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| Children's
Vision |
About 80 percent of all babies are born farsighted -- able to see objects clearly
at a distance but less clearly close up. Some five percent are born nearsighted,
or unable to see objects at a distance clearly. Approximately 15 percent
are born with nothing wrong with the refractive parts of
the eye -- the cornea and crystalline lens which bend light
and focus it properly on the retina. Farsightedness usually
decreases as a child ages, typically normalizing to a negligible
value by the age of 7-8. After
a child grows and the incidence of farsightedness decreases,
that of nearsightedness increases. Many school-age children
and teens first discover they are nearsighted when they have
difficulty reading the writing on the board at school. Nearsightedness
usually occurs before age 25.
Vision
skills for school
Your school-age child's eyes are constantly in use in the
classroom and at play. When his or her vision is not functioning
properly, learning and participation in recreational activities
can suffer. Good
vision involves many different skills working together
to enable your child not only to see clearly but also to
understand what he or she sees.
Those
skills include:
Near
Vision:
Ability to see clearly and comfortably at 13-16 inches,
the distance at which school deskwork should be performed.
Distance
Vision:
Ability to see clearly and comfortably at 10 feet
or more.
Binocular
Coordination:
Ability to use the two eyes together.
Eye
Movement Skills:
Ability to aim the eyes accurately, and move
them smoothly across a page and quickly and accurately
from one object to another.
Peripheral
Awareness:
Ability to be aware of things to the side while
looking straight ahead.
Eye/Hand
Coordination:
Ability to use the eyes and hands together. If
any of these or other vision skills is lacking
or not functioning properly, your child's
eyes have to work harder. This can lead to
blurred vision, headaches, fatigue and other
eyestrain symptoms.
Why
thorough vision examinations are important
Don't assume your child has good vision
because he or she passed a school vision
screening. A 20/20 score means only that
your child can see at 20 feet what he
or she should be able to see at that
distance. It does not measure any of
the other vision skills needed for learning. Vision
screenings are important but they should
not be substituted for a thorough vision
examination.
Things
you can do
There are things you can do to help
ensure that your child's vision is
ready for school each year and to
relieve the visual stress of schoolwork. Be
alert for symptoms that may indicate
your child has a vision problem.
Note if your child frequently:
- Loses his or her
place while reading. Avoids
close work. Holds
reading material closer than normal. Tends
to rub his or her eyes. Has
headaches. Turns
or tilts their head to use one eye only. Makes
reversals when reading or writing. Uses
a finger to maintain their place while reading. Omits
or confuses small words when reading. Performs
below potential.
- Closes one eye while
reading.
Make sure your child's
homework area is evenly lighted and free from glare. Furniture
should be the right size for proper posture. During periods
of close concentration, have your child take periodic breaks.
Rest breaks are also recommended when your child is using
a computer or playing video games.
To
make TV viewing easier on your child's eyes:
- Be sure the room
has overall soft lighting. Place
the set to avoid glare and reflections.
- Watch from a distance
at least five times the width of the screen.
Be sure your child's
hours away from school include time for exercise and creative
play. Both can help keep his or her vision skills functioning
properly.
Teach
your child eye protection through these safety rules:
- Keep away from the
targets of darts, bows-and-arrows, air guns and missile-throwing
toys. Don't
shine laser pointers into anyone's eyes. Teach them laser
pointers are not toys. Don't
run with or throw sharp objects.
- Wear safety goggles
when using chemistry sets, power tools and household and
yard chemicals. (Note: Be certain your child is mature
enough to handle these items safely, and provide proper
supervision.)
Thorough vision care
is important
Because a change in vision can occur without you or your child
realizing it, have your child's eyes examined every year.
A
thorough eye examination should include:
- A review of your
child's health and vision history. Tests
for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, color
perception, lazy eye, crossed-eyes, eye coordination, depth
perception and focusing ability.
- An eye health examination.
If your child's eyes
need help
After assessing your child's test results, glasses, contact
lenses or vision therapy may be prescribed. He or she may also
recommend preventive measures, such as mild prescription lenses
to be worn only when doing schoolwork or watching television.
These may help relieve stress on your child's eyes. Vision
therapy is prescribed for conditions that cannot adequately
be treated with glasses or contact lenses alone. By reinforcing
or re-teaching vision skills, conditions such as poor eye coordination
and movement, lazy eye and perceptual problems can be improved.
Your care and concern
for your child's vision can enrich his or her future while
helping develop eye care habits for a lifetime of good vision.
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