Healthy eyes and good eyesight ensure children develop to their full potential. That includes physical, psychological, social, and academic development throughout childhood. Hence, it is essential to identify any eye or vision problem early since it can make a huge difference in your child's life.

As a parent with school-aged kids, you want your little ones to have the best opportunities in life. Thus, you should ensure your children have one of the most critical aspects of learning: proper vision. 

According to research, about 80 percent of a child's learning ability takes place visually. So, an undiagnosed vision issue can cause learning difficulties even in the brightest students. 
 

Vision Issues in Kids

A shockingly high percentage of kids have an undiagnosed and unaddressed vision or eye problem. Every parent should understand that some eye conditions do not present symptoms or signs in their early stages. 

As a parent, you need to know that it is never too early or late to take your child for an eye examination. A comprehensive eye examination will allow your pediatric eye doctor to identify and treat particular eye or vision conditions that may negatively affect your little one's development. 

 

Signs of Vision or Eye Problems in Kids

As stated earlier, some eye conditions do not show early symptoms or signs. Regular comprehensive eye exams at Wear Eyewear are the best way to ensure your child's eyes are healthy. Watching for signs of a vision or eye problem in your little one would be best. Some of these include:

 

• Frequent headaches
   

• Frequent eye rubbing
   

• Sitting too close to the computer or TV screen to see well
   

• Difficulty concentrating
   

• One eye appears to drift inward or outward

School Vision Screening Versus Comprehensive Eye Exam

There is a difference between a school vision screening and a comprehensive eye exam performed by a pediatric eye doctor. Vision screenings performed in school are not enough to tell a complete story. Your little one may pass a vision screening at school even if they have an undiagnosed eye or vision problem. 

 

School Vision Screening

Although vision screenings are not as thorough as comprehensive eye exams, they can detect simple issues like myopia. Unfortunately, they do not identify many vision problems that make it difficult for your little one to learn in school. Other shortcomings of school vision screening include poor testing environments, limited equipment, and inadequate training of the testers.

 

Comprehensive Eye Exams

The College of Vision Development estimates that about 25 percent of kids in the U.S. have vision problems. A school vision screening cannot detect many of these problems. However, comprehensive eye exams allow eye doctors to get a detailed picture of a child's vision, eyes, and visual skills. Hence, regular comprehensive eye exams are vital if you want to give your children the best platform to reach their academic potential.

 

Bottom Line

School vision screenings cannot replace comprehensive eye exams. No matter the results of your child's vision screening, regular eye exams are still necessary. 


For more on eye exams and vision screening for kids, visit Wear Eyewear at our Chicago or Orland Park, Illinois office. Call (312) 626-0036 or (708) 349-9327 to schedule an appointment today.