Are Your Kids’ Eyes Ready to Head Back-To-School?

The beginning of the school year is a chaotic period for parents. The to-do lists are infinite with the purchase of school supplies, uniforms, registration, and other start-of-the-year activities.

One thing you don’t want to skip is an annual eye checkup. Have you taken your kids for an examination with an ophthalmologist yet? Children’s visual health is essential for optimal academic development. This is why we want to share with you the importance of seeing an ophthalmologist before the school year begins in earnest.

Kids are Visual Learners

Kids receive most of their knowledge through their vision. This means that a visual problem can have a severe impact on their lives academically, athletically, socially, and on their self-esteem.

Did you know that healthy vision goes beyond seeing 20/20? This is why it is so important to take your children to see an ophthalmologist for a complete evaluation. An ophthalmologist will check all of the following abilities in your children’s vision:

• Visual acuity: the ability to see clearly at a given distance.
• Ocular accommodation: a process in which the lens focuses on both near and far objects to maintain clear vision when distances change.
• Visual tracking: this is the motor skill that allows you to control where the eyes will focus. A clear example can be when practicing a sport, the ball or the player is followed with the gaze.

• Binocular vision: is the ability to coordinate both eyes to integrate vision into a single image. For example, when the eyes move to read the text in a book.
• Eye-hand coordination: the capacity to carry out activities in which the eyes and hands are used simultaneously, such as playing sports or painting.
• Visual perception: it is the ability to interpret the information that our eyes receive and send to our brain.

It is important that the entire family, including the children, attend an ophthalmological examination at least once a year. A visit to the ophthalmologist at the beginning of the school year is the ideal time for this check-up since the vision is constantly changing as kids grow. It is crucial to detect visual problems as soon as possible to receive the appropriate care.

Pediatric Vision Services at CODET

At CODET Vision Institute, we have Pediatric Ophthalmology Service that provide the best vision treatments utilizing the best surgical and diagnostic equipment in the industry. The department operates under the direction of Dr. Adriana Valdés, a Certified Pediatric Ophthalmologist and Strabismus Specialist. Dr. Valdés treats all childhood eye conditions from birth to age 18 including: Amblyopia (lazy eye), Astigmatism, Myopia, Hyperopia, Chalazia, Eye injuries, Strabismus, and other conditions.

Schedule a consultation for your kids at CODET and start the school year off right!

Source: American Optometric Association