Back to School with a Current Eye Exam

Just how important is your child’s schooling? The fact that most elementary school students spend an average of 6-7 hours per day at school would lead many of us to state that education is, indeed, very important.  Sadly, a child who goes through any amount of school with less-than-great vision may not learn as well, or enjoy school as much as other children the same age.  For this reason alone, optometrists in the Nampa, Meridian, and Eagle Idaho areas recommend a yearly evaluation of your child’s vision, so that every school year can, indeed, be the best one yet.

Common Vision Problems Found

While vision that is a little bit below average may not hamper a child too much, problems with the following may mean that a child will struggle with even basic learning:

• Proper eye movement and tracking ability
• Proper eye coordination when using both eyes
• Being able to see both up close and far away
• Age appropriate coordination between the hands and eyes
• Being aware of what is in their peripheral vision

Starting off a year of school with any of these problems puts means that your child starts with a marked disadvantage. The sooner these types of issues are diagnosed, the sooner they can be diagnosed and addressed.  Some problems can even be completely fixed, but only if they are caught early enough in a child’s life.

How Young is Too Young?

You do not have to wait until your child is about to enter Kindergarten to take him or her to the eye doctor.  In fact, The American Optometric Association actually recommends that babies be seen for the first time at age 6 months, and then again at 3 years. This type of early exam can give you the peace of mind knowing that your Eagle, ID optometrist will see and be able to note any changes in your child’s vision as they advance toward their school years.