It's that time of year again. Boys and girls across the country are preparing for the next academic year, with their new bags, new books and a whole lot of anticipation. And if you haven't already done so, it's also an optimal time to bring your child in for an eye exam.
As you might have guessed, a lot of school-based learning is achieved visually. But even with this overt connection between sight and learning, a lot of people seem to be unaware of this, and don't include a visit to the eye doctor as part of their child's back to school medical check-up. As your child's vision may change frequently, regular eye care is necessary for success at school.
It is even more important to monitor the signs and symptoms of vision problems as your child progresses in school. Telltale signs may include not properly seeing numbers or letters, frequently watering eyes, eye rubbing, squinting, avoiding small print, and head tilting.
Not having the ability to meet the visual requirements in the classroom can affect his or her academic growth. Recently developed educational technology, such as interactive whiteboards, can even provoke previously hidden vision issues. Without adequate vision, kids can be at a disadvantage not just in the classroom, but also mentally, physically and emotionally.
If you're the parent of a glasses-wearing child, the start of the school year is a great time to reassess the suitability of his or her current frames and perhaps buy new glasses for your child for the new school year. Sometimes, although a child can see well wearing his or her old glasses, they may be uncomfortable to wear or perhaps the optical centers of the lenses are not optimally positioned anymore due to normal growth. If kids don't feel good in their glasses, they probably won't wear them much.
So don't forget to visit us when you're getting your kids ready for their year. We'll do our very best to help all the children we treat begin the new school year with vision that's in excellent condition.
