Can your child see? This may be something that you wonder about, especially if your child is struggling in school. However, if your child is not in school yet, it may be harder to tell. Here are six signs that it may be time for your preschooler to see an optometrist.
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Running into things
Every young child will have some degree of difficulty when it comes to gaining his or her balance. However, if your child is constantly bumping into things, it may be a sign that he is having trouble judging the distance between himself and objects around him.
Drawings are very disproportionate to the paper
Little kids love to draw silly pictures and symbols. However, if all of your child’s drawings are extremely tiny or so big that they are running off of the page, it may be a sign that she is having to work hard to see what she is doing.
Trouble catching a ball
Some gross motor skills take practice. However, if you child is about to start kindergarten, and is still unable to catch a rubber kick ball, it may be time to get his or her vision checked out.
Headaches
While not all headaches are caused by vision problems, if your child seems to be getting a headache every time he or she watches television or looks at a computer screen, it may be a sign that he or she is putting strain on his or her eyes while using these devices.
Missing details
If you feel like you are constantly having to go and physically point things out to your preschooler, he may be having trouble seeing them. For example, if your child seems to have a hard time finding a dark blue object on a dark brown table, the colors may not appear as differently to him as they do to others. It is possible that your child is colorblind.
Family photos
If you look at a photo of your child, it may be possible to detect an eye problem. Because a camera flash happens so quickly, it can sometimes pick up on things like a difference in dilation between her pupils or a strange glowing effect in one or both eyes. This can be an indication of a more serious problem. If you notice a photograph like this, it is a good idea to bring the a copy of the photo with you to your child’s optometrist visit.
If you are concerned about your child’s vision, a visit with an optometrist can help you to alleviate some of your fears. One of the best things that you can do if your child is having trouble seeing is to have it addressed right away.