Visual Wellness

Are your child's eyes ready for the classroom?

Parents want their children to succeed in school, and most will do whatever they can to help. But have you thought about checking your child's eyes? Before the kids head back to school this year, consider taking them to see an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam.

Why? Your child's vision is a critical tool when it comes to learning. In fact, 80 percent of learning is achieved visually. However, the American Optometric Association reports that one in four school-aged children has some form of vision problem-which can hinder academic performance. And while many schools and pediatricians offer basic vision screenings, they are not a substitute for a thorough eye exam.

Undiagnosed vision problems in children can lead to difficulty with schoolwork, resulting in poor performance. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don't know what "normal" vision looks like.


InfantSEE Program

West Georgia Eye Care participates in the InfantSEE® Program. Under this program, we provide comprehensive eye and vision assessments for infants within the first year of life regardless of a family's income or access to insurance coverage, free of charge.

An InfantSEE® assessment between six and 12 months of age is recommended to determine if an infant is at risk for eye or vision disorders. Since many eye problems arise from conditions that can be identified by an eye doctor in the infant's first year of life, a parent can give an infant a great gift by seeking an InfantSEE® assessment in addition to the wellness evaluation of the eyes that is done by a pediatrician or family practice doctor.
One in every 10 children is at risk from undiagnosed eye and vision problems, yet only 13 percent of mothers with children younger than 2 years of age said they had taken their babies to see an eye and vision care professional for a regular check-up or well-care visit. Moreover, many children at risk for eye and vision problems are not being identified at an early age, when many of those problems might be prevented or more easily corrected. Early intervention is critical to successful and cost-effective treatment.