You expect adults to need assistance with vision as they age, but it can be difficult for kids to recognize that they need help. For them, blurry vision may be their norm, and they don’t know that other people can see clearly. Take notice these 5 things to determine whether you need to make a doctors appointment for your child’s vision.

1. Squinting: If you catch your child constantly squinting when you ask them to look at specific things, then they may have a refractive vision issue. Astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness are all lumped together in this category. Ask your child to read a distant sign that you can legibly read. Watch their reaction, and wait to hear what they have to say. If they immediately squint, and have difficulty reciting things that they should know, then it’s time to go to the eye doctor. Same goes for something close. Try both tests to see if they have trouble with one and not with the other.
2. Sitting Too Close To TVs: Another indicator is sitting too close to tvs, holding electronics too close to the face, or bringing their face closer to books to see. This could be evidence that your child is nearsighted or has myopia.
3. Complaining of Headaches/Eye Pain: This can be a difficult one to pinpoint. If you see your child constantly rubbing their eyes, or complaining of eye pain at the end of the day, then it could be from their eyes constantly trying to focus all day. The eye strain can lead to headaches and eye pain. Ask probing questions to your child to figure out where the headaches are coming from.
4. Tilting Head/Covering One Eye: Along with squinting, if your child tilts their head, they are trying to remedy to a focus problem. This could point to an issue with the eyes being misaligned or amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. This is one of the most common eye problems that children have.
5. Having Difficulty With School Work: In a classroom, children’s eyes need to quickly transition from the whiteboard, to their desk, to computers, and more. If they are having trouble making their eyes focus, then it can lead to them struggling with school work.

What To Do

The first thing is to not panic. It’s completely normal for children to need eye care at any stage of development. Visit your local pediatrician, and let see if your child passes a vision test. If they fail a basic vision test, then they should see an Opthamologist to run a range of tests to see where the issue lies.

They will look inside the eye for shape, test the health of the eye, and run tests for depth perception, clarity, and sharpness. After the doctor diagnoses your child’s vision issue, they will give you instructions for how to help them correct it. This may require them to wear a patch over the better eye to strengthen the weaker eye muscles, or this could mean wearing prescription eyeglasses.

Regardless of what the outcome is, make this a positive experience for your child. They are going to have trouble accepting this new change. They may even be embarrassed by the new eyewear. Make it something fun and encourage them to take care of their eyesight.