7 warning signs your child may have a vision problem
Many vision issues can be difficult to detect and are frequently undiagnosed by the typical pediatrician’s screenings. Vision screenings at school where a child is asked to identify letters or pictures on a wall chart often don’t detect the issue either. Unfortunately, many children with undetected vision problems struggle at school and can be misdiagnosed with attention, behavioral, or reading issues. Often, all they really need is correction to give them clear, comfortable vision.
So, how can you tell if your child has vision problems? Here are some signs of vision problems in kids (these go for toddlers, too, if you’re looking for signs of vision problems in toddlers):
1. Squinting
Squinting the eyes helps make vision a little clearer for a nearsighted child. Nearsighted children can see things near them but have a harder time seeing things far away, like the TV across the room. Squinting can also help clear up some of the distorted vision that can be caused by astigmatism. Children learn to squint at an early age as a compensating mechanism to help clear up their blurry vision.
2. Head tilt or turn
Another compensating mechanism that children learn is to tilt or turn their heads when they have a muscle imbalance in their eyes. By tilting or turning, they can use their head position to alleviate straining their eye muscles to focus together.
3. Short attention span for reading or coloring
Farsightedness in children can lead to little tolerance for near-focused activities like reading, coloring, or puzzles. Farsightedness means that the child has an easier time seeing things that are far away but must work much harder to see things that are close up.
Farsightedness is tricky to diagnose because farsighted kids can usually see 20/20 (the small letters or pictures on the eye chart). They can usually even see things clearly close up but have to strain their eyes to do it. This focusing strain is not something a child would typically complain about or even realize that they are doing, but it will make them want to push away a book quickly and move on to something else.
4. Clumsiness or poor hand-eye coordination
Some kids are just clumsy. But if a child has a muscle balance issue that causes the eyes to not want to work together, this can lead to a decrease in depth perception, making it harder for a child to judge distances.
5. Covering one eye
When one eye works significantly better or has clearer vision, a child may tend to cover the bad eye. This could be an indication of a condition called amblyopia, which is sometimes referred to as “lazy eye.” When the two eyes do not work well together, the brain likes to use the better eye and tries to ignore the lazy eye. This can result in permanent vision loss in one eye if not corrected early on.
6. Rubbing the eyes
A frequent sign of eye strain in a child is when they rub their eyes a lot. Eye rubbing can be caused by a muscle balance or focusing issue that causes the eyes to fatigue easily. Rubbing the eyes can also be related to eye allergies.
7. Headaches
Frequent headaches in a child can indicate an issue with eye strain or difficulty focusing. Though less frequent, headaches can also signify more serious issues causing pressure or swelling behind the eyes. If you notice any of these signs in your child, schedule a complete eye examination with an optometrist or pediatric eye doctor. Be sure to find a doctor who is comfortable seeing children and has the tools and tricks of the trade to work with kids.
But my child can barely read the letters on the chart. How can they do an eye examination?
An eye examination on a child is much different than an eye examination on an adult. Doctors rely much more on the measurements they take and their clinical findings than on what a child can tell them.
A pediatric eye doctor will have specialized equipment and diagnostic tools, as well as toys and games to keep the child’s attention and get the necessary information. They also need a personality that is part doctor and part circus clown to make the experience fun and interesting for a child. Even if a child will not speak or respond, or if they try to convince the doctor that they really need those cool pair of SpongeBob glasses like their friend just got, the doctor can very accurately determine the status of the child’s vision and eye health.
How often should a child get an eye exam?
Children who don’t have vision problems should get eye exams yearly. Children who do have vision problems may need eye exams more often. If you haven’t already, ask your child’s eye doctor how often they want to see your child.
Original published date: 1/24/2020
Updated: 10/10/2022