Many parents believe that vision screening tests at school are relatively sufficient. In contrast, such tests are found to usually miss common vision problems like amblyopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism for numerous children.
Based on this truth, several children may be suffering from critical vision problems. Surely, their vision problems would also cause them to struggle with the undetected vision issues they face regularly, right?
The only way to know the correct answer is to check for signs of visual impairment, along with a handful of other factors. So, this blog will discuss how you can help children early with vision screening and any other solutions that support and promote regular childhood development.
How Does Vision Impact Developmental Milestones
Did you know that children develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills between the ages of 2 to 3 years? Upon arriving at this age, a child has already also learned:
- Visually tracking moving objects
- Adjusting vision instruments to perform actions
- Harness visual processing for social behavior
Moreover, the Optometry Times (2023) states that nearly 80% of a child’s learning happens through visual processing in the first 12 years of life. If your child noticeably still struggles with these activities, it’s highly recommended to immediately visit an optometrist near me (you).
The InfantSEE program has made great strides in this area by offering comprehensive eye assessment and treatment for free to infants below the age of one.
However, for children above the age of one up till their adolescent years, there are many challenges they may still face regarding their vision and visual processing capabilities.
The Role of Vision in Motor Skills Development
Developing motor skills through the use of vision inevitably requires hand-eye coordination. Activities like catching a ball or writing depend on motor skills and coordination. The lack of both creates a lack of depth perception, possibly making a healthy child clumsy.
In turn, the clumsiness makes the child afraid of basic physical activity, impacting their ability to navigate their environment confidently. Similarly, children can also become overly active or overcompensate for their visual struggles, further impacting their confidence and social interactions.
The undiagnosed vision problems can also appear as inhibitions in motor skill milestones where crawling, walking, or balancing are ruled by motor delays. As a result, simple tasks like walking in a straight line can appear uncoordinated, often labeled as insubordination or rebellion.
Such challenges emphasize the importance of early detection and correction of vision to attain motor development milestones smoothly.
How Do Vision Problems Affect Social Interaction?
Nearly all of the social interactions are fundamentally based or begin with facial recognition. Children who struggle with reading or identifying social cues or emotions will likely have a challenging time connecting with peers.
After carrying feelings of confusion or missed opportunities to form bonds and not understanding expressions and body language, children may begin to withdraw from societal existence. Next, such children will likely further avoid group activities or physical play due to fear of embarrassment or failure.
By retreating to isolation, children can gradually avoid building friendships and participating in social settings. This causes behavioral changes like frustration, irritability, and reluctance to engage.
Early Signs of Vision Impairment Parents Should Watch For
As the guardians and immediate family, parents can notice the early signs of vision impairment in children by paying attention to particular behaviors. For example, frequently squinting, blinking, or rubbing the eyes can indicate that their child is struggling to focus clearly or experiencing discomfort with their vision.
Likewise, holding objects closer to the face or sitting unusually close to the TV suggests experiencing difficulties in seeing from a distance. Additionally, complaints of headaches, dizziness, or eye strain after reading or playing are also indicative of vision problems.
The other symptoms that are also tell-tale signs of vision impairment are short attention span, difficulty maintaining focus, and losing interest in physical activities. Collectively, such behaviors must be addressed by visiting a pediatric optometrist to get started with the child’s vision therapy.
How Vision Therapy Helps Children Catch Up on Milestones
Vision therapy is a structured program designed to identify and address visual challenges that limit developmental progress in children. The child may be asked by the pediatric optometrist to perform exercises that strengthen eye coordination, tracking, and focus.
Such efforts will improve the essential motor skills of the child in a safe environment to make hand-eye coordination smoother again. The additional benefit of these exercises is developing social interaction.
Through better visual processing, the child can recognize social cues and engage confidently with their peers. Altogether, vision therapy will enable the children to achieve their developmental milestones to help them regularly participate fully in physical and social activities.
Meet James, an eight-year-old who struggled with sports and making friends at school. His teachers noticed he experienced difficulty in being attentive in class while frequently complaining about headaches. Any requests to participate in physical activities were met with shy denials and withdrawal from team activities.
After a comprehensive eye exam by the pediatric optometrist, James was found to have convergence insufficiency. His condition made it difficult for his eyes to work properly, affecting his ability to follow moving objects. Through vision therapy, James followed the customized exercises and improved his eye coordination, focus, and tracking.
Importance of Eye Screening with a Pediatric Optometrist
Obtaining results of routine eye screening can help catch vision problems before they become severe. Early detection will also help to acknowledge the progress of the child’s developmental milestones and identify issues that often go unnoticed in most scenarios.
Impact on learning, motor skills, and socialization can further be observed throughout:
- The beginning of child development years until the completion of childhood
- Spending time performing activities that require physical balancing and social interactions.
The Takeaway
When parents proactively prioritise vision screening for their kids, the developmental milestones are not a steep climb. Please report any aforementioned unusual behavior you may see in your children to the pediatric optometrist in Toronto.
Schedule a visit to speak with an optometrist about improving the child’s overall vision processing capabilities and to correct their physical and social participation.