Why Early Detection is Important?

Learning is extremely visual in nature be it through reading, writing or playing. Poor vision can have a detrimental impact on a child’s life, affecting both their physical and emotional development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, impaired vision can affect a child’s cognitive, emotional, neurologic and physical development by potentially limiting the range of experiences and kinds of information to which the child is exposed. Early detection of vision problems is important not only for developmental reasons, but also because early detection allows for corrective treatment that can prevent irreversible visual deficits, including blindness. Vision assessments conducted for children at early stages and regularly during their developmental years are so critical to their success in school. Parents and children can become so discouraged by their struggle to learn while their difficulties go undiagnosed or even misdiagnosed. When vision problems are diagnosed as a child is entering school, interventions can be made, hopefully sparing the child years of frustration and lack of confidence in their abilities.