August 3, 2026
By Anjali Desai Vachhani, OD, FAAO
Image generated with AI
As summer winds down, families everywhere are checking off their back-to-school to-do lists with school supplies, backpacks, physical exams, new clothes and class schedules. Yet one of the most important items for a child’s success is often overlooked: a comprehensive eye exam.
As eyecare professionals, we know that good vision is about much more than seeing 20/20. But many parents don’t. They assume that if their child passes a school vision screening or isn’t complaining about blurry vision, everything must be fine. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
Back-to-school season presents an important opportunity for us to educate families about what comprehensive eyecare can uncover, and why early conversations about myopia management can have a lasting impact.
Vision Fuels Learning
Approximately 80% of learning is visual, and that becomes even more apparent as children progress through school. Each year, students spend more time reading, completing homework, using digital devices and focusing on near tasks. These increasing visual demands can expose problems that may have gone unnoticed in earlier grades.
When a child struggles to see clearly or has difficulty with visual skills such as tracking or focusing, learning becomes more challenging. Children may lose their place while reading, struggle to copy information from the board, or tire more quickly during schoolwork. These obstacles can affect both academic performance and confidence.
Our goal is to help set children up for success before those challenges begin.
Children Often Don’t Know They’re Having Vision Problems
One of the biggest challenges in pediatric eyecare is that children frequently don’t realize their vision isn’t normal.
Instead of telling parents they can’t see clearly, they adapt. Some signs a child may be struggling visually include squinting, moving closer to the television or classroom board, rubbing their eyes frequently, using a finger to keep their place while reading or tilting their head to compensate for reduced vision. Others simply assume everyone sees the world the same way they do and avoid reading or doing school or homework altogether.
These subtle behaviors are easy for parents and teachers to overlook. That’s why waiting for a child to report symptoms isn’t an effective strategy.
Why Screenings Aren’t Enough
School and pediatrician vision screenings serve an important purpose, but they should never replace a comprehensive eye examination.
Most screenings primarily evaluate distance visual acuity. A child may successfully identify the 20/20 line while underlying issues with binocular vision, eye teaming, tracking, accommodation or ocular health remain undetected.
As we know, a comprehensive eye examination evaluates much more than visual acuity. It provides an opportunity to assess overall eye health, monitor changes over time and identify conditions that can impact learning long before they become obvious.
For parents, understanding this distinction is critical.
Back-to-School Is the Perfect Time to Talk About Myopia
The increase in near work and screen use has contributed to the growing prevalence of childhood myopia While genetics certainly play a role, environmental factors have made early detection and ongoing monitoring more important than ever.
Historically, children with myopia simply received updated glasses prescriptions as their vision worsened. Today, we know that slowing myopia progression should be part of the conversation whenever appropriate.
As eyecare providers, we now have multiple evidence-based approaches available to help manage myopia progression. Depending on the child’s age, prescription, ocular health, lifestyle and family preferences, myopia control treatment options may include specially designed FDA-approved spectacle and soft contact lenses or orthokeratology.
The key is recognizing that myopia management is not one-size-fits-all. Every child deserves an individualized plan. So, when discussing treatment options with families, I begin by learning about the child’s daily life.
For example—are they active in sports? Do they swim regularly? Are they motivated to wear contact lenses? Do they prefer glasses? Understanding their routine and habits helps identify the management strategy that best fits both the child and the family.
I also believe children should have a voice in these conversations. When they understand why treatment is recommended and feel involved in the decision-making process, they’re often more engaged and motivated to follow through with their care.
Everyday Habits for Healthy Young Eyes
While clinical treatment plays an important role for children with myopia, healthy visual habits benefit every child.
I encourage families to prioritize one to two hours of outdoor time each day. Focusing on distant objects for one to two minutes after every 20 minutes of near work gives young eyes a vital break, helping to prevent or delay the onset of myopia.
I also remind patients that it’s better to sit farther from their screens, encouraging them to watch shows or play video games on a TV rather than on a small device held close to their eyes.
These small lifestyle changes can complement clinical management and support long-term visual health.
Starting the Conversation Matters
One misconception I frequently hear from parents is that their child’s vision must be fine because neither parent ever needed glasses. Others worry that glasses or contact lenses will make their child’s eyes “dependent” on correction, or believe children are too young for contact lenses. Sometimes parents wonder why a previous provider never prescribed myopia management.
The reality is that these conversations give us an opportunity to share how much the science of slowing myopia management has evolved, in turn revolutionizing pediatric eyecare. Fortunately, today’s evidence-based myopia management options provide safe and effective choices that simply weren’t available a generation ago.
Importantly, eyecare professionals don’t need to wait until they’ve developed a formal myopia management specialty clinic to begin educating families. Every comprehensive pediatric exam is a valuable opportunity to discuss myopia risk, explain the importance of monitoring progression and introduce management options when appropriate.
As another school year begins, my hope is simple: that every family’s back-to-school checklist includes a comprehensive eye examination. It’s one appointment that can support not only clearer vision today, but healthier eyes for a lifetime.
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Anjali Desai Vachhani, OD, FAAO, is an optometrist at MyEyeDr. in Morrisville, NC, providing comprehensive eye care to patients of all ages. A 2010 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Drexel University, she completed residency training in ocular disease and low vision at the Jesse Brown VAMC in Chicago, IL. Named a 2026 Myopia Change Agent, Dr. Vachhani is dedicated to making myopia management approachable for all children, treating it with the same clinical priority as ocular disease, and actively educating fellow colleagues and students across the profession. |
