Eye health
ranked low
in survey
A RECENT SURVEY
CONDUCTED ON BEHALF OF
THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION
OF OPTOMETRISTS FOUND
THAT ONTARIO PARENTS
RANK CHILD EYE HEALTH AS
ONE OF THEIR LOWEST HEALTH
PRIORITIES, WITH ONLY 27
PER CENT CHOOSING IT AS
ONE OF THEIR TOP THREE
CONCERNS.
“It is particularly concerning because eye health is
such an important part of a child’s overall health
and development,” says Dr. Jeff Goodhew, President of
the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO).
The survey revealed that almost three-quarters of Ontario’s
parents are unaware that vision problems can cause speech
difficulties, nearly two-third are unaware that they can
lead to developmental delays, and half of parents do not
realize that a vision problem may be the cause of short
attention spans in children.
“Eighty per cent of a child’s learning is based on vision,”
says Dr. Goodhew. “Undetected and untreated vision
problems often cause reading difficulties, and can elicit
some of the very same signs and symptoms that are
commonly attributed to issues such as ADHD, dyslexia,
and speech problems.”
The National Coalition for Vision Health estimates that
one in four school-age children has a vision problem, yet
fewer than 14 per cent of children in Canada under the
age of six have had a comprehensive eye exam (National
Coalition for Vision Health, 2011).
Many children participate in vision screening or sight test
programs at school, which some parents misconstrue as a
comprehensive eye exam.
“These tests are limited and cannot be used to diagnose
a vision or eye health problem,” says Dr. Goodhew. “Studies
have shown that vision screening tests have high error
rates, with 43 per cent of children able to pass who actually
have a problem.” (OAO Eye See...Eye Learn®, 2015)
Eye exams performed by optometrists are not only important
for charting a child’s eye health and ensuring they have the
visual skills necessary for learning and development. They
are also key to overall health maintenance.
“During an eye exam we are also looking at the structural
development of the eye and identifying any underlying
health conditions that may be present,” says Dr. Goodhew.
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