Does your child need an eye exam before school in SC starts? Here are the warning signs
As the new school year approaches in South Carolina, many parents have made sure their kids have all the needed supplies and are fitted with the best new clothes.
Still others have done their due diligence in getting their children registered in new schools and set appointments to update required vaccinations.
But what about checking your child’s vision with a full eye exam?
It’s not something that’s usually at the top of back-to-school to do lists. Plus, South Carolina doesn’t require children get comprehensive eye exams. However, even mildly poor eyesight could lead to a host of reading and learning issues for young students, some health experts say.
“Frequently, parents will be surprised to learn that their son or daughter has a vision problem. Finding a dark speck on a wall based on contrast does not automatically mean the child is seeing a clearly focused shape,” said Dr. Alexander Pogrebniak, a pediatric ophthalmologist with Prisma Health. “Also, children who seem to have good vision at home may be using only one eye to see.”
The vision centers in a child’s brain continue to develop until he or she is about 8 to 10 years old, according to Prisma Health. If both eyes are not being used correctly by the brain, then vision centers do not have the chance to develop properly and vision deficits will become permanent.
Catching such deficiencies early are why vision screenings are so important, Prisma states.
However, an eye exam is the next step and is far more involved.
“A vision screening looks for problems and risk factors, but it is not a complete eye examination,” Pogrebniak said. “It’s important to make sure children have the proper eyesight to help them succeed in school and in life.”
Situations when an eye exam should be done
- Your child’s vision screening was abnormal
- Your child was not able to complete the vision screening (the pediatric ophthalmologist has techniques and equipment to overcome some barriers to cooperation and age)
- Your child has eye or vision symptoms or learning concerns
- Your child has an increased risk of eye problems due to conditions such as prematurity, diabetes, sickle cell disease, developmental delay, previous eye injury, or a family history of eye problems
- You believe your child would benefit from an eye examination before starting kindergarten or have any concern about your child’s eye health or vision
Warning signs your child might have a vision problem
- Persistent redness, swelling, or discharge from the eyes
- Excess tearing or sensitivity to light
- Eye misalignments, such as one or both eyes turning inward or outward
- Consistent shaking of the eyes
- Droopy eyelid
- Headaches, especially with reading
- Squinting of the eyes
- Excessive blinking
- Reading difficulty
- Turning or tilting the head to see objects
