Protecting Kids' Vision

(NAPSA)—Arecent national survey of parents found that more than two-thirds of parents think it is “very important” for children to receive an eye exam by an eye doctor prior to kindergarten. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only one-third of school-age children receive vision screenings or eye exams before starting school. In fact, as many as one in 7 i 4 As manyas one in four schoolage children may have an undi- agnosedvision problem. four school-age children may have an undiagnosed vision problem. Since experts estimate that 80 percent of learning in thefirst 12 years is visual, an undiagnosed vision problem can result in poor performancein school. The Vision Council of America (VCA) and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) have developed a partnership to address this important issue. Their goal is to educate parents on the signs and symptoms of vision problems in children, and to educate parents about the benefits of visits to eye doctors. To learn about the signs of childhood vision problems, visit www.checkyearly.com.