Children do not always receive the testing and monitoring that they require when it comes to their health. Routine checkups may include basic monitoring, but do not measure a child?s vision or hearing. This can be a problem, because most vision and hearing problems are best diagnosed and treated early on. For this reason, many schools are requiring these tests of all students. This effort will hopefully help to identify these problems in children early enough.
The occurrence of vision and hearing problems in children
According to the National Commission on Vision and Health, one in four children between the ages of five and 17 have a vision problem. Additionally, roughly two or three out of every 1,000 children in the U.S. are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. The worst part about these statistics is that these problems are often not diagnosed until much later in life. Children are forced to deal with them, until appropriate testing is provided.
The effect of these common problems
Vision and hearing difficulties can affect many more aspects of a child?s life than adults. Children are still learning the language and having hearing difficulties can negatively affect that. They may struggle in school or find it difficult to create social relationships. They may fail in classes, because they do not have the proper vision corrective devices available to them. This is why it is so important to test children before school age. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hearing screening should be conducted before a child enters school for the first time, at ages 6,8, and 10, at least once during middle school, and at least once during high school. Hearing and vision can change frequently, so constant testing is needed and current problems can be helped with online resources.
How screening can help
More schools are requiring vision and hearing tests of all students. They are bringing in outside resources that are experienced and knowledgeable in diagnosing these problems. Some schools may be hesitant to include these outside resources in their school budget plan, but it can actually pay off in the long run. Trained specialists who are able to identify vision and hearing problems can provide corrective measures to children. The children are able to improve their academic studies. School districts that do better academically are able to collect more funding. School staffing can also be affected by the improved grades of students and the overall success rates.
Training of full time teachers
Although routine vision and hearing testing from outside resources is important, it is also helpful to train education staffing leaders of identifying these common problems. Teachers should have the ability to identify when a child is struggling academically because they cannot see clear or because they are unable to clearly hear the directions. Bringing in different education staffing possibilities can provide full time teachers with this knowledge and experience.
The parents role in improvement
Another benefit of these testing procedures is that parents are made more aware of these possible and common problems. Parents do not always think to consider vision or hearing, even when the child is struggling academically. Following testing, the parent can make an appointment with a specialist. They can also limit technology and screen time, which is known to contribute to declining vision and hearing. Finally, they can seek out additional resources, including online resources. Online resources give parents needed information and improvements.
A surprising percentage of children suffer from a loss of vision or hearing. Parents and teachers may mistake this as a lack of motivation or academic success. Requiring regular vision and hearing tests of students within the school setting is a great way to identify these problems, correcting them before they become too much of a problem. Online resources can be provided to parents for additional support and knowledge.
