The One Thing That's Often Forgotten During School Shopping

Back to school shopping is in full swing, but vision isn't always at the top of the list when parents are preparing their children for school.

According to the Center for Disease Control, vision impairment is one of the most common disabilities among children. About seven percent of kids younger than 18 have some sort of diagnosed eye or vision problem, like nearsightedness or farsightedness. Most of these conditions can be corrected with glasses.

Tonya Daniels is the New York Program Manager of ChildSight^®, a program part of Helen Keller International that provides eye tests and glasses for underprivileged kids. She said parents don't always realize when their need glasses. That'swhy she said they need to make sure they notice signs like squinting or sitting too close to the TV.

"Children, if they are not aware that they need eyeglasses, the way they see the world is the way they see the world," Daniels said. "In their mind, this is clear. They are unable to tell their parents 'I'm having trouble seeing" because they don't know that they can't see."

Daniels says glasses are essential for kids in school because not being able to see makes it much harder to learn. According to her, about 80% of learning occurs through the eyes. She said kids who aren't able to see often do poorly in school, act out and skip class.

But sometimes, glasses simply aren't made a priority. Daniels said families with low incomes can't always afford to buy glasses for their children, with the average cost of a pair around $200.

"They just feel like it's not important because they have so many other things in their minds that are more important for them like just simply putting food on the table or being able to buy clothes."

So Childsight goes to schools in underprivileged neighborhoods like the South Bronx and the Lower East Side and provide students with free eye screenings and glasses. She said about 25% of kids they screen need to get corrective lenses.

"...students who've never received eyeglasses before put their glasses on and they're so excited. 'Oh my god, I can really see!' They're walking around the school, putting their glasses on, running to their teachers. 'I can really see, I'm going to do better!'"

And Daniels said often, these kids do begin doing better in school. That's why she said it's important for all parents to make sure their kids get the glasses they need.