When was the last time your child had an eye exam? Just like us, our children can benefit from regular appointments to monitor the condition of their eyes, as well as their vision. There is a range of aspects to their eye health that should be assessed by a professional on a regular basis.


With children now headed back to the classroom, it’s an ideal time to make sure that your child’s eyes are healthy, and their vision isn’t compromising their ability to learn or their quality of life. 

Here’s what you need to know about why pediatric eye exams are a back to school essential. 

Visual Skills

Children need to have the same visual skills as we do to be able to function properly. These skills develop during childhood, meaning that it’s important for a professional to ensure that these skills are developing as they should. Some of the visual skills that your child will acquire include:
 

• Near and distance vision
   

• Intermediate vision
   

• Binocular vision (how two eyes work in synchronization to create a single image)
   

• Eye movement including tracking
   

• Reaction times
   

• Focusing skills
   

• Peripheral awareness
   

• Hand-eye coordination 

If your child’s visual skills need additional support, your pediatric eye doctor will be able to recommend exercises or other treatments to strengthen them. Doing this early on is much easier than waiting until your child has matured. It also means that they have all of the visual skills needed to flourish at school.

Eye Problems Common in Children

There are a number of vision problems that occur more regularly in children than adults. One of these is amblyopia, which is known as a lazy eye. This can’t be fully corrected with glasses alone, so treatment is needed to strengthen the weaker eye. Another is strabismus, which is also known as crossed eyes and is characterized by one or both eyes turning inwards. Detecting these problems early on enables prompt treatment, preventing them from having a negative effect on the quality of your child’s life and their ability to learn at school. 

Children Aren’t Aware of Vision Problems

One of the greatest challenges faced by parents and pediatric eye doctors is that children don’t always realize that their vision isn’t as good as it could be. Unless their vision suddenly deteriorates, or it prevents them from doing the same things as their peers, your child may not think that there is anything wrong with their vision. Some will also struggle to communicate the issues that they are experiencing to their parents or guardians. 

As a result, parents/teachers should lookout for the following signs of potential vision problems:

 

• Sitting close to the television or board
   

• Squinting
   

• Tilting their head when focusing on an object at any distance
   

• Constant eye rubbing
   

• Extreme light sensitivity
   

• Poor focus/lack of concentration
   

• Skipping lines when reading, missing words, or losing their place easily
   

• Eye fatigue
   

• Complaints of headaches

If you notice any of these, you should arrange for your child to see your pediatric eye doctor as soon as possible.

For more pediatric eye exams, visit General Vision Express Lens Lab in Brooklyn, NY. Call (718) 486-6055 to schedule an appointment