Kid's Vision Update
Vision problems in children and teenagers remain a huge concern and may contribute to poor school performance and behavior problems. Failure to detect and treat vision disorders in children can affect, among other things, learning performance, self-esteem, social-emotional behavior and academic achievement. This seems logical since approximately 80% of what we learn comes through vision.
Here are the FACTS:
1. Vision problems are prevalent in 25% of all school children in the U.S., according to expert estimates.
2. Only 10% of children ages nine to 15 years old who need eyeglasses actually have them.
3. Forty to 67 percent of children identified with vision problems during vision screenings do not receive the follow-up eye exams that are recommended.
4. Two out of three children in the U.S. do not receive any preventative vision care before they start school.
5. According to the National Parent Teach Association (NPTA), more than 10 million children in the U.S. have vision problems that may contribute to poor academic performance.
6. Teenagers who have low SAT scores and mediocre academic records have a high incidence of undetected or untreated vision problems. Such students are at risk for not completing a college education. In addition, uncorrected vision problems have been linked to high school drop-out rates.
Although uncorrected vision is not the sole cause of illiteracy and high school drop-out rates, vision is often overlooked as a contributing factor, despite research indicating its importance in childhood development and school performance.
When and how often should children's vision/eyes be examined?
I get asked this question a lot by parents. Below is a guideline that I follow:
Children need regular eye exams to detect vision problems that may interfere with learning. Routine eye exams are essential for children to be ready to learn in school, and experts say more than 80 percent of information children receive in classrooms is presented visually.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), children generally should have their first eye exam at six months of age, another exam at age three and again at the start of school. Risk-free children should then continue to have their eyes examined every two years until age 18.
Children with risk factors for vision problems may need their first eye exam earlier than six months of age and may need more frequent eye exams throughout childhood. Examples of risk factors include:
History of premature birth or low birth weight
Infection of mother during pregnancy (examples: rubella, venereal disease, herpes, AIDS)
Developmental delays
Turned or crossed eyes (strabismus)
Family history of eye disease
High refractive error or anisometropia
Other physical illness or disease
Also, children who currently wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have annual eye exams, according to the AOA.
Here are the FACTS:
1. Vision problems are prevalent in 25% of all school children in the U.S., according to expert estimates.
2. Only 10% of children ages nine to 15 years old who need eyeglasses actually have them.
3. Forty to 67 percent of children identified with vision problems during vision screenings do not receive the follow-up eye exams that are recommended.
4. Two out of three children in the U.S. do not receive any preventative vision care before they start school.
5. According to the National Parent Teach Association (NPTA), more than 10 million children in the U.S. have vision problems that may contribute to poor academic performance.
6. Teenagers who have low SAT scores and mediocre academic records have a high incidence of undetected or untreated vision problems. Such students are at risk for not completing a college education. In addition, uncorrected vision problems have been linked to high school drop-out rates.
Although uncorrected vision is not the sole cause of illiteracy and high school drop-out rates, vision is often overlooked as a contributing factor, despite research indicating its importance in childhood development and school performance.
When and how often should children's vision/eyes be examined?
I get asked this question a lot by parents. Below is a guideline that I follow:
Children need regular eye exams to detect vision problems that may interfere with learning. Routine eye exams are essential for children to be ready to learn in school, and experts say more than 80 percent of information children receive in classrooms is presented visually.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), children generally should have their first eye exam at six months of age, another exam at age three and again at the start of school. Risk-free children should then continue to have their eyes examined every two years until age 18.
Children with risk factors for vision problems may need their first eye exam earlier than six months of age and may need more frequent eye exams throughout childhood. Examples of risk factors include:
History of premature birth or low birth weight
Infection of mother during pregnancy (examples: rubella, venereal disease, herpes, AIDS)
Developmental delays
Turned or crossed eyes (strabismus)
Family history of eye disease
High refractive error or anisometropia
Other physical illness or disease
Also, children who currently wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have annual eye exams, according to the AOA.