Comprehensive Eye Exam Critical for Child's Academic Success

Parents fill their kids' backpacks with a host of school supplies ranging from newly sharpened pencils to state-of-the-art binders. They'll pack nutritional lunches, purchase fall wardrobes and make sure the required reading lists have been tackled. Parents want to give their children every educational advantage, but one tool vital to children's abilities to learn is too often overlooked -- their vision.

Comprehensive eye exams should be at the very top of any back-to-school checklist. While school or pediatrician vision screens are helpful, they are usually not complete eye exams. "These screenings are designed to alert parents to the possibility of vision problems and should not take the place of a visit to the eye doctor," says Dr. Jeff Smith, vice president of professional services at Pearle Vision. A doctor of optometry or an ophthalmologist should examine children's eyes before they enter kindergarten and routinely throughout their school years to detect potential problems.

Students may achieve as much as 80 percent of their learning visually in their first 12 years. Blurry chalkboards or reading-related headaches impede progress. Prevent Blindness America says that one in four school-age children are affected by vision problems. All too often, these vision difficulties go unnoticed and untreated.

A wide variety of factors can contribute to vision problems. In today's world, computers are a part of everyday life. In fact, 90 percent of American school-age children have access to a computer at home or at school and may spend as many as three hours a day on it. Heavy computer use may put children at risk for early myopia, or nearsightedness.

Not sure if your son or daughter is having vision-related troubles? As a parent, be aware of telltale signs like squinting, covering or closing one eye, excessive blinking or rubbing of the eyes, leaning in to read, complaining of headaches, nausea or dizziness, turning or tilting the head to one side, avoiding close work or seeming excessively clumsy.

Glasses are in Style

Forget the jeering chants of generations past --"old four eyes" has given way to cool and hip. Pearle Vision carries a variety of frames geared toward kids, including styles from Candies, Converse and StrideRite. The extremely popular Nickelodeon line features SpongeBob SquarePants, Blues Clues and The Wild Thornberrys -- with each frame capturing the personality behind a favorite cartoon character. There are also frames for teens including Tommy Hilfiger, Guess? Eyewear, Calvin Klein Eyewear and Nine West.

Children are active and technological advances in eyewear are designed to fit in with their rough-and-tumble fast-paced lifestyles. The Flexibles-Youth line is made from flex titanium, a material designed to withstand the stress children and teens put on their glasses.

Shatter resistant polycarbonate lenses are the best choice for children. Pearle Vision fits children with exclusive kidSAFE lenses, which also feature UV protection. The lightweight scratch resistant polycarbonate lenses protect your child's eyes at home, in the classroom and on the playground.