Seeing Clearly

Haircut, dentist and doctor’s visit, check. Shoes, backpack, lunch bag and coloured pencils, double check. Did you forget one more item on that back-to-school check list? If you consider that 80 per cent of what a child learns is through vision, you might have.
Approximately 86 per cent of children start school without ever having an eye examination and a surprising one in four children has an undetected vision problem that can interfere with their ability to read and learn.

Given those statistics, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that proper eye care and eyewear are critical to a child’s performance inside and outside the classroom.

Undiagnosed vision problems are one of the major causes of learning difficulties in school-age children. These kinds of unresolved issues can lead children to exhibit a lack of attention or make them appear to be fidgety during the school day.

Common signs of possible vision problems in children can include:

• Holding reading materials too close to the eyes
• Constantly rubbing the eyes
• Continuously squinting
• Having irritated or teary eyes

But the best way to know if your child is experiencing vision problems is to have his eyes checked by an optometrist. The eye exams performed in many schools are not comprehensive and only test for distance vision.

Regular routine, comprehensive eye exams and proper eyewear, like Transitions® adaptive lenses, are essential to preserving your child’s long-term eye health and detecting changes in eye health.

Want to learn more about your children’s eye health? Explore more Questions and Answers for parents that can help or visit www.eyedidntknowthat.ca.