When it comes to vision problems in children, they typically start exhibiting symptoms after they have been enrolled in school. This is because your child is not being exposed to structured learning, which makes it easier to spot any problems they may be having with reading, attention and more. If you are wondering if your child may need an eye test, the following are some of the signs that you should look out for.
Your child is experiencing difficulty concentrating on their schoolwork
One of the more common symptoms of eye problems in children is if they are having a difficult time adjusting to school life. If a child is not capable of seeing what is written on the board or cannot read the books provided to them, they will begin to act out and lose interest in learning. However, this also tends to be a sign of attention deficit disorder in children. As such, you will find some parent and teachers would automatically assume that your child is suffering from this disorder.
Nevertheless, there are instances when this lack of interest in schoolwork simply stems from your child being unable to see what they are being taught. You may want to consider taking them for an eye test first to rule out any problems with their vision.
Your child is squinting or keeping an eye shut when reading
A telltale sign that your child may be experiencing problems with their vision is if they have to either squint or shut one eye when trying to read text. The act of squinting is your brain's reflex to try to make blurry images clear. Conversely, reading with one eye is also the brain's way of trying to eliminate the blurry vision caused by the affected eye. As such, if your child is squinting, chances are they are having trouble discerning what they are looking at. However if you do not spend time reading with your child, then you could easily miss this symptom.
If you are concerned about your child's vision, an easy way to determine whether they require an eye test is to give them some text to read at varying distances. If they have to resort to squinting or closing an eye, you should set an appointment with an optometrist. It should be noted that squinting may also be caused due to photosensitivity rather than bad vision. Nevertheless, your child will still require treatment to decrease their eye's sensitivity to light.
