At school, hampered vision translates into hampered academic performance.
“As much as 80% of what the average child learns is through their eyes,” says Ruahan Naude, CEO of an optometrist company.
“Poor vision is known to impact on a child’s performance at school as well as their general well-being.
“If they are having trouble seeing clearly, they will be having trouble with reading, seeing what is written on the board, what is happening on the sports field and other visual cues,” he says.
The challenge is that children may not realize that they can’t see properly, as they are used to seeing the world the way they do.
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That is why it is important for children to undergo regular eye examinations.
Children should have their first eye exam by the time they are six months old.
This should be followed up with another check by the age of three and again just before they start primary school.
School-aged children should have their eyes checked every two years if they have no visual issues.
Children with vision issues should have an eye exam every 12 months.
Signs that could indicate a vision problem in a child include:
• sitting too close to the TV,
• using a finger to guide their eyes while reading,
• complaining of sore eyes or headaches and,
• introverted behaviour.
Children’s academic and athletic performance is affected when they are unable to see properly.
“Studies have shown that around 60% of learning disabilities are associated with vision problems”, says Naude.
“On the sports field, children who are unable to see properly are also at a disadvantage – not only is their ability to perform affected, but they are also more prone to accidents.
“Around 90% of sports-related eye injuries are preventable with proper eye protection”.
He adds that children lead active lives, which puts strain on their eyes.
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Naude concludes by saying that parents should look for clues that their children might be struggling to see.
If identified early, common refractive errors can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
