We look at our children and see all the beauty the world has to offer, but what does your child see when they look back at you? What if your child can’t see clearly at all? Would you be able to tell? Unfortunately many child vision problems go undetected and as a result, untreated. There are many serious eye diseases that do not have symptoms that are recognizable to the untrained eye.
Importance of child’s eye exams
Children learn more in the first five years of their life then they will throughout their entire lifetime. This is the same for developmental growth. Many conditions of the eye need to be diagnosed during childhood in order to set them on the right path to recovery or management of the condition. This is especially important for conditions such as amblyopia or more commonly known as a “lazy eye.” Getting your child’s eyes examined before they reach the age of six can ensure that any problems are detected and possible treatments can be administered. The worst that can happen is your child is given a clean bill of health!
Impact on learning
When a child enters a school environment their vision becomes more important than ever before. Suddenly they must look up to the front of a classroom for instruction from a teacher. And much of what they do in a day is visual learning. For children who suffer from undiagnosed vision impairments this can be a very frustrating task. Even if your child is not complaining about having vision issues, it is safer to have a vision test completed and rule out any possible concerns.
Importance of a thorough eye exam
Some schools may offer a type of vision screening exam which many parents will count as sufficient for an eye exam. Although the vision screen is good and can detect some vision impairments, it is not as thorough as an in-depth eye exam. A proper eye exam Tests for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, color perception, lazy eye, crossed-eyes, eye coordination, depth perception and focusing ability. Be sure to go the extra mile for your child and arrange a comprehensive eye exam.
Many children go without proper eye exams largely due to misinformation on the parent’s part. Children’s vision month is all about raising awareness for the importance of children’s vision health and continuing to educate parents on how to detect and treat different childhood vision impairments. Every child deserves to see the beautiful world they have in front of them!
Celebrate children’s vision month and schedule an eye exam with Laurier Optical Innes Eye Clinic today!