Pediatric Eye Care: Don't Let Your Child Be Disadvantaged in the Classroom

School is back in and children are settling into their classrooms. Teachers are already identifying the kids in their classes that are having problems with learning, but what many don't realize is that a lot of these problems are due to vision problems, not behavior problems. Some studies have shown that up to 60 percent of children who have been singled out as learning disabled also have an undiagnosed vision problem. At Shippee Family Eye Care, our goal is to make sure your child's eyesight is corrected to normal, to make sure learning problems like these don't happen.

Optometrist Talks About Pediatric Vision Problems

Our optometrist team likes to see every child before the first day of school, but if your child hasn't had a vision exam yet, it's time to bring her in now. Children have an amazing ability to cope with a disability, and if your child's vision has been getting worse, she has no way to know that she could actually be seeing much better. Once their vision has been corrected, most children's schoolwork improves almost immediately.

Although being nearsighted or farsighted is the most common eye problem for school children, there is a wide variety of other conditions that can affect their ability to see the class and do schoolwork. Among them are:

• Lazy eye, or amblyopia, where one eye is much stronger than the other
• Crossed eyes
• Double vision
• Astigmatism

All of these conditions can result in an inability to see the front of the classroom, or difficulties in reading, writing, and other close-up tasks. Children who have never had their eyes examined often think that their damaged eyesight is the way things are supposed to be and will get frustrated when they can't perform as well as their classmates do. 

Call Shippee Family Eye Care Today!

Having good eyesight is key to making sure your child has the best school year possible. At Shippee Family Eye Care, our caring team is here to help. We have three offices to serve you, open five days a week. Contact our office in St Johnsbury at 802-748-3536, in Lancaster at 802-748-3536, or in Montpelier at 802-223-7723.