Vision Check-Ups for Children
I will never forget 4th grade. I had the most wonderful teacher in all of Virginia, Mrs. Titus. She was a firecracker. She came to school the day after the Superbowl in full Redskins regalia. She taught me how to knit. And she told the whole class that I could be a writer.
It was also the year I just couldn't figure out why our overhead projector was so bad. (Please tell me you remember overhead projectors so I don't feel so old.)
A basic eye exam at school caught the fact that my vision was pretty bad. I got my first pair of glasses - the extra-large variety that skimmed cheeks, very popular in the early 90s.
Studies show one in four U.S. children have an undetected vision problem. Often, parents rely on school screenings, which can catch basic nearsightedness but neglect to discover other problems.
In between visits to the eye doctor (which should take place once a year after the child starts school), parents of school-age children should keep a watchful eye out for some signs that a child’s vision may be impaired and contact an optometrist if their child frequently:
- Loses place while reading
- Avoids close work
- Tends to rub eyes
- Has headaches
- Turns or tilts head
- Makes frequent reversals when reading or writing
- Omits or confuses small words when reading
- Consistently performs below potential
- Struggles to complete homework
- Squints while reading or watching television
- Has behavioral problems
As Stephanie Tanner taught us on Full House (hm, dating myself again), glasses aren't all that bad, even for a kid. Some people even look better in glasses. My husband says I do! - Jessie
Do your kids wear glasses? When were they diagnosed with vision problems?
Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source. Thank you to the American Optometric Association for the information in this post.
