Commentary by Tammy Wittmann

It’s August and every parent in Indiana is scrambling to make sure their child is ready to head back to school. Book bags. Shoes. Notebooks. Band practice. Football practice. The list goes on and on. But on the top of that list should be EYE EXAM.

Did you know that vision is the number one sense that affects learning and development? Does your child not particularly like to read? Do they do great on the first few math problems and fizzle out at the end of the assignment? Do they have a hard time focusing for a long period of time? Has your child been labeled as having a learning problem? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions your child may have a vision problem.

Did you know that your child only gets their vision screening at school in kindergarten, fifth grade and eighth grade? A lot changes between kindergarten and fifth grade. And a screening is just a screening. There are many vision issues that are not found by reading an eye chart. There are many other issues that need to be tested in a comprehensive eye exam with an eye doctor that tests for near and binocular vision problems. It’s important when making the appointment for your child that you ask if your doctor specifically tests for these. Not all do.

Vision not only impacts learning development, but affects social, physical and emotional development as well. Once these vision problems are corrected, the doors are opened for your child to be the best they can be.

Make sure your child is ready for school. Schedule their back to school eye exam before school starts. Your child will thank you later.