Parents generally know when their children are coming down with an illness, feeling anxious or in need of a nap, but may not always know for sure if their kids can see normally.

This can be particularly true when it comes to silent vision issues such as amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye,” which can affect an estimated 200,000 children born each year. A child with poor or uneven vision may not know he can’t see properly or may be too young to verbalize a problem, but parents can look for certain indicators.

To gain some insight on the state of their child’s vision, parents can now take an online vision assessment quiz at www.freevision quiz.com. Developed by the vision experts at Diopsys, the physicianreviewed informational quiz takes only a few minutes to complete. It’s composed of multiplechoice questions covering several areas that can indicate a potential vision problem in children of various ages.

Some examples of behavorial cues that parents should watch for are:

•Child blinks or rubs her eyes a lot.

•Child does not make steady eye contact or eyes wander.

•Child’s eyes look crossed or one seems to be going the wrong way. •Child holds things very close to his eyes when looking at them.

•Child shuts or covers up one eye when trying to see something.

•Child squints or frowns while looking at objects.

•Child complains of nausea, dizziness or headaches after close work.

•Child is extra clumsy, bumps into things or falls more than other children.

•Child exhibits developmental lag: It is estimated that 75 percent of learning in young children is via sight.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be routinely screened for vision starting at 6 months. New technologies can screen young children who cannot yet speak. One is the Enfant Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System, which can be found in a growing number of pediatric offices across the U.S. and can be administered as part of a routine well visit.

If a child is having vision problems, speak to a pediatrician.

This story provided by North America Precis Syndicate Inc.