Optometrists group says 1 in 4 children have undetected vision problems that could impair learning

From The St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

One in four children in the U.S. have undetected vision problems which could impair learning, according to the American Optometric Association.

Experts believe that approximately 80 percent of learning comes through a child's eye.

Sending your child to school without good vision could be setting them up for failure or even cause them to be misdiagnosed with a learning disability.

This year, the AOA surveyed teachers throughout America to get their take on exactly how significant children's

vision is in their classrooms. According to teachers surveyed, more

than 60 percent saw a direct improvement in a child's academic performance and/or classroom behavior after an eye or vision problem was diagnosed and treated.

The AOA recommends that infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months of age. Children then should have additional eye exams at age 3, and just before they enter the first grade - at about age 5 or 6.

For school-aged children, the AOA recommends an eye exam every two years if no vision correction is required. Children who need eyeglasses or contact lenses should be examined annually or as recommended by their optometrist or ophthalmologist.