It’s that time again – time to start thinking about back-to-school shopping and everything that comes with it. But beyond picking out school supplies and buying clothes and shoes for your child, there’s another very important thing that must be done to prepare before school starts: having your child’s vision checked. This is crucial because learning is very visual; roughly 80% of it is done with the eyes. If children go into a new school year with poor vision, their learning will inevitably suffer.
Why You Shouldn’t Rely on School Eye Exams
Too many parents put off having their kids’ eyes examined, telling themselves that if there’s a problem, it will be caught by the pediatrician or during the annual vision screenings performed at school. However, these types of vision screenings are not the same as a vision exam performed by an optometrist or neurovisual specialist, and should not take their place.
According to the American Optometric Association, only a small percentage of vision problems are detected by school and clinic screenings – a mere 25%! You can’t rely on your child to alert you of a problem, either, as they may not realize there is one, due to the fact that their current vision is all they’ve ever known.
The Importance of a Neurovisual Examination
While a standard eye exam by an optometrist evaluates your child’s vision and checks for certain eye diseases, a comprehensive neurovisual exam takes things a step further. A thorough neurovisual evaluation not only tests for blurry vision, but also measures how well your child’s eyes work together. Many learning and reading difficulties stem from eyes that are not working in sync with each other. This misalignment is called binocular vision dysfunction (BVD). Most eye doctors don’t check for eye misalignment or BVD, so it’s vital to get your child to a neurovisual specialist if they’re struggling academically, as it could be an indication of this condition.
Before school starts this year, take the time to schedule a professional eye exam for your child. If you have concerns about your child’s school performance and feel they might need a more in-depth exam, give the Neuro Visual Center of New York a call today at (516) 224-4888 to find out more about BVD and its treatment options. Our doctors are highly trained in the diagnosis of eye misalignments and its corresponding treatment with aligning prismatic lenses, and can give you the answers you need.
