Simple eye exams could prevent thousands of Pennsylvania students from falling behind

By Dr. Nora Conway

The school year is well underway for children. They are settling in with new teachers, new friends, and new experiences. But for some students, an old problem will creep into their lives — vision issues.

These children will suffer from anxiety and the threat of falling behind academically and socially. What is frustrating is that a simple eye exam would change everything.

As an optometrist, I regularly see school-aged patients and hear stories about children struggling with their courses, giving up playing sports, or worse of all, being misdiagnosed with a learning disability.

All this could easily change if the state legislature passes the Children’s Vision Bill, which would require students to get a comprehensive eye exam. Students receive a traditional vision scre