Why a back-to-school eye exam may help your child learn better
Does your child struggle to see the whiteboard or get headaches while reading? A back-to-school eye exam may help them ace this school year.
We all want to give our children the tools they need to do their best at school, which often means new school supplies and a fresh wardrobe.
But back-to-school eye exams are just as important as new shoes and notebooks. That’s because poor vision may impact a student’s ability to learn and participate in sports.1
When kids can't see the smart board at the front of the classroom or read their textbooks or laptops without squinting, it can slow them down.1 Here’s how to know to help them get back up to speed this school year.
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What’s the link between vision and learning?
Vision issues are sometimes confused with learning difficulties.2 When a child’s vision is impaired, they may:
- Struggle to focus on what they’re reading
- Lose their place while reading
- Have eye strain
- Shut down because of embarrassment
“Clear vision is critically important for all activities of daily living, including educational pursuits and sports,” says Mark E. Wilkinson, OD, a clinical professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa. “Without clear vision, it may be difficult to focus comfortably, which will slow learning.”
Common vision problems in kids
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)3, 6.8% of kids under 18 have a diagnosed eye or vision condition.
The most common refractive errors in children are:1
- Myopia. Also known as nearsightedness, myopia makes it hard to see things in the distance. In the classroom, this applies to everything from a teacher’s face to the whiteboard. In sports, uncorrected myopia could make it tough to see a ball coming at you until it's too late to make a move.
- Hyperopia. Also known as farsightedness, hyperopia makes it hard to see nearby objects. “Hyperopia can greatly impact learning by making it difficult to see to read clearly," says Dr. Wilkinson says.
- Astigmatism. It causes blurry or distorted vision due to an irregularly shaped cornea or lens. It can happen alongside nearsightedness or farsightedness. Around 23% of infants have astigmatism, but many children grow out of it as their eyes develop. By age 5 or 6, that number drops to 9%.4
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Signs your child may have trouble seeing
Children don’t always know when their vision is blurry or out of focus. After all, the world has always looked like this to them. That means it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of refractive errors in children.
According to Dr. Wilkinson, those signs may include:
- Red, watery or swollen eyes
- Droopy eyes
- Eyes with different pupil sizes
- Squinting, frowning or scowling when looking at objects
- Holding printed materials in an unusual position
- Rubbing their eyes
- Complaining about headaches
- Saying their eyes hurt, burn or itch
- Saying that words jump around on the page
- Complaining of double vision
How often should your child get their eyes examined?
It’s a good idea to get a baseline screening of a child’s vision at ages 3 and 5, says Dr. Wilkinson. If there’s no signs of a vision issue, he recommends getting children screened every 2 years after that.
If a child’s optometrist does spot a refractive error like myopia, they will likely recommend annual eye exams to monitor for a change in the child’s prescription. They may also want to fit the child for corrective lenses — either eyeglasses or contact lenses.
What will an eye doctor look for during an exam?
The eye doctor will look for refractive errors by performing a series of tests. First, the child will look into an autorefractor. That’s a box-like machine that determines how good or bad their vision is. This helps the doctor figure out the child’s prescription.
The doctor will also ask the child to read from an eye chart. That’s the chart with the big letters at the top and the tiny letters at the bottom. They will also use different tools to look into the child’s eyes.
“They will check how well the two eyes are aligned with each other and how well they work together,” says Dr. Wilson.
Keeping up with children’s eye exams will help make sure they’re ready to tackle every school year.
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Sources:
- How vision affects your child in school All About Vision, February 16, 2022.
- Vision Related Learning Problems American Optometric Association.
- Fast Facts About Vision Loss Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed December 19, 2022.
- Astigmatism in infants and kids All About Vision, August 10, 2020.
