July 31, 2021

When it is time for children to head back to school, the to-do list for parents is usually long. They need to meet teachers, refresh their children’s wardrobes, resume bedtimes, and purchase school supplies. Also, a physical or wellness exam could be on most parents’ lists. Additionally, you should not skip the eye exam.

 

In Washington, as in many other areas of the country, no one knows exactly what school will look like this year. Nevertheless, whether you are preparing your children for a classroom or home learning environment, you should plan to take them for a back-to-school eye exam.

 

Back-to-School Eye Exams

According to eye doctors, parents should always have their children’s eyesight checked at the beginning of each school year. Children’s eyesight tends to change often and very quickly, especially during adolescence.

 

Eye Exams for Preschoolers

That being said, even preschoolers should get an eye exam to ensure their eyes are focusing properly and well-aligned. This preventive measure can identify and address various eye/vision problems or diseases down the road. This is why the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends an eye examination before the age of three and at least every two years until age nineteen.

 

Benefits

One of the most important aspects of learning is good eyesight. About 80 percent of learning is visual. If your little one finds it difficult to see clearly, their learning could be negatively affected.

 

It’s important to ensure that your child possesses the visual resources they need to develop and grow normally. To do so, have their eyes and vision checked at certain stages of their development by an eye doctor. Otherwise, they may end up facing many difficulties in life due to some undiagnosed and untreated eye and vision problems. These include academic, athletic, and social challenges.

 

Basic Visual Skills Kids Need to Learn and Thrive

Back-to-school eye exams are extremely important since kids need certain visual skills to succeed in and out of school. These include:

 

• Distance vision
   

• Near vision
   

• Focusing skills
   

• Binocular coordination
   

• Hand-eye coordination
   

• Eye movement skills
   

• Peripheral awareness
  
   

Signs of Poor Vision in Kids

Young kids may not be able to tell you if they have a vision problem. They may not even realize that their vision is the problem if they’re experiencing difficulty in some area of life or learning. As a parent, you can be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of poor vision.

 

Some of these include frequent rubbing of the eyes, squinting, chronic tearing, and sitting too close to the television. Others include red eyes, holding books closely while reading, poor visual tracking and focusing or an eye that turns.

 

Taking your child for a back-to-school eye exam is a great way to determine whether they have a vision problem. If they do, catching it early simply means your little one will get started on the best possible treatment before symptoms advance further.

To learn more about the importance of back-to-school eye exams, call East Main Vision Clinic at our office in Puyallup, Washington at 253-780-0700 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.