An efficient visual system is critical for a school-aged child. Over 80% of what we learn is obtained through vision. A study conducted by Ohio State in 2012 showed just how detrimental an inefficient visual system can be on a child and the impact it has in school.
The study consisted of children (avg age 9.6) who had an IEP. Of those children with an IEP, 69.3% would benefit from some form of vision treatment! What's more is that those 69.3% would have passed a distance visual acuity screening program. This illustrates the importance of pursing a comprehensive visual evaluation from a developmental optometrist if your child is struggling in school. A developmental optometrist will not only check if your child needs glasses, but will also assess how the visual system functions. It is critical for a school-aged child to have an efficient visual system in order to fully process the large amounts of visual information they are exposed to in school. In summary, children with an IEP have higher instances of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, anisometropia and strabismus. Therefore, it is important to seek further evaluation by a developmental optometrist if there is a concern.