The start of a new school year is just around the corner! While you’re school supply shopping and freshening up back-to-school wardrobes, don’t forget to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for your kids. August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month and there’s no better time to get your child’s eyes checked than at the start of a new school year.    

Experts suggest as many as 25 percent of school-aged children have vision problems. If your child can’t see clearly at school it may affect his or her ability to learn in the classroom, and could even interfere with extra-curricular activities like sports.

The American Optometric Association recommends infants have their first comprehensive eye exam at six months of age. Children should have their eyes checked again at age three, and again just before starting kindergarten or first grade (around ages five or six). If no vision correction is needed, the AOA recommends follow up eye exams every two years. Children who do need eyeglasses should have annual eye exams to ensure there haven’t been any changes in their vision.

While a school vision screening can detect some vision problems, don’t rely on a school screening to tell you whether or not your child may need prescription eyeglasses. Instead, take your child to an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam. Your child’s eye doctor can detect refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. A comprehensive eye exam can also detect eye problems such as lazy eye, crossed eyes, drooping eyelid and color blindness.                                               

As a parent, you may notices some warning signs indicating your child may have a vision problem. Some signs and symptoms to watch for include:

• wandering or crossed eyes
• lack of interest in reading
• trouble viewing distant objects
• squinting or turning the head while watching TV
• family history of pediatric vision problems                               

Set your child up for a successful school year by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam. Contact us today.