Glamaour Era December edition Glamaour Era december edition | Page 7
With the academic year in full swing, many schools across the country are administering vision screenings to students.
Parents mistakenly breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing that their children "passed" the screening. What parents don't
know are the signicant limitations of school-based screenings. School vision screenings fail to detect a range of
potentially harmful vision issues, the American Optometric Association (AOA) reports.
Unfortunately, nine out of 10 parents think that school-based vision screenings are all their children need to conrm
good eye health. But screenings miss up to 75 percent of dangerous eye conditions in children, according to AOA's new
Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Comprehensive Pediatric Eye and Vision Examination. What's more,
when a vision screening does indicate a possible problem, only 39 percent of children receive the care they need from an
eye doctor.
One of the biggest hurdles to detecting poor vision is the child's awareness of the problem. Most children with vision
problems don't know that other children see better than they do; they think their poor vision is "normal."
"Healthy eyes and good vision are
essential for every child's
development," says AOA President
Christopher Quinn, O.D. "Parents
need to know that school vision
screenings can miss potentially severe
eye or vision problems. They cannot
replace a comprehensive exam by a
doctor of optometry."
Vision and academic
performance
Multiple studies have linked vision
problems with poor academic
performance and behavioral issues. In
fact, children with undetected and
untreated vision problems can exhibit
some of the same symptoms as kids
with attention-decit disorders,
leading to false diagnoses.
The AOA, which represents more than
44,000 optometrists, optometric
professionals and optometry students
in communities across the country,
recently issued a new, evidence-based
guideline for vision care in children
that informs parents and caregivers
about protecting their children's eye
health. The guid eline, which is based
on a three-year review of the latest
research, concludes that children
should receive a comprehensive eye
exam during their rst year of life and
again between the ages of 3 and 5,
before entering rst grade and
annually thereafter.
“Good vision is more complex than
just being able to see clearly," Quinn
says. "In order to see well enough to
perform to the best of their academic
abilities, children's eyes need to focus,
track, work together and judge
distance and depth. Typical school
vision tests only screen for
nearsightedness."
know they have a problem, so they
are unlikely to say anything, even if
they are struggling.
"Regular, comprehensive eye exams
not only contribute to helping
children succeed, they prevent and
diagnose serious eye problems that because the eye and the brain are not working together properly.
can be more expensive to treat and
cause permanent vision impairment if According to AOA, parents should keep these four tips in mind
left undetected," Quinn says.
when it comes to their children's eye health and safety:
Eye health
problems
A comprehensive eye exam by a doctor
of optometry can help detect serious
eye health and vision problems that
in-school screenings simply aren't
designed to catch. These problems
include amblyopia, a condition that
impairs vision in one of a child's eyes
1. Know that pediatric eye exams with a doctor of optometry are
most likely covered by your health insurance plan. Most health
insurance plans, including those sold in health insurance
marketplaces, cover comprehensive pediatric eye exams.
2. Look for indicators of vision and eye-health issues in your
children. Common signals that your child may have a vision
problem include covering one eye, holding reading materials
close to the face, a short attention span and complaining of
headaches or other discomfort. Remember, most children don't
3. Prevent eye strain by monitoring
use of digital devices. Increased
exposure to electronic devices in and
out of the classroom can cause
digital eye strain, including burning
or itchy eyes, headaches, blurred
v i s i o n a n d ex h a u s t i o n . AOA
recommends following the 20-20-20
rule (taking a 20-second break every
20 minutes and looking at
something 20 feet away), blinking
frequently and adjusting your child's
computer screen to prevent glare.
4. Make sure your kids wear proper
eye protection for sports and outdoor
activities. Well-tting, protective eye
wear and quality sunglasses that
offer UV protection are critical to
maintaining key visual skills and
preventing injuries.