Do you know a child who struggles in school? Do they ever complain of tired eyes, eyestrain, headaches, or are they behind in reading? Part of the problem may be their vision.
Many people think of good vision as “20/20” eyesight. We think that as long as we can see clearly, our vision must be fine. Did you know that there are 17 essential visual skills that are needed for success in reading, writing, sports, and practically all of your daily activities?
In addition to clear vision, our eyes must be able to focus back and forth from the board to the desk, they must track smoothly across a line of print when reading, and they must continue to do this all day. According to the American Optometric Association, 1 in 4 children has a vision problem significant enough to affect their performance in school. A child can have 20/20 eyesight and still have other vision problems that are causing him/her to struggle.
How do you know if your child has such a vision problem? First, go through the following symptoms list. If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, the next step is a comprehensive eye and vision evaluation by a qualified optometrist. During the examination, the doctor will not only check your vision and health of your eyes, but will also check the visual skills your child needs for reading and learning.
- Frequent blinking or eye rubbing
- Short attention span
- Complaint of feeling tired or uncomfortable
- Avoiding reading or other activities that require close-up vision
- Frequent headaches
- Covering one eye
- Tilting the head to one side
- Holding reading materials too close to the face
- An eye turning in or out
- Seeing double
- Losing place when reading
- Difficulty remembering what they read