Although about a quarter of school-aged children in the U.S. suffer from some form of vision impairment, only six percent of parents recognize that poor eyesight can effect school performance, according to a study conducted by the Vision Council of America.
A regular comprehensive eye examination is important to make sure that children have the tools they need to succeed in the classroom, reports Medicinenet.
"If a child is struggling in school, it is important that a parent consider his or her vision," recommended optometrist Dr. Joel Zaba. "While there are several reasons why a child may not perform well academically, it’s clear that vision has a great impact on how much and/or how quickly a child learns."
Eighty percent of what a child learns in the classroom is done visually. Another study found that 70 percent of children with reading difficulties also suffer from some form of visual impairment.
While many schools do offer basic vision testing, experts recommend that children also see a trained optometrist on a regular basis for more thorough testing that can pick up problems the basic tests may overlook.
Photo credit: photostock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net