When it’s time for back to school, parents are busy taking their children shopping for new clothes and picking up school supplies, yet many are missing an essential item on their back to school list – booking an eye exam for their child.
One in four school-age children has a vision problem, yet only 14 per cent of Canadian children entering Grade 1 have ever had an eye exam. With 80 per cent of a child’s learning based on vision, it’s imperative to diagnose potential vision problems as early as possible.
“What’s worrying is that most Canadian parents mistakenly believe they would know if their child was having difficulty with their vision,” says local BC Doctor of Optometry, Tanya Flood. “The truth is that most vision problems have no easy-to-detect symptoms, and children, not knowing any better, don’t realize that they see the world differently than others. You cannot tell if your child has a vision impediment by simply asking them ‘Can you see that?’”
Vision problems can have a significant impact on children’s learning.
