It can be argued that vision is indubitably the most important of all the senses, especially for children. Experts say that between eighty and ninety percent of what children learn is through visual means. Luckily, with the technology of vision correction continuously growing, professionals have been able to give the gift of sight to people – as young as babies – that have problems seeing. However, how young is too young when it comes to corrective lenses? At what age is it generally okay to begin wearing glasses, and how would you know whether or not it’s what they need? What are the signs your kid needs glasses?!?
While the administration of faulty and distorted vision-correction could lead to discomfort and the slight possibility of future vision complications, early detection of problems with a child’s vision is truly imperative to their health and growth. Most experts say that a child’s first vision exam should take place when they are just six-months of age. While there may be a narrow possibility that the corrected lenses can adversely affect the child’s vision should the actual needs be altered in some way, primarily, kids will show their discomfort. For example, often times, once a child gets used to their glasses, they will actually prefer their clear view of the world – as apposed to a cloudy haze. Therefore, even for children not yet able to express their needs with language, there should be certain reason to decide whether the corrected lenses are actually done accurately or otherwise.
While extremely young children are capable of wearing glasses as well, the most common time-frame for kids to begin donning their new eyeglasses is in their pre-teen years: between eight and twelve years old. If you are between your child’s eye exams and are beginning to wonder if he/she needs glasses, there are a few tips that you can try paying close attention to. If you see your child squinting a lot, this may be a sign that they are attempting to zone-in on a specific object – a classic sign of having trouble seeing. If your child tends to constantly want to be closer to the television, or hold a book closely. This could be a sign of nearsightedness. What if your child tends to cover one eye when focusing on something (like the TV or a book)? This is another signal that he/she may be trying to compensate for poor vision in one eye by completely removing the problem. Another sign could include if your child insistently tends to lose his place while reading, or follows the words she reads with her finger. Finger pointing is not always a bad sign, but if it is an added symptom to the ones listed above, it may be another red flag.
There are several ways for you to know whether or not your child needs prescription glasses. You no longer have any excuses when it comes to simply “not knowing”. Aside for general knowledge, due to the growth of vision correction research, glasses can actually be administered as early as needed! Primarily children are not going to need bifocal glasses; however, they may be more likely to in the future if they need glasses as children. Either way, educating yourself is the first step to understanding more about your child’s vision! You’re their voice, so be sure to get them the correction they need!