by Dr. Matthew Wadas of the Wadas Eye Group
It’s hard to believe August is here, and the “back-to-school season” is upon us. For those of us with children, we know this means we have to start thinking about buying school supplies and new clothes for the year ahead. Perhaps, those annual appointments with the Pediatrician and Dentist are on the calendar, as well. But have you given any thought to taking your child for an eye examination? Vision is the most important human sense involved in learning, and many learning problems are associated with vision problems.
In fact, one of the most common questions I get asked is “when is a good time to get my child’s eyes examined.” The quick answer to this is there is never a wrong time, but for those of you seeking a more specific answer, my recommendation is unless you notice something abnormal (cross-eyedness, your child holding or getting really close to things, or a possible infection such as pink-eye) then every child should have an examination before the start of kindergarten. This way, if a problem is found, we can address it early on before it has the chance to impact their learning.
Make an annual eye examination part of your back-to-school routine. Remember, being your best is seeing your best!