Comprehensive Eye Exams Are Essential for All Students
It’s Back to School time, which also means it’s the perfect time to schedule your child’s annual eye exam!
As parents, giving our children the best possible start in their education journey is a top priority. Clear vision is more critical to a child’s educational development than many realize. Did you know that up to 80% of a child’s learning is visual? Vision plays a key role in children’s growth, development, and day-to-day activities.
Good eyesight is essential for academic achievement and social interactions. While the standard eye chart at the school nurse’s office is effective for detecting nearsightedness, it is important to understand that other vision issues could affect your child’s learning and overall well-being if left undiagnosed and untreated. At Wise Eyes Optical, our expert team can promptly identify issues, simplifying treatment and potentially protecting your child’s vision.
School Vision Screenings vs. Comprehensive Eye Exams
Many schools perform vision screenings to detect any vision issues that might impact a child’s learning ability. However, even if a child passes a school vision screening, scheduling a comprehensive eye exam is highly recommended. Vision screenings are not designed to detect all possible vision problems in children.
Vision screenings typically involve reading an eye chart from a distance to assess visual acuity. These screenings are helpful but have limitations and do not provide a precise measurement of a child’s vision changes or eye development, and cannot diagnose eye or vision problems; they only suggest the need for further assessment.
A comprehensive eye exam is performed by a licensed optometrist using specialized equipment and procedures not included in vision screenings. In addition to assessing visual acuity like vision screenings, a full eye exam also includes checks for prescription needs, pupil size and reactivity, eye movement, glaucoma tests, peripheral vision, and more. These exams can also reveal numerous serious health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, and cancers.
Why Do Children Need an Eye Examination?
Having healthy vision enables children to focus clearly on objects at different distances, track moving targets, and perceive depth. Addressing vision issues can improve a student’s concentration and keep them actively engaged in the classroom, which is vital for their development and overall well-being.
A comprehensive eye exam for school-aged children is similar to those for younger children but includes additional tests for specific visual skills critical for reading and learning. The following skills are typically evaluated during an eye examination:
Visual Acuity: The ability to see clearly at various distances:
o Near Vision: Essential for reading books.
o Intermediate Vision: Necessary for computer use.
o Distance Vision: Important for seeing the classroom board.
Eye Focusing:
o The ability to maintain clear vision when shifting focus between near and far objects, such as alternating between the board and a notebook on the desk.
o Sustaining clear vision for extended periods, necessary for reading or doing homework.
Eye Tracking: The ability to move the eyes to follow lines of text on a page or to track a moving object, such as a ball being thrown.
Eye Teaming: Coordinating the use of both eyes, particularly during reading.
Eye-Hand Coordination: Using visual input to accurately guide hand movements, such as hitting a ball or drawing.
Visual Perception: Organizing visual images on a page into letters, words, and concepts, and understanding and recalling text.
o Recognition: Differentiating between letters like “b” and “d.”
o Comprehension: The ability to visualize or conceptualize the scenes described in a story.
o Retention: The skill of memorizing and recalling details.
Eye specialists assess these visual skills to identify any vision issues that may not be related to having 20/20 eyesight.
Undiagnosed Vision Problems
Some students face challenges in school, both academically and behaviorally, due to undiagnosed vision difficulties. Children with undetected vision issues may struggle with reading comprehension, completing schoolwork, or maintaining attention, particularly with tasks that require close focus. These challenges could be misinterpreted as learning disabilities, causing the student to feel inadequate or uninterested in learning. Additionally, children with weakened visual abilities may also suffer from physical symptoms like headaches, tiredness, and eye strain. Recognizing the signs of vision problems and obtaining a comprehensive eye exam can help identify and correct these issues early on, preventing them from impeding your child’s educational progress.
Give Your Child One of The Most Valuable Learning Tools Available: Clear Vision!
At Wise Eyes Optical, we are passionate about helping our young patients see clearly and succeed with confidence. Our comprehensive eye examinations can detect any vision issues early, giving your child with the best possible start on their educational journey.
Whether they need glasses or other corrective measures, early intervention can prevent future complications and help your child excel academically and in their extracurricular activities. As the new school year begins, now is the perfect time to arrange a comprehensive eye exam for your child. The eye care specialists at Wise Eyes Optical are ready to assist you with regular check-ups or any concerns about changes in your child’s vision or symptoms. Contact us by phone or schedule an appointment online now.
Contact Wise Eyes Optical
Your Hometown Vision Center Serving Central Pennsylvania
Your local Wise Eyes Optical hometown vision center is here to help you achieve the best possible vision for life. We offer expert eye and vision care including eye-related medical care, custom fitting of eyeglasses and contacts, eyeglass repair, and much more. If you have questions or would like to learn more, reach out to your nearest Central Pennsylvania Wise Eyes Optical office. For assistance, call (717) 242-1915.
