If your child is doing poorly in school, their eyesight may be to blame. Children with undetected vision problems often have trouble seeing the board and focusing on their school work, leading to frustration and poor grades. Because children don’t typically tell their parents if they are having difficulty with their vision, it’s important to watch for these signs that they may need corrective lenses.
1. Squinting
Looking through a pinhole reduces the blurriness of an object in the vision by reducing its size of the image on the retina, temporarily sharpening the image. Squinting works much like looking through a pinhole. Squinting can be one of the first signs of a vision problem and is often noticed by teachers in school. Because squinting can slightly improve the image, children may not realize they have problems with their vision and need assistance. Squinting occurs both in farsightedness, not seeing images well that are close, and nearsightedness, not seeing images well that are far away.
2. Adjusting the Location to an Object in View
You may notice that your child scoots closer to the television set, moves their face toward their tablet or handheld video game or holds a book close to their face. While some kids just get into the habit of being close to their activities, often children adjust their bodies to get closer to an object in order to see it more clearly. Additionally, children who suffer from vision problems in one eye may cover that eye while watching television or reading in order for it to not obscure their view. This can also be a sign of double vision and should be addressed.
3. Frequent Headaches
Headaches that are felt in the brow area or the front of the head are often due to eye strain and squinting. According to optometrists at All About Eyes, regular headaches are a common sign that you child may be experiencing vision problems. An occasional headache is usually not a sign of a problem, but if your child complains often about their head hurting, it may be time to visit an eye doctor for an eye exam.
Though many schools perform annual eye exams for children, these often do not catch all vision problems. If you or your child’s teacher notices them doing poorly in school, squinting, moving their bodies to see better or complaining of frequent headaches, make an appointment for an eye exam today. Doing so can help them to see better and feel more confident and comfortable at school and at home.
