Now is the time for ABC's: Annual Back to school Check-up

Back-to-school is here, and you may be putting your mind to getting your children organized. Plan to include a trip to the optometrist on your list of "To-Do's." If you overlook this, your child may be put in the position of not being able to keep up with the class - before school even begins!

At least one in six children has a vision problem that makes it difficult to learn and read. A child who has not developed clear vision by age six is not apt to do so later in life.

It is difficult to detect some vision problems in children, because young children often do not recognize that they have a vision problem. Unless children are showing visible signs, such as squinting, some problems can be detected only through a regular eye exam.

However, once detected, most vision problems can be successfully treated, particularly if caught at an early age. The earlier problems are detected and corrected, the better. Even babies can be examined. Your optometrist can examine children before they are old enough to talk!

Children or adults may have vision problems if they:
	lose their place while reading	hold reading material closer than normal
	avoid close work	turn or tilt their head to use one eye only
	tend to rub their eyes	use their finger to maintain place while reading
	have headaches	leave out small words when reading
	have a short attention span	have trouble remembering what has been read