August is Vision and Learning Month and it’s a time to bring awareness for children that might have undiagnosed or miss diagnosed vision problems.

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Mary Pedersen with Greene County Family Medicine Clinic says about one in four school children have uncorrected vision problems. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio the local Lions Club does free eye screenings for three and four year olds that are in school, along with local optometrists go into the elementary school to do screenings for kindergarten and third graders. 

“And while these screenings at school or here in the clinic, where I work we do just a basic screening as well, they’re wonderful, they’re a good stepping stone. But really a full, yearly, comprehensive exam at your eye doctor is what is recommended.”    

Pedersen points out signs that your child may be experiencing vision issues include increase amount of headaches, straining eyes, short attention span, excessive blinking or eye rubbing, poor eye-hand coordination, trouble remembering what they read, holding materials close to their face or covering up one eye to see better with another. 

Pedersen adds when children have vision issues in the classroom that can impact their learning and development later in life.