Throughout the school year, parents make sure that their children have the right school supplies, they schedule GP and dentist visits but often eye exams are forgotten about. However, 80% of learning in the classroom is vision based so it’s important that children have annual exams particularly when they are over the age of five.
While an annual eye exam is a good stating place, there are signs you can watch out for at home as well to monitor whether your child is having problems with their eyes. Children often have a difficult time recognising they have a vision problem, as they don’t know any different, and have nothing to compare it to. Most of the time, they find a way to compensate for their worsening vision, rather than complaining to mum or dad.
As a result, it’s a good idea to watch for the following:
- Squinting
- Sitting close to the TV
- Frequently rubbing their eyes
- Frequent headaches
- Holding books too close or too far away from their face
- Blinking frequently
- Tilting the head
If your child exhibits any of these symptoms, you should make an eye appointment for your child with an optometrist immediately. Your child needs their vision to be at its best so they can learn. It’s a good idea to book them in for an eye exam before they head back to school in September so you can be sure that they are sorted for the coming year.
Read more: Learning disabilities and vision
