Dont Fail Your Child Before School Starts

PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 2015) – Almost 80% of what a child learns in school is presented visually. It stands to reason then, that good vision is essential to learning. Yet studies show only 31% of children between the ages of 6 and 16 have an annual eye exam, according to Drs. Verna and Filippo. Approximately 70% of children younger than six years, the age at which most vision problems can be treated before permanent damage occurs, have never had an eye exam.

“Some 20 million children will go back to school this year with a vision problem that may interfere with their ability to learn while also contributing to disciplinary problems,” Dr. Verna said.

But what about “vision screenings” performed by a school nurse or a pediatrician? Won’t they detect vision problems? Only partially, according to Dr. Filippo. 

“According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, vision-screening methods detected only 40 - 65% of children with vision problems,” the doctors said. “Every child should have a comprehensive eye health examination. Even if a child has passed a vision screening, a comprehensive exam can reveal problems that would go undetected in a screening. If a vision problem is detected, your family eye doctor can begin treatment immediately.”

Drs. Verna and Filippo are practitioners at Modern Optometry, which is located at 2614 Rhawn Street in Philadelphia and is a member of Vision Source.

Founded in 1991, Vision Source^® is North America’s largest network of private practice optometrists. …..With more than 2,800 offices and 5,300 members in the United States and Canada, Vision Source consists of the most influential experts in the eye care industry. For more information, call 888-558-2020 or visit www.visionsource.com.

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