Vision Problems Affect Millions Of American Children

In an op-ed in the Worthington (MN) Daily Globe  (8/11), Cliff Carmody, executive director of the SW/WC Service Cooperative of Marshall, MN, writes, “Current research shows that vision problems affect millions of American children and thereby impact their ability to learn. … The American Optometric Association notes that when vision problems go undetected, children almost invariably have trouble reading and doing their schoolwork. They often display fatigue, fidgeting, and frustrations in the classroom — traits that can lead to a misdiagnosis of dyslexia or other learning disabilities.” Because August is National Children’s Vision and Learning Month, Carmody urges parents to make sure their children undergo a thorough eye examination before the start of the new school year.