More often than not, vision problems in children can go undetected for a long time. The reason

could be that your child might not be vocal about the vision problems they might be facing in

and out of the classroom, or even you might not be able to identify the early signs of any vision

Impairment.

Detecting a child’s vision problems can be a daunting task for parents, yet it is important. It is

better to know all signs that your kid might be showing that hint towards a poor/hindered vision.

Here are some of them that you must take note of immediately:

Squinting:

Squinting is a defense mechanism on your kid’s part to focus on an image better. Doing this

could mean that your little one has a refractive error which he is temporarily and impulsively

trying to correct to improve his/her clarity of vision. If you see them squinting to see something

on more than one occasion, this definitely needs investigation.

Tilting head on one side:

This is another way kids adapt to compensate for eye misalignments. This could be a sign of

eye muscle imbalance or a lazy eye. Tilting head on one side means the kid wants to see past

the eyelid that might be in the way or to make an object appear directly in front of him. This also

provides respite from double vision even though for a short while.

Headaches/eye pain:

This happens due to overexertion that the eyes are put throughout the day. To improve focus

and clarity your child might be putting an extra burden on the eyes, while a headache could be

due to added frustration due to blurred vision and resultant poor performance.

Holding books or devices too close to the eye:

People who have myopia or nearsightedness have clear vision at close range and poorer vision

at a distance. If your kid keeps the book too close to the eye or sits too close to the TV, this is

his/her attempt to see things bigger and clearer.

Rubbing eyes excessively:

Rubbing eyes if they are itchy or watery could be a sign for several eye conditions such as

allergies or even conjunctivitis. However, it is also a clear indication of eye fatigue that the organ

goes throughout the day because of poor vision.

If your little one is exhibiting any of these signs, yes, they definitely need glasses. Even with

vision screening that most schools hold imperative for a child’s eye health, some of the vision

problems might still be hidden, and only adding to your little one’s frustration as they struggle to

read the blackboard. Don’t look at it in a negative way, if your kid starts wearing glasses, there

eyesight might just improve or strengthen with time while being protected from poor vision!