Ready
For School? If your back to school checklist does not
include an eye exam for each of your children, you may have overlooked one of
the most important “to-do’s” of them all, according to Allyson Mertins, O.D. of
Mertins Family Eye Care in Fayetteville. “Good vision and healthy eyes are
critical to a child’s success in school,” said Dr. Mertins. According to recent studies,
approximately 25% of school-age children have an undiagnosed vision problem
that can interfere with learning.
This problem is compounded by the fact that 80% of learning is visual
for children under the age of 12.
Without
a proper eye exam, many children have vision problems that remain undiagnosed
and uncorrected, and may even be misdiagnosed as a learning disability or
behavioral problem such as ADHD, according to the American Optometric
Association.
School
vision screenings are limited in scope and are no substitute for a
comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor. A 2005 study by the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health finds that at best, preschool screenings only catch 68 percent of children with vision problems, while the worst screenings only catch 37 percent. According to Dr. Mertins, a comprehensive eye exam for children is
designed to evaluate both the child’s vision and the health of the eyes. The goal of the exam is to make sure
that the eyes are healthy, are developing properly and that the child has good
vision so he or she can perform well in school.
The
American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that children receive an eye
exam before they are one year old, before they begin school and each year after
that. A comprehensive eye exam
should test the following, according to Dr. Mertins and the AOA:
• Visual
acuity is measured at several distances so that the student can comfortably and
efficiently read, work on the computer or see the board.
• Focusing
or accommodation is an important skill that is tested. The eyes must be able to
focus on the object at which they are aimed and easily shift focus from one
object to another. This allows the child to move attention from a book or paper
to the chalkboard and back. Sustained focus affects the ability to read or
write for longer periods of time.
• Visual
alignment and ocular motility, which means the muscles aiming each eye converge
so that both eyes are aimed at the same object, refining depth perception.
• Binocular
fusion (eye teaming) skills are assessed. These skills are critical to coordinate
and align the eyes precisely so the brain can fuse the pictures it receives
from each eye into a single image.
• Eye
tracking skills are tested to determine if the child can track across a page
accurately and efficiently while reading, and can copy material quickly and
easily from the chalkboard or another piece of paper.
• Testing
of color vision prior to school age is conducted since a large part of the
early educational process involves the use of color identification and
discrimination.
• Ocular
health (eye health) is determined by examining the structures of the eye.
Most
vision problems are easily solved if detected early. Typically, vision problems can be addressed through
prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, but sometimes surgery is required to
address developmental problem.
When
eyeglasses are required, children should be involved in the selection
process: If your child doesn't
love her glasses, chances are that she won't wear them when she needs
them. Mertins Family Eye Care has a large collection of great looking
glasses that both you and your child will love. In addition to good
looks, all frames and lenses from Mertins Family Eye Care come with a one-year,
kid-tough guarantee.
To
ensure your child will love (and therefore wear) her eyeglasses, we proudly
offer the largest selection of fashionable children’s frames in Northwest
Arkansas, including frames from Polo, Ralph Lauren, Barbie, Elle, Esprit,
Converse, Nike, Stride Rite, Nine West, Nickelodeon (Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob, Jimmy
Neutron), ogi and Flexon. We have
a great selection of eyewear for teens and tweens, and also teach them how to
use and care for contact lenses.
In
addition to seeing her patients, Dr. Mertins is an adjunct faculty member of
Southern College of Optometry and mother of three children under the age of
six. She would love to see you and
your children at Mertins Family Eye Care and invites you to call 442-8400 or visit www.mertinseye.com to schedule an
appointment or for more information.
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