There is an almost endless list of supplies that a parent must obtain and tasks they must complete before sending their children back to school after a summer vacation, but most parents don’t realize that a thorough eye examination should be one of these tasks. Doctors say that vision problems can be an impediment to a child’s learning, and unfortunately, these problems often go unnoticed.
Eye problems can cause young children to have problems with visual tasks that teachers present to them, and this in turn can cause a child to earn low grades in school. The biggest problem with visual issues and children is that these issues can actually hinder a child from reading. There are several tell-tale signs that a child may have a vision problem as opposed to a reading problem.
- Dyslexia-like symptoms
- Skipping around or having to re-read lines
- Failure to comprehend reading material
- Excessive time spent doing homework
Unfortunately, these symptoms may lead some pediatricians to believe a child has dyslexia or another learning disability. The important thing to remember is that pediatricians are not trained to diagnose vision disorders. A parent should visit an optometrist to have a full vision examination performed.
It is recommended that children receive eye exams soon after birth. While developing, a child should also be taken to an optometrist at the age of six months, four to five years old, and then annually throughout their remaining developing years. Having these exams done before sending a child back to school can ensure that they have no vision-related hindrances to learning. An eye problem misdiagnosed as a developmental problem will usually have serious effects on a child’s actual development. As we all know, it is each parent’s job to make sure their child has every opportunity to succeed.