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5 Back-to-school rules to help protect your kids’ eyes (Distance Learning Edition)

Back to school distance learning vision

Many kids are re-entering the classroom with nearly a year of distance learning under their belts. Going from all that screen time into an in-person learning environment might uncover some new visual challenges. Most kids simply don’t realize if their sight is off. So we’ve got a list of need-to-knows for parents aiming to keep their kids’ vision focused and healthy during this “back to school” season.

Kids Eye Exams Are Important Year Round

A whopping 80% of a child’s learning comes through the eyes, yet 1 in 4 school-age children have a vision problem.  But often kids don’t even know something is wrong. It’s up to us parents to spot the signs of compromised eyesight and to take precautions against it.

  1. Your student’s digital “classroom” might have changed their vision. Because a computer forces the user to focus and strain more than many other tasks, heavy computer use among kids can lead to early myopia (also known as nearsightedness). According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, kids who develop myopia early in life have a greater chance of developing vision issues like glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment. Now is the time to have their eyes checked to see what changes might have occurred during distance learning, and address them early.
  2. Screenings aren’t everything. In-school screenings may detect basic problems, but don’t assume total vision health in your student when one of these goes well. In fact, school vision screenings can miss up to 50% of visual issues. A comprehensive eye exam tests your child’s complete visual system and can help gauge how the eyes work together and other functions. Again, now is the time. Early detection is key!
  3. Vision issues can manifest as behavior problems. Because grades may suffer and behavior changes with degrading vision, children who have trouble seeing are often misdiagnosed with behavioral problems like ADHD. If your child has trouble keeping their focus or concentration, it might be time for an eye exam.
  4. Difficulty or disliking reading is the most common issue we see in kids--and it’s often not related to their intelligence level.  If your child doesn’t like to read, it may be because they lose their place easily, or the letters are flipped or too fuzzy to detect. This can lead to headaches, fatigue and lightheadedness. Kids naturally want to avoid these and will therefore avoid reading.
  5. Watch out for body or head contortions. Head tilting may look inquisitive and cute, but when it’s a habit while reading, it could signal a potential vision issue in your child. The same goes for kids who rub their eyes a lot, crane their neck closer or farther away from a page, or cover one eye while reading.

All these issues can be identified and addressed with a comprehensive vision exam. If you want your kids to have a comfortable and successful transition return to the classroom, schedule a visit to EYEcenter as part of your back-to-school checklist.

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