Did you know that vision is responsible for 80% of all learning in the first twelve years of your life?^ Poor vision can often interfere with your child’s learning and social development yet it often goes unnoticed.
With school now back for 2018, it is time to think about how well prepared your child is to meet the increased expectations of the new school year. Your child will be asked to complete more visually demanding tasks and work for longer periods. This is likely to involve the use of computers or tablets, which place an even greater strain on the visual system. Focusing problems or even short sightedness may develop as a consequence. The latter is rapidly increasing in the general population.
According to Optometry Australia approximately 1 in 5 children have an undetected vision problem. It may affect their ability to see, or how long they can focus before symptoms of blur or discomfort arise. Moreover, it could affect their ability to take meaning from what they are reading, affect their reading fluency or their writing ability.
Generally, children will not complain when they have an eye condition as vision is made only from our past experiences. To them it may be normal that print blurs after a minute of reading and therefore they will not read for too long. Parents and teachers may also miss the problem.
As little as 8% of children aged 0-14 in Australia have had a comprehensive vision assessment.
Pezzimenti Nixon Optometrists provides exceptional eye care to the whole family. All of our optometrists are trained in paediatric eye care in order to diagnose and manage visual disorders. We also specialize in assessing visual processing skills and can provide targeted training.
Help your child see their potential. A comprehensive paediatric eye examination is recommended for any child in prep and every 2 years as their school environment and load increases.
Has your child had their eyes tested? You never know who may be affected.
^ Vision Council of America, Making the Grade 2009.
