Children's Vision Month

PAG E 2 VISION MONTH We specialize in Infants | Kids | Adults | Seniors If you are looking for first-class service, with a state of the art optical labratory you have come to the right place! Please visit our store to view our wide range of glasses for infants, kids, adults and seniors. whitworthopticians.com Whitworth Opticians 1.204.942.5332 • 101-225 Vaughan St Vision is the first key to a child's learning and development; 85% of learning is acquired through vision. Children who are born blind or experience significant vision loss at a young age cannot process information in the same way as a sighted child. CNIB's Early Intervention program is designed to address the developmental needs of infants and children who are blind or partially sighted. To make a donation or learn more, visit cnib.ca or call the toll-free CNIB Helpline at 1-800-563-2642. In Canada, one out of four children have a vision issue. C onsequently, a cursory vision screening test at school isn't sufficient to provide an accurate picture of how well a child is viewing the world around them, says doctor of optometry Jessie Fillmore. "First of all, screening isn't typically done by a doctor of optometry — it's usually done by a volunteer at school," she says. "Second, it's usually just a couple of tests — perhaps visual acuity and eye muscle function. There's no eye health evaluation." As a result, a passing grade from a screening session can be misleading. "There is value in schools administering vision screenings: it promotes awareness of the importance of eye exams and may indeed lead to underlying vision issues being addressed. However, a screening is very basic. As a result, it can potentially overlook a lot of issues. Even if a child's vision is assessed to be 20/20, that doesn't mean there aren't issues." In this case, vision issues can be covered up by a child's young, resilient body. "Young eyes can actually compensate to mask an underlying issue," Fillmore explains. "Some issues, such as myopia and astigmatism are easier to detect. Issues such as far-sightedness (or hyperopia) are harder to detect." Should a vision issue such as hyperopia — or one that's more serious — go undetected, consequences can be dire. "At a young age, neural pathways are being created between the eyes and brain. If a serious eye issue isn't diagnosed in a timely manner, it can lead to amblyopia, or lack of vision development. When that happens, you may not be able to bring a child's vision back to 20/20." Fillmore says there's one sure way to prevent the development of vision problems: regular eye exams. "We encourage parents to start eye exams early — a child's first eye exam should take place at the age of six months or so," she says, noting that approximately 80 per cent of children entering kindergarten haven't had an eye exam. "After that, a child should have a yearly exam after the age of two. Getting your child's eyes checked regularly is vital, as 80 per cent of learning is visual." Typically, an eye exam will take 15 minutes to half an hour. When a child is first brought in, the doctor of optometry will talk with the parent, and get a family history of eye health, noting whether there's any history of eye disease. Next a visual assessment — which includes a check of near and distance vision — is performed. That's followed by binocular vision and tracking tests, and other key vision checks such as taking a close look at the internal structure of the eye (retina, optic nerve). "We'll also look at how a child's eyes work as a team (depth perception), and how they react to light," says Fillmore. "The great thing about these tests is that we can pick up eye issues even if a child is too young to communicate effectively." In many cases, testing reveals an imbalance in eye function. "Testing may show that one eye needs a more significant prescription than another. When this happens, there's the potential for eye fatigue and difficulty focusing due to a lack of clarity. There's always a cost to compensation." This is where parents' observation skills can come in handy, says Fillmore. "There are certain signs of eye issues that parents can watch out for: headaches, double vision, squinting, a child closing one eye, difficulty concentrating, frustration with schoolwork, or kids just feeling tired for no good reason. If one or more of these symptoms come up regularly, you should bring your child in for an eye exam right away." What's the key to preventing eye issues in children? "Making a yearly eye exam a priority," she says, adding that children are covered for eye exams up to and including age 18 by Manitoba Health. "Your child has only one set of eyes, so it's better to be safe than sorry. It's possible that a screening might get a kid into a doctor of optometry, but on its own, it's just not enough. The only way to properly determine eye health is a yearly exam. It's the only way to catch small issues before they become big ones." EYE SCREENINGS can overlook issues BY TODD LEWYS "Getting your child's eyes checked regularly is vital, as 80% of learning is visual." DR. JESSIE FILLMORE SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO GET FULL EYE EXAMINATIONS, RATHER THAN SCREENINGS. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY

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