| Now that school is officially in session, it may be time for a little insight on how children perceive the world, their peers and quite possibly the blackboard.
According to The American Optometric Association, 25 percent of all school-age children have vision problems.
With that said, Traci Tanner of Rosenberg didn't hesitate bringing her son Thomas to the optometrist after watching him sit too close to the television and squint when he thumbed through a picture book.
"I brought him in for a kindergarten check-up," she said. "That's when we found out he had astigmatism."
Astigmatism occurs when the front surface of the eye, the cornea, is slightly irregular in shape. As a result, vision may be blurred or distorted.
Local optometrist Larry Wilkinson said while holding things up close and squinting are clues something may be wrong, there are a lot of little subtle signs.
Other examples may include excessive blinking and rubbing eyes, poor eye-hand coordination, headaches and dizziness to name a few.
"Unfortunately, you can't really recognize all of the signs," he said. "A large part of the time you (as a parent) are going to know something's going on. You know your child more than anyone."
Thomas, now 8, was back in for his annual exam Thursday and to pick out another pair of glasses.
"We're in here a lot," Traci said, adding that Thomas is "a little rough" on his glasses.
After 35 years in the eye care business, Wilkinson recommends children have their eyes examined before entering kindergarten or first grade, especially those with a family history of eye problems.
"Eyes are a growing mechanism and they will change over a lifetime," he said.
In addition to early detection of nearsightedness, farsightedness and even astigmatism, eye exams are important in other ways.
"Occasionally, thank goodness not very often, there are some underlying health concerns that we do find during a routine eye exam," explained Wilkinson. "Every now and then we do find something we wish wasn't there."
While opting for eyeglasses is not a necessity, Wilkinson did say they do enhance the quality of life by reducing headaches, discomfort and eyestrain.
Gone are the days of black-rimmed glasses and coke bottle lenses. Today's eye wear are fashionable and thin.
"There are so many options now," said Wilkinson. "Opticians may show what can and can't be done; the ultimate decision goes back to the parent and child."
One other option may be contact lenses.
"Contacts are totally cosmetic in nature," explained Wilkinson. On the other hand, he did say that students involved in sports activities may opt to wear contacts on a part-time basis.
'The biggest activity we have here in Texas is football," he said, explaining that helmets today wrap around tight and have lots of padding, making it almost impossible for the player to wear eyeglasses.
Students with uncorrected vision disorders may face a number of barriers, academically, socially and athletically. Early detection and treatment provide the best opportunity to correct those type of problems, and to see a little more clearly.
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