alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter tiktok wechat user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

School kids eyes and vision

It happened again today.   So many times I have seen elementary school age children that are struggling in school, perhaps labeled dyslexic or ADHD, and the only problem is they are far-sighted (hyperopic) and need glasses to help focus.  Sometimes they have been checked by the school nurse and passed the screenings they perform or some even have been seen by a “quickie” eye doctor at a Bigmart store and the parents have been told the child doesn’t need glasses.

Many far-sighted people can see at far and near distances clearly but they have to work harder to do it.  That’s why they may read 20/20 on the eye chart and not appear to need glasses at first glance.   The child can make vision clear for awhile until the eye muscles fatigue and then the letters on the page blur or move around.  It’s hard to concentrate when your vision is in and out of focus.  Many kids avoid near work because it’s uncomfortable to continue doing this and usually they are the ones that end up talking and getting in trouble with the teacher for not paying attention to their work.

It should be assumed,  until proven otherwise by a reputable eye doctor,  that a child with a learning disability or doing poorly in school has a vision problem.   Your eye doctor should be able to say with 100% confidence through specific tests, that the child is absolutely not farsighted when they don’t appear to need glasses.  Only then should the child be considered for a visual perception problem or dyslexia diagnosis.

Please, please, parents….if your child is struggling in school with their grades, especially if they have headaches later in the day after using their eyes, have them examined by a reputable eye doctor that can ensure you that your child is not far-sighted (or have other hidden vision disorders for that matter.)

Courtesy of Dumas Vision Source, PLLC and Dr Tory W. Moore, Optometric Glaucoma Specialist.    Serving the Dumas, Texas,  Moore County and upper Texas Panhandle area for 21 years.   Call (806) 935-2020 for appointment or visit our optical gallery without an appointment.  Connect on Twitter @eyedocdumas27 and like our Facebook business page:  Dumas Vision Source You also can visit our website www.visionsource-dumas.com for more information.   Tory Moore, OD  – “A Hometown Eye Doctor You Know and Can Trust!”