Learning to see (Last of two parts)

This week, we continue looking into your child’s journey to developing his visual faculties. Let’s find out how you as parents can aid your child in achieving and maintaining healthy eyesight through adulthood.

Eight to twelve months

Babies can now judge distances well. Eye-hand-body coordination allows them to grasp and throw objects fairly accurately. Once children start walking, they learn to use their eyes to direct and coordinate their body to guide their whole body movements.  

By the time babies turn 12 months old, their visual perception has developed and they are now able to notice different shapes and sizes of objects, and can tell the difference between near and far. They will be able to recognize people they know approaching from a distance.

Toddlers and preschoolers

Children’s vision continues to develop throughout their preschool years. As parents, it is it is important that you continue to help them in developing  their eye-hand-body coordination. Help your child by reading a book out loud and letting him see the words and pictures on the page. Have your child explore shapes and colors in the natural world, learn about three dimensional space with building blocks and lego, and engage in coloring, drawing, and even cutting.  Stimulating their imagination will also stimulate their eyesight.

School-aged children

Your child should have their first eye exam at the age of three years old so that an optometrist can check to make sure their vision is developing normally and also to screen for any possible problems and catch them early. It’s important for children to have their eyes examined before they start school.

The optometrist needs to determine if a child’s vision system is adequately prepared to handle reading, writing, and other work. The demands of schoolwork can put too much stress on a child’s visual system, causing problems even if none existed before.

Children often do not realize the strain their eyes are under and rarely report any vision problems. This is why it is important that your child has his eyes examined regularly. Routine eye exams will check to see if your child’s eyes are healthy, or if he will need eyeglasses to see clearly.

Monitoring your child’s visual developments is all in preparation for their life ahead. Vision changes are normal throughout life, which is why we need to be aware of the importance of ensuring our eyes are healthy and functioning at their best. Encourage your child’s interest early on by reading, introducing him to colors and developmental toys, and having their vision examined annually. Being aware of their visual skills throughout their growth will enable you to maintain your child’s vision at its healthiest.

Sources: http://www.childrensvision.com; http://www.babycentre.co.uk; www.davisvision.com

The Freeman with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. is running weekly features on Early Childhood Care and Development to emphasize the importance of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and to increase public support for ECCD. For comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].