Eye Exams for Back to School

WITH ABOUT 2 WEEKS LEFT BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. PARENTS ARE BUSY SHOPPING FOR ITEMS ON THOSE SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST FROM PENCILS AND PAPER TO BACKPACKS. BUT DOCTORS REMIND PARENTS DON'T FORGET TO MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS AN EYE EXAM. THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ESTIMATES THAT ONE IN 4 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN HAS SOME KIND OF VISION DISORDER AND CERTAIN ISSUES MAY NOT EVEN BE DETECTED BY SCHOOL SCREENINGS. DOCTORS SAY THAT UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS. FOR MORE, I'M JOINED BY DOCTOR TERRY GEIST. SHE HAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY FROM NEBRASKA. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. DR GEIST. >> KIDS NORMALLY GET THEIR VISION SCREENINGS AT SCHOOL. >> OR AT THEIR ANNUAL WELL VISIT AT THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE. SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO ACTUALLY HAVE A BACK TO SCHOOL IN PERSON? I EXAM WITH AN EYE DOCTOR. WELL, SCHOOL SCREENINGS ARE. >> THEY WERE VERY WIDELY AS FAR AS WHAT THEY CHECK. BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY'D JUST CHECK FOR WAY VISION. AND WE KNOW ESPECIALLY NOW THE KIDS ARE ON DIGITAL DEVICES. A LOT. AND SO THAT UP CLOSE VISION ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT THAT WE NEED TO CHECK A LITTLE BIT MORE. 30 B, BEING ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY IS ONE THING. BUT BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT ACCOMMODATION FOCUSING IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE BINOCULAR VISION, MAKING SURE THAT THE EYES TEAM TOGETHER AND ARE COMFORTABLE DOING THAT FOR A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME. THE OTHER THING IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE GREAT INTERNAL EYE HEALTH AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THE AYES WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT. SO WE WANT TO SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS AND A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAM. WE'LL DO THAT SO THAT IT'S JUST A LOT MORE GOES INTO IT THAN JUST CHECKING FARAWAY FISSION. SO THAT'S WHY WE FEEL THAT A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAM, IN-PERSON EXAMS IMPORTANT FOR KIDS BEFORE THEY ENTER SCHOOL. >> HOW YOUNG SHOULD A CHILD GET AN EYE EXAM LIKE THIS? >> WELL, WITH THROUGH OUR EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE AT THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION, WE FEEL THAT THE FIRST EYE EXAM SHOULD BE DONE BETWEEN 6 MONTHS AND 12 MONTHS OF AGE. AND THEN ONE STIR THROUGH PRESCHOOL. AND THEN ONCE AT KINDERGARTEN BEFORE KINDERGARTEN AND THEN EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT, WHILE THEY'RE IN SCHOOL AND SO THAT IS IMPORTANT. EARLY DETECTION OF ANY OF THOSE ISSUES. I JUST MENTIONED ARE IMPORTANT FOR KIDS OVERALL WELL-BEING. >> AND THEN HOW DOES ON DIAGNOSED VISION PROBLEMS? HOW DO THEY SHOW UP IN STUDENT'S AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME? >> YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A CHILD SITTING IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEY MAY HAVE KIDS AROUND THEM THAT ARE DOING WELL. AND THEY'RE TRYING TO COMPLETE A PROJECT OR TASK OR HOMEWORK AND ITS IT'S BLURRY OR THEY CAN'T SUSTAIN FOCUSING. THEY MAY GET FRUSTRATED AND THAT FRUSTRATION MAY FOREMAN TO BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, HEADACHES, THAT KIND OF THING. IF THAT HAPPENS, THEIR SELF ESTEEM MAY GO DOWN. THEY MAY ACT OUT AND SO IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW THAT MAYBE A QUARTER OR SEMESTER, IT MAY TURN INTO THE WHOLE YEAR, WHICH MAY LEAD INTO THE NEXT YEAR IN THE NEXT YEAR. AND SO IF THAT HAPPENS, IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY SAD. AND AND, YOU KNOW, IF AND I ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE EXAM. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN WOULD HAVE SET THAT CHILD UP FOR SUCCESS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ALWAYS HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT CHILD IS READY TO LEARN. AND BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T SEE, YOU CAN'T LEARN. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP WITH THAT. AND AGAIN, HELP WITH THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN'S VISION. >> AND CHILDREN MIGHT NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE POOR VISION OR THAT THEIR VISIONS GETTING WORSE. THEY JUST BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO IT DAY BY DAY. >> EXACTLY. AND THE AND KIDS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW AND THEY THINK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR OWN VISION. THEY DON'T KNOW. IT'S ABNORMAL. AND SO THEY MAY NOT COMPLAIN TO MOM AND DAD ARE HEY, I CAN'T I CAN'T SEE. SO I THINK PARENTS WAIT A LOT OF TIMES TO SAY, GOSH, MY CHILD ISN'T COMPLAINING. THEY'RE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT SAYING I CAN'T SEE AND ARE HAVING PROBLEMS. SO PARENTS SHOULDN'T WAIT BECAUSE AGAIN, CHILDREN DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR VISION. AND SO AGAIN BEHAVIOR. THOSE KINDS OF THINGS MIGHT BE AN INDICATOR. BUT CHILD, THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE SOMETIMES SOME TENSE, ISN'T AN INDICATOR, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE EARLY YEARS. WHAT SOMETIMES HAPPENS IS IT CATCHES UP WITH THEM AND HIGH SCHOOL IN ACADEMICS GETS A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING. AND SO IF WE CATCH THINGS AGAIN, EARLY EARLY DETECTION IS SO KEY IN THIS WHOLE SITUATION. SO PARENTS TO JUST MAKE THAT AGAIN PART OF THEIR BACK TO SCHOOL. WHEN YOU BUY THE BACKPACKS AND THE CRAMMED SOME THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BACK TO SCHOOL. I EXAM AS PART OF THAT PART OF THAT SUCCESS >> NOW, IS THERE HELP IF SOMEONE DOES NOT HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR AN ANNUAL EXAM, THEY DON'T HAVE VISION INSURANCE. IS THERE HELP? >> IT'S RARE THAT KIDS DON'T HAVE COVERAGE THROUGH THEIR REGULAR MEDICAL PLANS. SO IT IS RARE AND THERE ARE PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP ALSO THROUGH THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. >> CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT CREDENTIALS SHOULD A PARENT LOOK FOR WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND AN EYE DOCTOR FOR THEIR CHILD? IS IT OK TO GO TO GET AN EXAM AT AN OPTICAL CENTER THAT WE SEE IN A BIG SUPERMARKET OR WAREHOUSE SHOPPING STORE OR DOES THAT HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, AT A HOSPITAL SETTING? >> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE THE BEST WE'VE GOT A DOCTOR LOCATOR. IF YOU GO TO DOT ORG SLASH, I DESERVE MORE AND IT'S YOU. I E DESERVE MORE. SO DON'T THINK I AND SO IT'S A WAY DOT ORG SLASH. I DESERVE MORE. HAWAII DESERVE MORE. AND WE HAVE A DOCTOR LOCATOR THERE AND THAT IS GOT THE HAS THE DR LOCATOR AND IT WILL HELP YOU FIND A DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY. AND THAT THAT IS VERY HELPFUL IN YOUR AREA. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DR, GUYS FOR JOINING US TODAY. SUPER INFORMATION. WELL, THANK