Children With Less Than Average Vision: How Many Actually Know?

Most schools conduct vision screening every year for students. While these screenings do catch some problems, optometry professionals do not usually conduct them. As a result, they may not catch many of the problems that could be interfering with your child’s vision and ability to perform in school. In fact, these simple vision screenings might miss up to 60 percent of kids with vision issues. Some of these issues might be small, but some may be incorrectly diagnosed as other types of learning disabilities.

While a simple test with an eye chart might be very good at catching students who are near-sighted, they may never pick up on kids who are far-sighted, suffer from dyslexia, poor focus, and a host of other vision problems that need to be addressed. It is always prudent to arrange a regular exam with an optometrist to find out if your child can really read everything, from the blackboard to the tiny words on a standardized test. Some of these problems might be addressed with therapy, eye surgery, or a simple pair of eyeglasses.

How to Tell If a School-Aged Child Might Have Vision Problems

Does your child avoid reading or any activities that require close-up vision?
Does your child attempt to do his work, but still seems to be frustrated and inefficient for no apparent reason?
Does your child seem to be transposing letters or numbers in the wrong space or the wrong line?
Does your child complain of fatigue, or display a short attention span when called upon to read or do activities that require near vision?

Some children are actually incorrectly identified as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or other learning disabilities when the real problem is that they simply cannot focus well enough to perform certain types of work. It is sensible to schedule an eye exam to determine if a simple pair of eyeglasses can solve the problem. This can be true even if your child has passed the simple eye test at school. Some children might be far-sighted. This means they are very adept at reading letters and numbers on an eye chart that is held several feet away from them, but they are unable to read letters and numbers that are on a sheet of paper a few inches from their eyes. You cannot expect your young child to know this is the problem because they have no other experience to compare it to. You need the services of a trained professional to figure out if there are any subtle or major vision problems that can be easily corrected.

Can You Spot Vision Problems In Pre-School Aged Kids?

You might even need to take a younger child to the eye doctor. If your preschooler or toddler always sits very close to the TV, has trouble with coordination, or seems unduly frustrated with age-appropriate activities, this could be a sign that the child needs glasses. As with children of any age, it is best to rule out this possibility before looking for other problems.

Young children definitely won’t be able to communicate their problems directly. They will instead rely on their parents to notice and get them the help they need so that they can learn to focus properly and engage in age-appropriate learning and development. A simple pair of eyeglasses might help get a preschooler started out the right way for a lifetime of learning.

Vision Examinations Can Also Spot Other Health Problems

In any case, eye doctors are very good at detecting other health issues by conducting a thorough eye examination. While most of these health problems are not associated with young children, they can show up early. These might include diabetes and macular degeneration. The sooner these medical conditions are caught, the sooner they can be treated to maximize the possibility of a good outcome.

Will Eyeglasses Correct Every Vision Problem?

Most vision problems are easily corrected with a good pair of prescription lenses. In some cases, children may not be able to focus their eyes properly and they might need therapy that includes sessions at the optometrist’s office or exercises to take home. In other cases, surgery might be suggested to help strengthen the child’s eye muscles. An eye doctor in Jacksonville can correctly diagnose the problem and prescribe the best course of action for your child.

Take Your Child to ValuVision for an Eye Appointment Right Away

You can schedule an eye appointment for your child at any one of our VAL-Uvision offices in Jacksonville. We carry eyeglasses and contact lenses for all ages and various eye issues. Simply select the optometry office near you in JAX location. You and your child will be made comfortable by a friendly, helpful, and patient staff during your entire visit. Your child may be told that his vision is perfect, offered a pair of sturdy and attractive glasses, or referred for other treatment. Either way, you will get to enjoy the satisfaction and relief of knowing you have done everything you can to help your child enjoy a lifetime of clear eyesight. Come see us at any of our convenient Jacksonville locations for all of your eye care needs today!