The state is urging parents to make sure their children have
their vision and hearing checked before starting school.
The California Board of Optometry recommends parents take their
children in for an eye exam as part of their back-to-school
preparations to help students avoid problems in class or while
studying.
The state is urging parents to make sure their children have their vision and hearing checked before starting school.
The California Board of Optometry recommends parents take their children in for an eye exam as part of their back-to-school preparations to help students avoid problems in class or while studying.
A recent national study by Vision Service Plan showed that 70 percent of children don’t have their eyes checked before starting school.
Experts say that such exams can determine if a child’s eyesight is developing normally and can identify a problem before it becomes more serious. “If a child can’t see the words and images on the blackboard, on the computer screen or in a book, that child will have difficulty keeping up with the rest of the class,” said Ed Hernandez, president of the Board of Optometry.
And the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board warns of similar problems with hearing.
Eleven to 15 percent of school children suffer hearing loss, and the board suggests parents watch their children for signs of difficulty hearing, such as straining to hear others speak, not responding to sounds normally or even pronouncing words differently than other children of the same age.
“It’s crucial for parents to watch for these indications, because the earlier a hearing loss is identified and treatment begun, the greater the likelihood of preventing or reducing any of its disabling effects,” said Marcia Raggio, chairwoman of the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board.
“A hearing screening for your child takes only a few minutes, which is a very short investment in time to protect your child’s hearing.”
The boards recommend that parents talk to family members and friends when looking for an eye doctor or audiologist. Parents can then check the status of the professional’s license by going to the Consumer Affairs Web site at www.dca.ca.gov and clicking on “License and Complaint History.” Audiologists will test how well a person hears different pitches and how well a person understands speech at different levels of loudness, and will perform any other tests necessary to determine if any problems are present.
For more information, visit the Board of Optometry Web site at www.optometry.ca.gov and the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board’s Web site at www.slpab.ca.gov.
