As summer vacation winds down, the weeks leading up to the school year are an ideal time to schedule an eye exam for your child. Keeping in tune with your child’s eye health as they continue to grow is important, both for diagnosing any issues early and making sure that they have the vision help they need.
Here’s why it’s important to have your child’s eyes examined before the school year begins.
Vision is Critical for Learning
Up to 80% of learning is visual, and reading, writing, using computers and participating in activities all rely heavily on having clear and accurate vision.
Undiagnosed vision issues in children can lead to impacts in their educational development, such as difficulty reading or staying focused, poor handwriting or trouble following along with visual cues in videos, demonstrations and group work. If a child has a vision issue, these tasks can become frustrating or exhausting.
Regular comprehensive eye exams can help to identify and address these issues before they impact development.
Children May Not Know They Have a Vision Problem
Children, especially at younger ages, typically lack a frame of reference to compare their vision to what’s considered normal. If they’ve always seen the world a certain way, they may believe that everyone sees the same way.
As many vision issues aren’t painful, a child may not notice that their eyesight is causing them difficulties. Plus, younger children may lack the vocabulary to properly describe eye issues; this makes it difficult for parents and teachers to spot vision trouble solely on behavior.
Though school vision screenings can catch some issues, most only test visual acuity, meaning more subtle problems can go unnoticed. Only a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist can uncover these hidden concerns.
Early Detection Prevents Long-Term Issues
Early in development, a child’s eyes and brain are still learning to work together, and connections between them continue to form during the first 7-10 years of life. This window is crucial for diagnosing and addressing any visual problems, as they may become more difficult to correct later in life.
Additionally, early vision treatment can help with motor skills (ex. hand-eye coordination), navigational safety (ex. depth perception) and social engagement (ex. understanding social cues), supporting physical development and emotional well-being.
Back-to-School Timing is Convenient
If you don’t do so already, scheduling your child’s eye exam in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year as an annual tradition is a great idea.
Getting the exam done before school starts means that your child won’t have to miss class time or school activities – or adjust to new treatments (such as glasses) in a school environment right away.
Also, if any vision issues are uncovered during the exam, you’ll also be able to address any necessary follow-ups immediately and communicate with teachers proactively about visual accommodations.
Finding Care
The doctors at Bauer & Clausen Optometry make eye exams comfortable for your child – and for you. Together, we can help them see the new school year clearly.
Schedule an exam with our friendly providers by calling 406-656-8886. We look forward to seeing you soon.
