It feels like summer just started, yet stores across the city are already filled with Back To School supplies and sales. Between new classroom items, clothes, and even fall sports gear, chances are that your family is already working hard on a lengthy shopping list before your child's first day of school. However, Back To School prep doesn’t end with shopping. It also includes a critical health checkup:
An Eye Exam.
Why do children need eye exams? Because from ages 6 to 18, a child's vision can change frequently or unexpectedly. Additionally, no other medical practitioners (such as pediatricians) can offer the same in-depth eye exam that's performed by an eye doctor. Only our advanced training and clinical tools allow us to perform a proper, thorough evaluation of your child's eyes and vision.
This is important because your child needs healthy, clear eyesight to succeed in school. From reading a chalkboard (or digital screen, if your school is modernizing) to processing and completing assignments, a school day is full of visual tasks. Without fully functioning eyesight, a child's studies will inevitably suffer.
Unfortunately, it's easy for vision problems in children to go undetected. Young children in particular may not realize anything is wrong with their eyesight, due to their age and general inexperience. They also may not know how to communicate their issues and struggles to their parents. And as a result of these difficulties, experts estimate one in four children has an undiagnosed vision problem.
Fortunately, it's easy to help set children up for success as they begin a new academic year and grade. By scheduling an annual eye exam for your child, you can ensure that they receive any eye care and visual aids they need to see clearly and succeed in school.
To ensure the appointment runs smoothly, we recommend scheduling a visit during a time of day when your child is typically alert. During the appointment, we also ask families to please:
- Mention any signs or symptoms your child has displayed that could indicate vision problems. This may include: holding reading materials close to the face; squinting, closing, and/or covering one or both eyes; frequently rubbing one or both eyes; complaining of headache, nausea or dizziness during visual tasks such as reading; and/or increasingly tilting their head to one side.
- Be ready to review family histories, particularly involving vision problems.
- Bring a list of your child's medications or recent medical developments, if applicable.
- Be present during vision and eye alignment testing with your child.
- Bring any questions you may have so that we can address them in full.
School is important. So are your children. That’s why our team takes annual vision exams for children very seriously. Now is the time to schedule an appointment for your child. You can do so by phone or by requesting an appointment online. If you have questions or concerns that we can help answer about or prior to your family’s visit, feel to contact us!
