Summer is almost over and the new school year is just around the corner. That means back to school shopping, tending to last minute schedule preparations and all the little things that come with the Fall. One important thing that many households often overlook is an eye exam. In the keratoconus world, this is a risky misstep.

Eye exams are crucial to make sure children have normal, healthy vision and to catch any signs of critical changes. Keratoconus in adolescents, especially, is often more progressive and needs to be monitored closely to avoid drastic progression. Early identification is important because children often are more responsive to treatment when problems are diagnosed early. Early eye exams are also important because children need the following basic skills related to good eyesight for learning:

• Near vision

• Distance vision

• Binocular (two eyes) coordination

• Eye movement skills

• Focusing skills

• Peripheral awareness

• Hand-eye coordination

Assuring that your child is attending their annual eye exam is a helpful step towards keeping them ready and able to learn all they can and live up to their full potential.

Scheduling Eye Exams for Your Child

If eye problems are suspected during routine physical examinations, a referral should be made to an eye doctor for further evaluation. Most routine eye exams include the basic visual acuity test, refraction assessment and slit-lamp examination, in addition to others. If during this routine exam KC is detected, eye doctors have specific equipment and training to assist them with any potential signs. Recent technologies, such as topography, aberrometry, and the Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer allow for an earlier diagnosis. Read more about a typical keratoconus exam here.

Eye Exams as Back to School Routine

Make eye exams part of your back to school routine. Specialists state that 80% of what your child learns in school is taught visually. Untreated vision troubles can put children at a substantial disadvantage and risk further progression of undetected KC. Be certain to arrange that your child has a complete eye exam before school starts. One eye exam is all it takes to catch any significant changes – in both a healthy pair of young eyes and a pair of young KC eyes.