As summer comes to an end, many families in the Pensacola area are preparing for the new school year. Between shopping for backpacks and organizing schedules, it’s easy to overlook one important back-to-school essential: scheduling an eye exam.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to schedule a back-to-school eye exam and make sure your child is ready for the school year ahead. In this blog, we share what to expect during our pediatric eye exams in Pensacola and why they are crucial for a child’s academic success.
The link between vision and learning
Vision plays a crucial role in learning, as approximately 80% of classroom learning is presented visually. From reading textbooks and viewing the whiteboard to using digital devices and completing written assignments, students rely heavily on their eyes to take in, process, and understand new information.
Approximately 1 in every 4 children has a vision problem, which often goes undiagnosed. These issues can make it harder to concentrate, keep up with schoolwork, or enjoy learning. A comprehensive eye exam is the best way to catch these problems early and ensure your child has the visual skills they need to thrive in school.
School vision screenings vs. pediatric eye exams: What’s the difference?
School vision screenings may catch some obvious vision problems, but they don’t replace a full eye exam with a licensed eye care professional. Our comprehensive eye exams evaluate more than just how well your child can see letters on a chart. We check eye coordination, focusing ability, depth perception, and eye health, which are all factors that can impact learning, reading, and attention.
What to expect during a back-to-school eye exam
At Dr. C. Vision Care, we provide eye exams for children ages four and older. During the exam, our experienced optometrists will:
- Review your child’s eye and health history
- Perform a series of painless vision and eye function tests
- Evaluate eye health using advanced diagnostic technology
- Discuss any concerns you or your child may have
- Provide personalized recommendations and answer your questions
Common vision issues that affect learning
Children can have subtle vision problems that aren’t obvious but still interfere with their schoolwork. Often, parents don’t realize their child has a vision problem until they start struggling in school, or a vision problem might be mistaken for an attention or behavioral issue. The only way to know for sure that it’s a vision problem is to visit an optometrist.
Our pediatric optometrists can detect many eye conditions during your child’s exam, including:
- Refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
- Convergence insufficiency, where the eyes struggle to work together on close tasks
- Amblyopia (lazy eye) which affects vision development
- Eye tracking problems that make reading and writing difficult
Identifying these conditions early on helps us recommend the right treatment, whether it’s children’s glasses, contacts, or other solutions.
Schedule your child’s back-to-school eye exam today
Don’t wait until the school year is in full swing to address your child’s vision needs. Give us a call today or schedule an appointment online!