Almost 80 per cent of what a child learns in school is presented visually.
It stands to reason then that good vision is essential to learning. Yet studies show only 31 per cent of children between the ages of six and 16 have an annual eye exam, according to Dr. Pavan Avinashi of Hollyburn Eye Clinic.
He notes in a press release that about 70 per cent of children younger than six years (the age at which most vision problems can be treated before permanent damage occurs) have never had an eye exam.
Twenty million children will go back to school this year with a vision problem that may interfere with their ability to learn while also contributing to disciplinary problems.
But what about "vision screenings" performed by a school nurse or a pediatrician? Won't they detect vision problems? Only partially, according to Avinashi.
He says a study by the National Institutes of Health found vision-screening methods detected only 40 -65 per cent of children with vision problems.
Every child should have a comprehensive eye health examination, notes Avinashi, adding even if a child has passed a vision screening a comprehensive exam can reveal problems that would go undetected in a screening.
