Eye Exams for Babies and Nonverbal or Special Needs Patients

This 10-month old baby is so happy after putting on her first pair of glasses! She can’t stop smiling when she sees her parents clearly for the first time 🙂
Babies can’t tell you if there’s something wrong with their vision. That’s why you should have your children’s eyes checked starting at 6 months of age. An optometrist can use handheld instruments to determine how the light focuses in their eyes, so young patients and patients with special needs can be examined without having to read the letter chart. Yearly eye exams are crucial to ensure that development is on the right track!

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Read more about the article Reduce Screen Time for Children

Reduce Screen Time for Children

Screen Addiction is Taking a Toll on Children
I see lots of kids in the exam room being handed a parent’s cellphone to entertain themselves when they should be observing the world around them, interacting with caregivers, and learning how to behave in public. Parents are just grateful to keep them calm, but are unaware of the potential harm from so much time spent in the virtual world.

Before age 2, children should not be exposed to any electronic media. Young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens. Older children and teenagers should spend no more than 1-2 hours per day with entertainment media, and should spend more free time playing outdoors, reading, doing hobbies, and using their imagination in free play. (Recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics)
“[Kids] need time to daydream, deal with anxieties, process their thoughts and share them with parents, who can provide reassurance” – Dr. Steiner-Adair. “We’re [..] giving them distractions rather than teaching them how to self-soothe, to calm themselves down”

Read more on the NY Times blog:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/screen-addiction-is-taking-a-toll-on-children/

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Read more about the article UV Protection For Your Eyes

UV Protection For Your Eyes

UV can cause some serious eye damage! Protecting your skin from sunburn and skin cancer is a no brainer, and it’s just as important to protect your eyes. Overexposure to UV rays has been linked to a variety of eye problems, including cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, corneal sunburn, and eyelid skin cancer. Here are some tips for staying safe in the sun:

  • Start with sunglasses that are 100% UV blocking for UVA and UVB. A close-fitting wrap-around style can help further cut down rays from the sides. Protection is important even on cloudy days and in the winter, because UV still gets through and reflects off snow, water, and pavement.
    • Children are at higher risk than adults! UV exposure is cumulative and it’s estimated that 50% of lifetime exposure occurs before the age of 18. Make sure your kids are wearing sunglasses + hats anytime they’re outside.
  • Avoid sources of UV – don’t stare at the sun, and stay out of direct sunlight during 10am – 4pm, when the sun’s rays are strongest. Add a wide-brimmed hat for extra protection!
  • Stay informed – get regular eye exams to monitor eye health, and maintain good vision. If you are potentially exposed to UV at work (eg. welders, hairdressers, lighting technician, paint and resin works, or outdoor workers), find out when you’re at risk and get protection.
  • Know the signs – If you experience pain, blurry vision, or an aversion to light, make an appointment to see Dr. Lee right away

Book an annual eye exam to identify early signs of UV damage to the eyes, and take the necessary precautions to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. Dr. Lee can make recommendations to help you make sure your eyes are well-protected.

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Child With “20/20” Eyes Can Still Have Trouble Copying From The Board

Here’s how a child with “20/20” eyes can still have trouble at school with things like copying from the board! (from the VisualLearningCenter.com)

A child may have “20/20″ clear eyesight but may also lack the ability to refocus from near to far and from far to near. As the child looks down at his paper to read or write, he may see clearly. After he is looking at the board for some time, he can see clearly too. However, looking up and down, back and forth, from the board to the paper might be where the difficulty comes into play.

Another vision problem that would make it difficult for your child to copy from the board at school is poor eye teaming. Eye teaming, known in functional optometry as “binocular vision skills,” refers to the ability for the two eyes to work together as a team. If both eyes are not moving at the same time in the same direction, a child will struggle to look up at the board, down at her paper, and back again without experiencing visual fatigue and tiring quickly.

Your child could also have poor eye movements, such as tracking and pursuits.Tracking eye movement skills help the child “locate” the words on the board and then locate the space on the paper where they are to place their print. A child with poor tracking skills loses her place often, and getting lost frequently is frustrating and tiring.

[Excerpt]    Read more at the VisualLearningCenter.com

 

A program of Vision Therapy can improve eye teaming, eye tracking, and focusing skills.

Continue ReadingChild With “20/20” Eyes Can Still Have Trouble Copying From The Board

Children With Eye Problems May Be Misdiagnosed With ADHD

20/20 just means the eyes can see letters on the eye chart, but to be able to read and learn effectively, both eyes have to work together as a team! Click the link below to watch a story about Kyle, a young third grader who was seeing double, which made it hard for him to focus on the page. He was labeled at school with learning/behaviour issues, but it turned out to be a vision problem for which he is now being successfully treated!
It is possible to train the eyes to work together, and the training can also have a positive impact on reading and schoolwork.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/05/26/add-misdiagnosis-eye-problems/

Continue ReadingChildren With Eye Problems May Be Misdiagnosed With ADHD