Is your child seeing 20/20?

How does your child know that blur is not normal? There is a link with success at school and having good vision. As children go through school, each year the reading size becomes smaller and smaller. If its difficult to see what is in front of you, or far away on the board, it's near impossible to read it! A child struggling to focus may seem distracted or have poor concentration. Or slowly losing progress with work. Often when vision is corrected, a marked improvement in attention can be seen.

If your child is struggling, it may be difficult for them to communicate this with you. Or they may not know that what they're experiencing, isn't the norm. Here are some common signs that you can look out for:

• Constant eye rubbing
• Sensitivity to light
• Poor focus or concentration
• A head tilt 
• Difficulty following moving objects
• A turn or eyes that don't seem straight
• Chronic red eyes or tearing
• A white pupil

At a young age there isn't much demand on our eyes. Toys are larger and colours are bright. Children are generally looking at things much closer, exploring the world that is within reaching distance. Some signs may show later as the demand changes. These signs include:

• Struggling to see objects at a distance
• Difficulty reading the board in school
• A dull ache on the forehead, above the eyes
• Squinting
• Difficulty reading, especially in the evenings, towards the end of the week
• Or avoiding reading all together
• Sitting too close to the TV

There are many different reasons why your child may be having visual difficulty. They may be long or short sighted, have a squint or problems with colour vision. An eye exam can quickly determine a cause and treatment, be it glasses for concentrated work or coloured lenses to help with visual stress. Call one of our practices to book in for an appointment.