Beachmont Eye Institute

Leo was seven years old when his parents brought him to see Dr. Onu.

He had been struggling at school — difficulty concentrating, losing his place when reading, occasional headaches. His teacher had suggested he might have attention difficulties.

When Dr. Onu examined him, the explanation was straightforward and entirely fixable: Leo had a significant uncorrected refractive error. He was working so hard to force his eyes to focus that by mid-morning, he was exhausted.

What looked like inattention was actually visual fatigue.

Leo was fitted with glasses. Within weeks, his teacher was reporting a completely different child in the classroom.

This is not unusual. Undetected vision problems are one of the most common — and most preventable — causes of learning difficulties in children.

For parents: every child should have their eyes examined before starting school, and every one to two years thereafter.

And here's something worth knowing: research shows that children who spend more time outdoors in natural daylight are less likely to develop short-sightedness. Aim for 90 minutes daily.

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