Eye doctors strongly recommend that children undergo a thorough eye exam before the new school year begins. Undetected vision problems may hinder a child's ability to learn, and up to 80% of children's learning is visual.

Why Are Eye Exams Important?

Even the slightest vision problem can have a negative impact on academic achievement. Taking a child for an eye exam once a year allows your eye doctor to detect and correct refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, and check visual skills such as convergence, binocular vision, and focusing.

Comprehensive eye exams are the best way to detect mild and serious eye health conditions. Routine exams are especially important for children with a family history of eye health problems.

How Is Vision Affected By Screen Time and Online Learning?

Children who spend prolonged time on digital devices are more susceptible to digital eye strain (computer vision syndrome). Symptoms include blurred vision, dry eyes, eye fatigue, eye pain, headaches, and neck and shoulder pain.

Contributing factors include glare and reflections from the screen, excessive screen time, poor lighting, poor posture, and undetected vision problems. Additionally, children who spend many hours indoors doing close work have a higher rate of myopia progression. Studies show that children who spend time outside in sunshine experience slower myopia progression.

Don't Put Off Your Child's Annual Eye Exam

Schedule an appointment with Dayton Optometric Center in Kettering, Ohio today! Call (937) 228-2020.

At what age should a child have an eye exam?

It's recommended for a child to have their first eye exam between 6-12 months of age, again before starting school, and then every 1-2 years after that, based on their eye doctor's recommendation.

Does my child need an eye exam if they passed the school vision screening?

Yes! School vision screenings are superficial evaluations that check only basic visual acuity. They do not check for visual skills or other problems that may hinder your child's academic success. A comprehensive eye exam with your local optometrist is essential.