We send our children back to school equipped with notebooks, new pen sets, new clothes, stylish backpacks and an admonishment to study hard. Yet, unknowingly, we often neglect one of the most important tools of success: Good vision!

According to the Better Vision Institute, one-in-four children who entered kindergarten in the United States last year are suffering from an undiagnosed vision disorder.

Nearly 80 percent of learning is processed through your child’s vision system. Undiscovered vision problems can result in learning difficulties and an inability to attend to and respond to teacher instruction. It is well known that farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism relate directly to classroom performance. Many parents are unaware that the efficiency of their child's vision system is also a major contributor to their ability to learn at near range. Eyes that don’t move smoothly together while reading makes it very difficult for a child to stay focused on what they are attempting to read. A child with poor vision skills is often overwhelmed from their very first day of school. 

Chances are you are relying on the school nurse or your pediatric office to use the “Big E” eye chart to find your child’s vision problems. But did you know that those screenings only detect 20 to 30 percent of vision problems in children? Your child can pass the screening and still have an undiagnosed vision problem that interferes with their ability to learn.

Eye examinations should be scheduled annually for children from kindergarten through senior year. Your child’s eyes change rapidly during the early years and vision changes continue throughout their school years and often accompany growth spurts. The American Optometric Association recommends that children receive their first examination by six months of age and at age three, prior to entering pre-school programs.

Yearly examinations are recommended for all school-aged children.

Signs and symptoms to be on the lookout for include:

• holding reading material very close to the eyes;

• short attention span, daydreaming while working;

• drop in athletic or scholastic performance;

• frequent squinting or eye rubbing;

• poor eye/hand coordination;

• avoidance of close work; and/or

• complaints of headaches, double vision, blur or eye fatigue.

Tips on scheduling your child’s first eye examination. Not all eye doctors are equipped to test infants, so it is important to inquire when scheduling your baby’s first exam as to whether or not they accept infants as patients. Often special preferential looking paddles are used to determine visual acuities, also tested are pupil responses and your baby’s ability to fixate and follow.

Eye testing for pre-school children. Many parents are surprised to learn that their pre-school aged children do not have to know their letters in order to undergo a comprehensive vision exam, even when they are too young or too shy to verbalize. 

Some tests commonly administered to pre-school children specifically include:

LEA Symbols for young children are similar to regular eye tests using charts with letters, except that special symbols in these tests include an apple, house, square and circle.

Retinoscopy is a test that involves shining a light into the eye to observe the reflection from the back of the eye (retina) where images reach light sensitive cells.  This test helps the eye doctor to determine your child’s need for a prescription.

Random dot stereopsis uses dot patterns to measure how each eye sees in relation to the other eye.

A thorough look inside the child’s eye is done to check for any signs of eye disease.

School-aged children. Obviously as your child ages and is a more active participant during examination, the exams more closely resemble an adult vision examination. Still there are differences with regards to additional testing that is done to check their eyes alignment (misalignment is known as strabismus), convergence insufficiency (eyes ability to pull inward to focus at near range), focusing (accommodation), color vision and depth perception testing.

Older children will also receive an eye health assessment through an examination of the child’s eyelids and lid margins, looking for shape irregularity and discharge on the lashes or lid margins. The doctor may turn lower lids inside out (evert) to look for abnormal or infected eyelash follicles, bumps (papillae), discharge and swelling (edema). Your eye doctor will likely also examine the cornea, iris and lens to look for cloudiness (opacities) or other irregularities.

Vision examination and your child’s school performance. Remember that appropriate vision examinations at an early age and on a consistent basis thereafter are vital components to your child’s ability to learn and therefore their school performance. A child who experiences difficulty while seeing the blackboard, while reading a book or on the computer can become easily frustrated, leading to poor performance in school. Many children’s vision problems must be detected early in order to be treated effectively.

Children’s eyewear. In the event that your eye doctor determines your baby, child or teen needs corrective eyewear, you’ll be glad to know that there have never been more choices in colorful, fun, durable frames than there are today. Frame lines such as Vera Bradley, Harry Potter, Barbie, Nike, Disney and more offer children-friendly frames with superior fit and styles that kids will love to wear.

Lenses should always be manufactured from polycarbonate due to its impact resistant, safety features.

Children who want contact lenses can be fit at an earlier age than ever before due to the introduction of disposable daily wear contact lenses that are now widely available and affordable. The lenses are worn one time and discarded, virtually eliminating eye infection complications that previously arose as a result of poor cleaning compliance regimens in children and teens.

Call your eye doctor today to schedule your child’s back to school vision examination. By ensuring that your children are free of vision problems, you will give them the best chance to perform to their fullest potential! 

Susan Halstead is a nationally and NYS licensed optician at Family Vision Care Center, 205 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs. For questions or follow up, contact Susan at 584-6111 or online at www.saratogasight.com.