Most people who have low vision feel better about their lives after getting an eye exam. Many times, students and teens benefit from classroom adjustments that let them learn in a more visual way. Most of the time, students with low vision need tools like reading glasses or bifocal lenses to make print easier to read in the classroom. Sometimes, these changes are as easy as moving closer to the board. For that, an examination for low vision is important.
Low-vision patients of any age can also benefit from working directly with a low-vision optometrist, who can help them find the right tools and equipment to make certain tasks easier for them to see. This could look like a hand-held magnifier for reading or an electronic magnifier for reading and writing up close and far away.
Helpful technology today often combines common technologies, like Google Classroom, with specialized tools, like a tablet-based magnifier, so students can use the same school apps and resources as their peers in the classroom.
Setting up regular eye exams for yourself or your child is a key part of living a healthy, active life. With the right tools and gadgets, people who are blind or have low vision can read, write, recognize faces, watch TV, and even drive a car.
Depending on the results of the exam, an eye doctor may prescribe low-vision glasses or one of multiple low-vision aids or technologies to help you keep doing the things you enjoy. But what’s the difference between a regular eye exam and an exam for people who have trouble seeing?
Types of Eye Exams
The word “eye exam” usually makes us think of the regular checkups we get at the eye doctor or a series of checkups with an ophthalmologic specialist. Even if we don’t wear glasses or contacts, these checkups are still important. A check-up for our eyes can tell a lot about our overall health.
A full eye exam should be done on kids once a year and on adults every two years, according to most experts. Depending on your child’s eye health and medical history, the ophthalmologist or optometrist may suggest that you take them more often. The doctor will check your or your child’s eye health and see if you or your child still need glasses during these visits.
The main goal of a low vision exam is to help people reach a level of visual function and independence for certain tasks. Doctors who treat people with low vision help their patients figure out what their goals are, whether those goals have to do with school, work, daily living, hobbies, or other interests.
Low Vision Exams
An in-depth functional history and a thorough evaluation of a glasses prescription are both parts of the low vision exam. After the procedure is over, the doctor helps the patient figure out what other tools or methods will help them the most. Some examples of devices include, but are not limited to:
- Strong glasses for particular tasks
- Magnifiers with lenses
- Telescopes
- Electronic systems for magnifying
- Access to computers and cell phones
- Lighting for tasks
A lot of people who need low-vision services have diseases that get worse with age, like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetes complications. Low-vision clinics help a lot of different kinds of young people with their vision needs. Vision problems are different for each person and can make it hard to see faces, read small print, walk, or drive safely.
Because of these factors, low-vision exams are tailored to the needs and goals of each patient. Exams for low vision are especially important for students getting ready for college, a career, and life in the community after high school. This is because low-vision tools help young people with vision get to work and the community on their own.