How classroom struggles may signal vision problems in children

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - As children adjust to their school schedules, parents may notice another issue affecting their child: their vision.

In class, teachers may notice students having trouble reading the board or hear complaints about blurry text.

"Teachers don't know how to diagnose it necessarily because they're not a doctor, but it is nice that they can see the underlying issues," Rick Fletcher, the Idaho Falls Eyemart Express General Manager, said.

In school, kids usually need to look to the front of the classroom to read what's on the board, which could reveal vision issues they didn't have to confront before. In response, they may strain their eyes or decide it's not worth the effort to pay as much attention.

"A lot of times it's the focus," Fletcher said. "A lot of teachers come in here and I talk to them and say, 'what are you seeing when your students are in the classroom?' And they say, 'it's always a non willingness to pay attention to the board and just not being able to see because they don't have the vision.'"

When Fletcher was is school, his parents discovered his need for glasses in Kindergarten.

"I just didn't pay attention and wasn't focused," Fletcher recalled. "And teachers were like, 'hey, we don't know what's going on with him. But he's not able to focus and he's complaining about not being able to see what we're writing on this board.' And then this was a way for me to go in and get my eyes checked. And now I've had glasses since Kindergarten."

If the teacher notices, they will likely bring it to the parents' attention, but parents should also watch for signs such as frequent headaches, sitting too close to the TV, covering one eye to see better, and tilting their head.

You can speak with your child's general practitioner to discuss next steps.