
School Vision Tests vs. Eye Exams
Some children will get vision tests at school, which might help reveal an underlying problem a teacher might have noticed, such as a child struggling to see the board. But a vision test and an eye exam are two different things.
A full eye exam will test not just vision, but check for any eye disease, whether or not the person is colorblind, whether or not the eyes work together correctly, and more.
A child may pass a vision test but still need glasses for reading, or suffer from lazy eye, eye coordination problems and more. To learn more about the types of visual issues that affect children,
Since most learning at school is visual, set your child up for school success every year with an annual eye exam. You can setup your annual exam by giving our office a call or dropping in for more information about what the annual eye exam entails. Either way, we’re happy to serve you and your family.
