By Sanumriaz 
Are you wondering how to tell if your child might have vision problem?
It is important for parents to identify if there is any vision problem in kids as they can’t express if they have blurred vision. Kids even can’t identify if they have problem with their eyesight.
Vision is very crucial for the overall development of child. They learn to walk, recognise faces, reading in short every move in their development needs vision.
Here are some early signs which can be helpful for the parents to identify if their kids have any vision issue. When parents are able to identify these signs only then they will be able to seek professional help as vision is precious.
Once it is affected then it gets difficult and sometimes impossible to reverse the damage caused by ignorance or lack of knowledge.
Why Early Detection Matters
Many vision problems in kids can be corrected or managed if detected early. When left unaddressed, however, they can affect not only a child’s physical development but also their learning and social interactions. The earlier a problem is recognized, the better the chance of effective treatment and lasting visual improvement.
10 Early Signs of Vision Problems
Here are most reliable early signs of vision problems in kids that parents and caregivers should know to identify if there child has problem in vision.
Frequent Eye Rubbing
If you are parent or caregiver of child then you have noticed that child rubes his eyes normally when he is tired or want to sleep. This is normal rubbing. But if child rub his eyes more often especially in tasks that involves vision then it is alarming. It can be due to eye strain or refractive errors.
This is common indicator of vision problem in kids and an indicator for child eye health checklist.
Squinting or Covering One Eye
If your child covers one eye or squints when see a distant object or things that are close, then it is an early sign of vision problem in kids. It might be the symptom of misalignment or amblyopia.
Sitting Too Close to Screens
If your child sits very close to TV or hold books and objects close to his face then it is and indicator of child’s struggle with poor vision. This is one of the most common and easily observable sign of eye problem in toddlers. Parent should not ignore it and take medical assistant.
Tilting the Head While Looking
Another common and prominent sign of bad vision in child is head tilting head and bring things eye to one side. The kid performs most of his visual tasks with one eye.
If you notice this regularly then you should pay attention to it as it is an indicator of lazy eye in toddlers, astigmatism or strabismus. In such conditions your child needs immediate medical assistance.
Poor Coordination between Hand and Eye
Sometimes kids struggle to catch a ball while looking at it, find it difficult to color within lines while struggling with all his might or stack the blocks properly.
There issues are often considered as clumsiness but actually they are related to unclear vision or imbalanced vision.
Avoiding Visual Activities
One of the common yet lesser known sign of vision problem in kids is their avoiding behaviour of activities that involves vision.
Most of the time kids with sight issues avoid activities like drawing, puzzles or book reading because they find these activities visually challenging to their visions. They become frustrated when they can’t see the objects clearly.
Parents must pay attention to this indicator of vision problem in kids to get timely assistant from eye care specialist.
Light Sensitivity or Excessive Tearing
Some kids prefer to play in dimly lighted environment. They avoid going and playing in proper light. They become sensitive to light or photophobic. When they go outside in properly lighted areas their eyes becomes watery.
These signs are indicators of vision problem in kids especially internal eye issues such as inflammation or congenital problems. These issues require immediate medical assistance.
Misaligned Eyes
There is another very common sign of vision problem in kids is drifting of inwards or outwards. Most of the time, this drifting happens in kids when he is tired.
This drifting of eye could be strabismus or a lazy eye in toddlers. These conditions can cause vision loss if not treated timely and properly by the eye professionals.
Delayed Milestones
Parents must keep track of milestones achievement in kids as these are the indications of proper growth.
If child is late or misses the visual millstones like maintaining eye contact, recognizing faces and tracking movements then these are the signal of broader vision problems in kids that require medical assistance.
Complaints of Headaches or Eye Pain
Toddlers cannot tell clearly if they have eye pain and headaches but older children express discomforts. These discomforts include rubbing template, blinking often and avoiding bright lights are the early signs of eye problems in toddlers.
Most Common Vision Problems in Kids
There are several issues related to vision problem in kids. Most commonly diagnosed vision problems in kids are as follows:
- Refractive errors like nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism
- Amblyopia (lazy eye), when one eye doesn’t develop proper vision
- Strabismus, or eye misalignment
- Convergence insufficiency, affecting near vision and reading
- Visual processing disorders, which impact how the brain interprets visual information
How to Know if Your Child Needs Glasses
It is tricky to identify vision problem in kids as they can’t express visually. Some children adopt to their vision issues and consider it as part of their being.
It becomes essential for parents and caregivers to look for cues like eye strain, poor academic performance or reluctance in reading and drawing.
If several symptoms present in kids then there might be vision problem in kids so immediate seek professional help.
When to Take a Child to the Eye Doctor
It is recommended to go for regular visits for vision checkups. However if you notice any vision problem in kids then take appointment immediately, and go for comprehensive paediatric eye exam.
If you are having any family history of vision problem in kids then without any symptoms go regularly for proper eye screening.
Tips for Supporting Your Child’s Eye Health
Vision of eye goes beyond just watching the symptoms. Here are some proactive tips parents should follow for eyes health.
- Parents should encourage their kids to play outside to reduce the risk of myopia.
- There must be limited screen time to ensure the eyes health.
- Parents must make it sure that there is proper light when children are doing writing, reading or drawing.
- Never give children any visual things while on drive
- There are checklists for age appropriate eye health, parents must keep track for visual milestones.
