Back to school! When to start eye exams?

Its back to school time! Are eye exams on your to-do list for the kids? 

Statistics show that 84% of parents agree that regular eye exams help kids do better in school. However, about 50% of parents wait until their child complains about vision issues to take them to the eye doc! More shocking is the fact that only 12% of parents know that children should receive their first eye exam at 6 months old! 

Additionally, we know that 80% of learning is visual, yet almost a quarter of students have vision correction issues, hindering them from performing to their best. 

Children often don't know that how they're seeing, may not be the most optimal. Replying on routine school eye screenings will most often miss up to 75% of children with vision problems since they only provide less than 4% of required tests! One of the best ways to help your child stay ahead of the game is to take them to to see an eye doctor.

There's another reason why its a good idea to start taking your children for their eye exams early on! When kids are young, their eyes are    

still developing and these are vital years when we can help correct some underlying visual issues. Common noticeable eye disorders, such as strabismus (aka. lazy eye, where one eye wanders off in one direction), can be corrected, non-surgically! Myopia control is also something that can get addressed early on so kids don't end up becoming high mypoes later on!

If your kids end up needing glasses, the earlier they get acclimated to them, the more they'll wear them and see better throughout their lives! Glasses can not only help them see better, but the right pair can help them feel good about themselves as well!! Too often we hear about kids not wearing their glasses because they look/feel awkward in them. There are also other options available for them if they really do not love glasses (such as orthokeratology -- aka. Ortho-K, or contacts) that you can discuss with your optometrist.

Its a great idea to start developing healthy eye habits with children early on -- the earlier the better, for so many different reasons! If you're local, we're always happy to suggest local optometrists we partner with! 
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