alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

AOA survey indicates adults may underestimate how frequently children have vision problems.

The Arizona Daily Star (8/23, Bodfield) reported, “A recent American Optometric Association survey of 1,001 respondents found that adults far underestimate how frequently children have vision problems, with nearly 90 percent unaware that a quarter of children have some sight issues.” According to the AOA, “studies indicate that as many as 60 percent of children identified as ‘problem learners’ actually have undetected vision problems that may be stunting their academic development.” Optometrist Cheryl Schmitt, OD, explained that “children with undiagnosed vision problems often have problems following what the rest of the class is doing or get to a point that they just don’t want to read at all. In extreme cases, it can be mistaken for a learning disability, she said.” A side bar listed a number of “warning signs” indicating that “a child may have undetected vision problems,” and included resources that “help needy students afford vision assistance.”