Vision plays a critical role in learning.  In fact, eighty percent of learning is done visually, and one in four children have an undetected vision condition.  Children often do not know what good vision is if he or she has never experienced it, so he or she will not voice that there is a problem and often leads to frustrated students or low self esteem. It is common for vision problems to be mistaken for a learning disability.  Because eye health and vision development plays a major role in academic growth, an eye examination is a great investment in your child's education.

Is there a difference between a comprehensive eye examination with us versus a vision screening at school or by the pediatrician?

Yes. While screenings are valuable and do help identify some eye or vision problems, they are not a substitute for a comprehensive eye examination. A comprehensive eye examination includes visual acuity, cover test, pupil assessment, extraocular muscle evaluation, visual field testing, retinoscopy, anterior slit lamp examination, and dilated posterior slit lamp and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy examination. By contrast, a vision screening usually consists of visual acuity only.

How often should a child have his or her eyes examined?

Annually. Eye health is an important part of your child's overall health care.  Whether you have vision insurance or not, the majority of medical insurance plans cover an annual preventative eye examination for children.  We accept most medical insurance plans for preventative or medical eye examinations. 

We strongly encourage you to schedule a comprehensive eye examination before your child starts school again to help ensure he or she is ready and eager to learn.

Since 80% of learning is done visually, 3 years old is when Complete Vision Care recommends your children's first eye examination if you haven't noticed any troubles prior.  We do see children as young as 6 months old if you have noticed trouble prior to three years old.  Having your child's eyes examined this young is vital to ensuring (s)he is ready for school. There are many easily correctable vision-related troubles that can impede on your child's learning that we will assess at the eye examination. Even if you do not have vision insurance on your child, the Affordable Care Act recently made it mandatory for all medical insurances to cover a routine eye examination annually for children under the age of 18.

How will an eye examination play a role in my child's learning?

Approximately 80% of learning is done visually. Vision conditions that are undiagnosed and untreated become stumbling blocks to learning.  When children are visually able to learn, they have the potential to be successful in everything they do.

Think about the tasks students tackle each day like reading & spelling, writing & computer work.  To complete these tasks children must be able to see and understand information.  Healthy vision is more than just the ability to see clearly from one end of the classroom to the other.  It also includes visualizing, understanding & applying information that comes into the brain through the eyes.

Here are the seven essential visual abilities needed for learning.
    -Visual Acuity:   Seeing clearly at distance or near
    -Accommodation: Maintaining clear vision as objects are move closer to the eyes
    -Eye Teaming:  Coordinating both eyes together so they both point at the exact same object
    -Eye Movement:  Tracking objects or views easily
    -Perception:  Interpreting correctly what is seen,  and then reacting to it
    -Eye-Hand Coordination:   Using the eyes to guide the hands.
    -Imagery:  Seeing pictures in the mind.
         -Remembering pictures of what has been seen in the past
         -Visualizing new pictures in the mind.

We will ensure your child's eyes are seeing clearly and functioning as a team so they can learn efficiently.

Warning Signs that your child may have vision trouble:

• Becomes easily distracted
• Avoids near tasks
• Has emotional outbursts
• Poor self image
• Shows aggressive behavior
• Has low comprehension
• Has trouble concentration
• Fails to complete assignments
• Is frustrated with school
• Uses exaggerated head movements
• Loses place and skips lines
• Holds books at a very close reading distance
• Has no voice inflection when reading
• Fatigues rapidly when reading

#SeeBy3yo
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