Back-to-school season brings plenty of checklists: school supplies, physicals, new schedules, and activities. It’s also a good time for parents to think about whether their child’s vision has been checked.
Clear vision plays an important role in a child’s development and ability to learn, play, and engage with the world around them. In the classroom, children rely on their vision to see the board, read, write, use computers, participate in activities, and interact with teachers and classmates. Because children may not always recognize or be able to explain that they aren’t seeing as well as they should, some vision problems can go unnoticed.
Identifying potential problems early gives parents and healthcare providers an opportunity to address them before they interfere with a child’s vision development or everyday activities. Making vision screening—and appropriate follow-up—part of children’s routine healthcare can help identify concerns when there’s an opportunity to address them.
Screening Is the First Line of Defense
For many children, vision is first evaluated as part of routine pediatric care. Pediatricians and other primary care providers perform age-appropriate vision screenings designed to identify children who may have a vision problem and need further evaluation.
Screening methods change as children grow. Younger children may be evaluated for how their eyes look, move, and work together, while visual acuity testing and other screening methods become appropriate as they get older.
School-based screenings provide another opportunity to identify potential problems. However, requirements aren’t uniform nationwide. Vision screening and eye examination requirements vary considerably by state, including which children are covered, when screenings are required, and who performs them.
Passing one screening doesn’t mean a child’s vision won’t change. The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recommends continued vision screening throughout childhood, with screenings every one to two years after age 5.
When Is an Eye Exam the Next Step?
A vision screening is designed to identify children who may need further evaluation; it isn’t a diagnosis.
If your child doesn’t pass a screening, has a known risk factor for an eye condition, or you or your child’s teacher notice a potential vision concern, talk with your child’s pediatrician or an eye care professional about the appropriate next step.
Further evaluation may identify common childhood vision problems, including refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism; amblyopia (“lazy eye”), in which vision does not develop normally in one eye; or strabismus, a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned.
Early identification can be especially important because children’s visual systems are still developing. Some conditions can affect normal visual development and may result in lasting vision loss when they aren’t identified and treated during childhood.
What Should Parents Watch For?
Even if a child passes a routine vision screening, parents and teachers can continue to pay attention to how the child uses their vision throughout the school year. Children don’t always recognize that what they’re seeing is unusual, and some vision problems may become more noticeable as classroom demands increase.
Signs worth discussing with your child’s pediatrician or eye care provider may include:
- Squinting or frequently rubbing the eyes
- Headaches or tired eyes after reading or schoolwork
- Difficulty seeing the board or other objects at a distance
- Holding books or devices unusually close
- Complaints of blurry or double vision
- An eye that frequently turns inward or outward
Changes in school performance or reluctance to read shouldn’t automatically be assumed to be caused by a vision problem, but they can be a reason to make sure vision has been appropriately screened.
That makes back-to-school season a useful reminder for parents to check when their child was last screened, pay attention to any concerns raised by teachers or healthcare providers, and follow through when additional evaluation is recommended.
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