Did you know that taking your child to an eye exam at Valley Eyecare Center may help with behavioral problems in school?
A lot of parents don’t realize it, but some behavioral issues may be caused by vision problems! There are several early warning signs that can indicate a child is having trouble seeing correctly.
Only around 30% of students have an eye exam before entering school, making it very easy for vision problems to go undetected in the classroom.
Childhood Behaviors That Suggest Vision Problems
1 – Reluctance Reading Out Loud
There are many factors that can contribute to delayed reading development, but vision problems are among the most common.
A student who’s near-sighted will often desperately avoid being called on to read from the front whiteboard. Similarly, far-sighted students will avoid reading from the book, or -more obviously- start holding it at arm’s length when they read.
2 – Headaches Leading To Disruption
When a student is doing close-up work, like homework or arts, see if they show signs of a headache, such as rubbing their eyes or temples. Students with vision problems often have chronic headaches. They may not think to mention it because, to them, close-up work simply brings pain and “always” has.
However, they’re then more likely to misbehave from the pain, rather than doing the assigned work. If you see behavior like this, ask them if their eyes or head hurts rather than immediately reprimanding. If there’s pain, vision problems are likely.
3 – A Strong Preference For Auditory Learning
Most learning in school is either sight- or sound-based. If a student shows a wide variation in their ability to learn from visuals versus audio, that’s another strong suggestion that they are having vision problems.
For example: A student who cannot understand a math “word problem” from looking at the book, but immediately comprehends it when the paragraph is read aloud.
Have Your Child’s Eyes Been Checked?
In many cases, an examination and a pair of glasses can make a big difference to a student’s behavior. If they haven’t had an eye exam, contact your Phoenix optometrist for an appointment!
