How Good is Your Child’s Vision?

Now that school is in full swing, your child´s eyes are constantly in use in the classroom.

So when his or her vision is not functioning properly, learning and participation in recreational activities will suffer. The basic vision skills needed at school are:

Near vision: The ability to see clearly and comfortably at 10-13 inches.
Distance vision: The ability to see clearly and comfortably beyond arm s reach.
Binocular coordination: The ability to use both eyes together.
Eye movement skills: The ability to aim the eyes accurately, move them smoothly across a page and shift them quickly and accurately from one object to another.
Focusing skills: The ability to keep both eyes accurately focused at the proper distance to see clearly and to change focus quickly.
Peripheral awareness: The ability to be aware of things located to the side while looking straight ahead.
Eye/hand coordination: The ability to use the eyes and hands together.

If any of these or other vision skills is lacking, your child will have to work harder. This can lead to headaches, fatigue and other eyestrain problems. As a parent, be alert for symptoms that may indicate your child has a vision or visual processing problem. Be sure to tell your eye doctor if your child frequently: