Why Your Child’s Vision Deserves a Second Look
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Back To School/ Daycare Eye Health
As backpacks get packed and lunches get planned, there’s one back-to-school item that’s easy to overlook: your child’s eyes. About 1 in 4 school-aged kids has a vision problem no one has caught yet. Many of these problems slip by. That’s because most kids don’t get a vision test until age 4 — years after some problems could have been caught and fixed.
The good news? CMC Pediatrics now offers GoCheck Kids. It’s a quick vision test that uses a smartphone camera. It can check a child’s eyes starting at just 12 months old. Your child doesn’t need to read, talk, or even sit still. We asked Dr. Amanda Didolkar, a pediatrician at CMC Pediatrics – Carolina Forest, to explain how it works, what to watch for at home, and what happens at your child’s next well visit.
Back to School, Back to Well. Between new routines and busy schedules, it’s easy for a back-to-school checkup to slip through the cracks. A well visit gives your child’s pediatrician the chance to check their vision, growth and overall health before the first bell rings. With CMC Pediatrics locations in Conway, Carolina Forest, Aynor and Socastee, there’s a convenient spot near you. Schedule your child’s well visit today.
Part of the reason so many vision problems go unnoticed is simple. Young kids have nothing to compare their eyesight to.
“Kids don’t have any frame of reference for what normal vision is when they’re young,” explains Dr. Didolkar. “If they have a problem from early infancy, they don’t even know to tell their parents that something’s wrong, because they don’t even know what normal vision looks like.”
What Is GoCheck Kids?
GoCheck Kids is a small device that attaches to a smartphone. It takes a photo of your child’s eyes. In seconds, that photo is checked for warning signs of “lazy eye” (the medical term is amblyopia). It looks for things like:
- Nearsightedness (trouble seeing far away)
- Farsightedness (trouble seeing up close)
- Astigmatism (blurry vision at any distance)
- Eyes that don’t line up
- A different prescription needed in each eye
Only your child’s eyes are photographed. No other part of their face is captured or saved. Results show up right away on the screen, so your child’s doctor can talk you through them during the visit.
How It’s Different From a Traditional Eye Test
A standard eye exam uses something called a Snellen chart — the wall chart with rows of letters that get smaller toward the bottom. It has to hang 20 feet away, and your child has to be able to talk and name the letters or shapes. “It really misses a lot of the younger age groups,” Dr. Didolkar says.
The photo-based screener works differently. It takes a photo of the “red reflex” — the light that bounces back from the back of the eye. Your child doesn’t need to follow directions, talk, or even understand what’s happening.
The two tests also catch different problems. The Snellen chart mainly checks for blurry vision. The photo screener can pick up quieter problems too, like:
- Crossed eyes (strabismus)
- A different prescription needed in each eye (anisometropia)
- Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism
Ready to add vision screening to your child’s routine? Schedule a well visit with CMC Pediatrics and ask your provider about GoCheck Kids.
Why Vision Screening Can’t Wait Until Age 4
A traditional eye chart only works if a child can talk and name letters or shapes. Most kids can’t do that reliably until age 4 or 5. That leaves a gap of several years where vision problems can go completely unnoticed.
Here’s why that gap matters:
- A child’s vision system is still developing fast in the first few years of life.
- The earlier a problem is found, the more treatment options there are.
- Some conditions can cause permanent vision loss if they’re missed. But early treatment can often fully fix the problem.
Because of this, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this kind of vision test starting as early as 12 months old. GoCheck Kids fills that gap. It doesn’t replace your child’s regular checkups. Instead, it adds one more simple check to the visits you’re already scheduling.
How Common Are These Vision Problems?
Focusing problems (called refractive errors) are the most common vision issues in kids, and they’re more widespread than many parents realize:
- Farsightedness affects up to 21% of children ages 6 to 72 months
- Astigmatism affects up to 28% of children ages 5 to 17
- Amblyopia (“lazy eye”), the most common cause of vision loss in kids, affects about 2% of children ages 6 to 72 months
When babies are born, their eyes work, but the brain’s connections for vision are still forming. “It’s important to catch problems early, because if there is a weaker eye, the pathways will adjust for that, and the brain will eventually shut off input from that eye,” Dr. Didolkar explains. That’s what causes amblyopia, or lazy eye. “It’s a cause of vision loss in children, and then thus into adults,” she says.
What to Expect During a Screening
GoCheck Kids is part of well checkups at 12 months, 18 months, and 2, 3 and 4 years old. Here’s what happens, in Dr. Didolkar’s words:
- “The kids will come in, we do all their vitals, and then we come into a room with our GoCheck.”
- “We explain to the parents what GoCheck is and what it’s checking for, and then we tell the kids, ‘We’re just going to take a picture of your eyes.'”
- “We do have to turn the lights off — the device makes a noise, like a cow, a bird or a cat, just something to get their attention, especially for the little ones.”
- “They can sit on the parent’s lap or on the bed, we take the picture, import it into their chart, and tell the parents the results.”
As for privacy, only the eyes are photographed. “It doesn’t take a picture of their entire face — it’s just a photo of their eyes,” she notes.
Signs Your Child (or Their Teacher) Might Notice
Here’s the tricky part: young kids usually think their vision is normal, even if it isn’t. If a child has always seen the world a little blurry, they have nothing to compare it to. So they won’t think to tell you.
That’s why back-to-school time is a good moment to watch closely. New routines mean more reading, more time looking at whiteboards and screens, and more structured play. All of this can bring quiet vision problems out into the open.
Keep an eye out for:
- Frequent eye rubbing, excessive blinking or squinting
- Sitting unusually close to the TV or holding books, tablets or homework very close to the face
- Tilting or turning the head to look at something
- Complaints of headaches, especially after reading or screen time
- Avoiding reading, coloring or other close-up activities
- Losing their place while reading, or using a finger to track words
- One eye that appears to drift, cross or turn
- A short attention span or trouble concentrating that seems to come and go
One sign on its own doesn’t mean much. But a pattern is worth mentioning to your child’s pediatrician.
What parents can watch for at home:
- Looking really close at a screen or book, or squinting and blinking a lot
- Frequent complaints of headaches
- Grades suddenly dropping after things had been going well
- Trouble with hand-eye coordination in sports
“If your parent radar is up and you’re thinking maybe something’s wrong, listen to that gut reaction and call us — we’ll get it checked out,” she says.
How Vision Problems Show Up in the Classroom, on the Playground and on the Field
Vision problems rarely look like vision problems. Instead, they tend to disguise themselves as something else.
In the classroom
A child who can’t see the board clearly, or whose eyes get tired during close work, may seem distracted or unmotivated. They may even seem behind on reading. Often, the real issue is how hard their eyes are working just to keep up. “When kids are having problems with their vision in school, it can manifest as behavior issues, and sometimes teachers will actually have concerns for ADHD,” Dr. Didolkar says. “But really it has to do with the child’s inability to see — so they get bored and start wandering and doing different things because they can’t focus on the material, because they can’t see it.”
At play
Depth perception and eye coordination matter more than most parents realize. A child with an undetected vision problem may seem clumsy. They may avoid puzzles or building toys, or shy away from anything that requires judging distance.
In sports
Catching a ball, tracking a teammate, or reacting quickly all depend on clear, coordinated vision from both eyes. A child who struggles with hand-eye coordination or hangs back from sports may simply be seeing the game differently than their teammates.
The pattern is the same in all three places: what looks like a behavior problem, a focus problem, or a coordination problem is sometimes really a vision problem in disguise.
Beyond school, sports and play
Vision problems can also affect a child’s confidence and friendships. Studies have linked untreated vision problems to:
- Strained relationships with family and peers
- Higher risk of being bullied
- Lower self-esteem
This is on top of the academic struggles that come from not being able to see clearly at school.
Not sure if what you’re noticing is vision-related? Schedule with Dr. Didolkar at CMC Pediatrics – Carolina Forest, or find a CMC pediatrician near you, and bring your questions to your child’s next visit.
What Happens If a Risk Factor Is Found
If a GoCheck Kids test flags a risk factor, that doesn’t mean your child has a diagnosed vision problem. GoCheck Kids only screens for risks. It doesn’t diagnose them. Each age group has its own normal range for the test. “It’ll give you a number, and if that number is outside that range, then it’s a risk factor,” Dr. Didolkar explains. “If that happens, we make a referral to either an optometrist or a pediatric ophthalmologist.”
That doesn’t mean every child needs to see a specialist. “Kids don’t need both necessarily — sometimes they do, it depends,” she says. Dr. Didolkar sees her office as the first stop: “If parents are concerned that there’s a vision problem with their child, it’s always good to connect with your pediatrician. We can see them in the office and try this new technology. If it identifies a risk factor, then we send them to the optometrist or ophthalmologist, where they have more specialized tools.”
The earlier a referral happens, the more treatment options there are. That’s the whole point of screening kids this young.
Well Checks at CMC Pediatrics
“Well checks are an important part of your child’s health and development,” Dr. Didolkar says. “It’s really an opportunity to catch things like this that might not otherwise be caught on a day-to-day basis. So it’s really a plug for me — bring your child for their well check.”
If you’ve noticed any of these signs, talk to your CMC pediatrician about adding GoCheck Kids to their next visit. The same goes if it’s simply been a while since your child’s last eye check.
Four Convenient Locations
CMC Pediatrics includes 15 experienced board-certified pediatricians, pediatric specialists, and nurse practitioners dedicated to providing expert care for children from birth through adolescence.
CMC Pediatrics Locations:
Conway: 2376 Cypress Circle
Conway, SC 29526
Carolina Forest: 270 Swamp Fox Court
Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
Socastee: 6010 Highway 707
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
Aynor (CPG Family Medicine): 1028 11th Avenue
Aynor, SC 29511
Call 843-347-8000 to schedule at the location most convenient for you.
Key Takeaways
- About 1 in 4 school-aged children has an undetected vision disorder.
- GoCheck Kids lets CMC Pediatrics screen children starting at 12 months old — years before a traditional eye chart is possible.
- The screening is quick, painless and doesn’t require your child to read, talk or cooperate.
- Back-to-school routines often make subtle vision issues more noticeable — watch for squinting, headaches, eye rubbing, or avoidance of reading and close-up activities.
- Vision problems can look like attention, learning or coordination issues in the classroom, at play and in sports.
- Early detection means more treatment options and better outcomes.
All content of this article is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based on any content of this article.
Sources
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American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Four Hidden Signs of Vision Problems in Kids,” https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/four-hidden-signs-of-vision-problems-in-kids
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American Academy of Pediatrics, “Visual System Assessment in Infants, Children, and Young Adults by Pediatricians,” Pediatrics 137(1), 2016, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-3596
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American Optometric Association, “School-Aged Vision: 6 to 18 Years of Age,” https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/school-aged-vision
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Carlton, J., Kaltenthaler, E., “Amblyopia and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review,” Eye 25, 403–413, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2011.4
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GoCheck Kids, “Pediatric Vision Photoscreening: An Evidence-Based Overview,” Gobiquity, Inc., https://www.gocheckkids.com/definitive-guide-preventive-vision-care/
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GoCheck Kids, “Photoscreening with GoCheck Kids,” https://www.gocheckkids.com/photoscreening
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GoCheck Kids, “A Parent’s Guide On Vision Screening,” Gobiquity, Inc., MKT DOC 208 Rev E (provided by CMC Pediatrics)
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National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, “Prevalence and Impact of Vision Disorders in U.S. Children,” https://preventblindness.org/about-the-childrens-vision-and-eye-health-report/
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UCLA Health, “Back to school: Watch for vision problems as children return to the classroom,” https://www.uclahealth.org/news/watch-for-signs-of-vision-problems-as-children-head-back-to-school
