With the new school year just beginning, now is an ideal time to get your child’s eyes and vision checked by your family eye doctor at Clarke EyeCare Center. Here’s why.

Healthy eyes and clear vision are essential for your child’s education

It probably comes as no surprise that your child will rely on their eyes and vision a great deal when they are at school. As much as 80% of learning is presented in a visual format, which means that if your child’s vision is impaired, they could be missing out on vital education. This could affect their ability to fulfill their academic potential, affect their grades, and even their long-term future. There is also a small percentage of children who are misdiagnosed with learning difficulties each year, when in fact it is their vision that is affecting their behavior in the classroom. Common misdiagnoses include dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorders. 

Clear vision helps to keep your child safe

We rely on our vision for our day-to-day safety more than you probably realize. Whether it’s identifying a potential hazard such as a step, obstacle in the path or changing traffic signals, or something like taking the right medication, our eyesight is a crucial sense for us to be able to live our lives safely. The same applies to your child, who will also be learning how to keep themselves safe when at school and out in the world. If there is an issue with their vision, it could inadvertently be putting them at risk. For example, someone who is color blind may have issues telling different shades of red and green apart. This could make it difficult for them to identify traffic signals, meaning that they cross the road when it isn’t safe to do so. By ensuring your child has healthy vision and healthy eyes, you are playing an important role in their safety when they aren’t with you. 

Common signs that there could be an issue with your child’s vision or eye health

Since children are not very good at communicating that they are experiencing problems with their eyesight, or if they are very young they may not have the words to explain this, it is helpful for parents to be aware of the common signs that could indicate that your child is having issues with their vision or eye health. These can include:

• Persistent eye-rubbing
• Squinting
• Straining or turning their head to look at objects
• Squeezing their eyes
• Tilting their head to one side
• Struggling to read the board
• Difficulty paying attention in class
• Avoiding reading in class
• Losing their place, skipping lines or words, or other problems associated with reading
• Crossed eyes
• Eyes pointing in different directions
• Lazy eye

If your child presents any of these symptoms, it is worth scheduling an appointment for an eye exam with our experienced and friendly eye care team. We can comprehensively assess your child’s vision and recommend treatment or prescription eyewear if necessary. 

For more advice on eye health for children, call Clarke EyeCare Center in Wichita Falls, Texas at (940) 905-0700 with any questions or to schedule an appointment today.