August is usually a busy month for us parents, with vacation season winding down, kids heading back to school within the next few weeks, and fall sports season right around the corner. However, it is also an important month because August is Child Eye Health & Safety Month, making it the perfect time to schedule back-to-school eye exams and start buying protective eye wear for fall sports for your kids.
Because vision and school performance are directly related, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) advises that having your child’s vision tested by an eyecare professional can lead to greater success in the classroom, due to the emphasis in schools of visual learning. Getting an exam from an eyecare professional is also important for ruling out vision issues before a child is diagnosed with a learning disability. Ophthalmology Times shares PBA’s list of signs and behaviors parents can watch for that suggest a child may be suffering from a vision problem.
PBA, along with other organizations, often perform initial screenings for children at schools. While these screenings can be used to identify those children at risk of vision problems, PBA also recommends children receive a thorough eye exam, even if they show no signs of trouble with vision. In addition to vision problems, a comprehensive eye exam can also detect number of other health issues. You can find the full set of guidelines and suggested timetables for eye exams on PBA’s website.
Additionally, most states require children to receive a vision screening before starting school or while they are enrolled. The Star Pupils website has the links you need to learn about the requirements of your state, information for local vision programs, and to help you decide if it’s necessary to take your child to an eye doctor.
Now is also the time to start thinking about sports safety, especially for those little eyes! According to PBA, there were more than 13,000 cases of eye injuries experienced by children aged 0 to 14 in 2012. The number of cases can be significantly reduced when parents advocate children’s eye safety while playing sports, such as by using appropriate protective eyewear – an important fact to consider since it is estimated that 90 percent of eye injuries are preventable.
Real Kids Shades has several styles of sporty sunglasses that offer impact resistance and shatterproof lenses. They are perfect for keeping kids eyes safe while at play, as well as blocking out the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Visit our website today to check out our options designed to help keep your kids’ eyes safe and healthy!
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It makes a lot of sense to get a child’s eyes checked right before school because poor vision can hurt their scores at school. My daughter is having issues seeing clearly so we need to find a solution pretty soon. I think it’s smart to talk to a professional to find out what some of the personalized treatments are for her.