Children's Vision Month

Set your sights on healthy eyes October 18 Children's Vision Month 2014 7 Saturday, October 18 | Supplement to the Winnipeg Free Press By Jennifer McFee For the Free Press W hen it comes to learning, the impact of vision is clear to see. Along with the other two optometrists at 20/20 EyeCare in St. Vital, Dr. Kim Elcheshen maintains a steady focus on eye health, particularly for school-aged children. Parents should schedule their child's first eye exam before age three, she says, with annual exams throughout the school years. If left untreated or undetected, vision problems can impact everything from reading and math skills to athletic ability and social interaction. "Up to 80 per cent of school-age learning is visual, so it can definitely impact their potential in terms of learning and concentration. One in four school-age children has a vision problem, and they are sometimes misdiagnosed as having learning disabilities. A lot of them perform below their potential in school, and they can become a little more withdrawn if they're not seeing well," she said. "Oftentimes, kids don't realize that they're not seeing well because they don't know any different. They just accept that what they see is normal. Often there are no symptoms for parents to tell that there are any issues going on. It's really important to bring them in for a full eye exam to make sure that everything is developing properly and that they are seeing to their full potential." While some children might not show any signs of vision problems, others might be afflicted with headaches, short attention spans or reading difficulties. However, young children don't need to have any reading skills to have their eyes checked. "We have ways of adapting our eye exam to their level so we make it fun and simple. We're able to gather lots and lots of information, even without their feedback," Elcheshen said. During the appointment, our optometrists will check for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, as well as how the eyes function together. "It's not just about seeing the eye chart. It's also about how their eyes are co-ordinated and working together, moving from one distance to another for reading and tracking," Elcheshen said. "We also check the health of the eyes to make sure there isn't any eye disease. It's rare in kids, but there can be some congenital issues that arise that we want to see as early as possible." Elcheshen encourages parents to schedule eye exams for their kids, even if they receive vision screenings at school. "Vision screenings are a great way to get parents to be aware of the need for eye exams, but it's not a replacement for the eye exam with an optometrist," she said. "We might find something during an eye exam that the screening might not pick up on." And parents don't need to worry about the financial aspect of the appointment, since Manitoba Health covers the cost of kids' eye exams. "We also have a great selection of frames to choose from, if there's a need for that. We can accommodate everything. Our highly trained staff will guide you through choosing a pair that fits well and is comfortable," she said. "Kids should also get into the habit of wearing sunglasses early. UV protection is really important because kids spend so much time outdoors. Even in the winter, you get the glare off the snow, so year-round sunglasses are a good choice." For more info about 20/20 EyeCare, visit 20-20eyecare.ca or call 204-953-2020. Dr. Kim Elcheshen runs optical tests on a patient at 20/20 EyeCare. Photo by Darcy Finley October isChildren'sVisionMonth FACTS: 1in4schoolagechildrenhasavisionproblem. 80%ofachild'slearningisvisual. TAKEYOURCHILDFORAYEARLYEYEEXAM.HELPTHEMREACHTHEIRFULLPOTENTIAL. Dr.Robinson Dr.Elcheshen Dr.Porter DOCTORSOFOPTOMETRY Dr.D.Porter Dr.K.Elcheshen Dr.G.Robinson 20-20eyecare.ca•204-953-2020 2-835DakotaStreet(acrossfromSt.VitalCentre) NEW PATIENTS WELCOME

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