January 2010     An Australian school principal warns that undiagnosed vision problems amongst young children can lead to poor school results and learning difficulties. According to Melbourne’s Gilson College principal Mark Vodell, who has over 25 years teaching experience, many school children can struggle at school due to undetected vision problems.

To combat this Specsavers are urging parents to include an eye test for their children as part of the back-to-school preparations this month. Short sightedness or Myopia, which is increasingly common amongst children, is one of the key reasons why many kids find it hard to read the blackboard at school.

The tell tale signs of Myopia are screwing up the eyes to see distant objects, difficulty reading the blackboard at school and sitting very close to the television. “Undiagnosed vision problems can be a real set-back to children starting school and can impact their learning and socialisation,” Mark said. “As parents start organising their children’s uniforms, textbooks and stationary for school, they must not forget about their children’s eye health. A quick and simple eye test can ensure their child’s eyes are fit and ready for the new school year.”

Specsavers have put together some hints and tips on how parents can spot if their child may need glasses:

• Squinting – If your child’s teacher says they frequently squint at the blackboard, they may be trying to compensate for their poor vision short term.
• Sitting too close to the television – Short-sighted children generally have clear vision at a close range and poor vision at a distance.
• Rubbing eyes and headaches – If your child rubs their eyes excessively or complains of headaches regularly, it may mean their eye muscles are fatigued from straining.
• Reading problems – Children who frequently skip lines or lose their place while reading books have vision associated problems.

Listed below are the most common eye problems among children.  This is why it is important to get your children’s eyes tested as part of their back to school preparations. Untreated eye problems can worsen and lead to other serious problems as well as affect learning ability, personality and adjustment in school.

• Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
  Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a loss of vision in an eye that is not corrected by glasses alone. Crossed eyes, eyes that don't line up, or one eye that focuses better than the other can cause amblyopia. -
• Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)
  Strabismus is a word for eyes that are not straight or do not line up with each other. If the problem is not treated, it can cause amblyopia. -
• Colour Deficiency (Colour Blindness)
  Children with colour blindness are not really blind to colour. Instead, they have trouble identifying some colours. - Retinopathy of Prematurity
  Soon after birth, some premature infants develop changes in the blood vessels of the eye's retina that can permanently impair vision.
• Myopia (Nearsightedness)
  In myopia, the eyeball is too long for the normal focusing power of the eye. As a result, images of distant objects appear blurred.
• Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
  In this condition, the eyeball is too short for the normal focusing power of the eye. In children, the lens in the eye accommodates for this error and provides clear vision for distance and usually near viewing, but with considerable effort that often causes fatigue and sometimes crossed eyes (strabismus).
• Astigmatism
  Astigmatism results primarily from an irregular shape of the front surface of the cornea, the transparent "window" at the front of the eye. Persons with astigmatism typically see vertical lines more clearly than horizontal ones, and sometimes the reverse.

From information provided by Specsavers.  Specsavers optometrists have plenty of experience testing children and the stores offer a wide range of fun and colourful frames to suit every child.

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