NEW YORK—In an effort to support children’s health and inform parents about the connection between good vision and academic success, LensCrafters has developed a website featuring an interactive Pirate game that teaches children about various aspects of good vision.
The interactive “Penny the Pirate” game, accessible via the new eyeonkidshealth.com website, includes such challenges as walking the plank, piecing together a treasure map and staying clear of sharks. There’s also an online book on the website that highlights Penny’s adventures and further engages children about how they use eyesight in everyday tasks.
LensCrafters developed this initiative in recognition of the fact that good vision plays a crucial role not only in children’s overall health, but in their ability to develop physical and cognitive skills to keep pace with their peers, according to the company’s announcement about the new website.
The website includes information about signs of common vision conditions in children and the rationale for ensuring every child receives an annual in-person comprehensive eye exam. The content also supports the effort of parents to make informed health care decisions to benefit their children’s physical and neurological development, according to LensCrafters’ statement.
Parents are encouraged to get their children’s vision tested to detect eye diseases in the early stages, when vision-saving treatments are the most effective.
“Comprehensive eye exams are particularly important around the start of a new school year because children are less likely to recognize their own visual impairments and seek help,” said Dr. Mark Jacquot, clinical director at LensCrafters. “Poor vision in children can lead to adverse learning conditions that prevent kids from absorbing and retaining information simply because they are struggling to see it.”
Eighty percent of the learning children do occurs through their eyes, according to the American Optometric Association. Many parents and teachers incorrectly assume that school vision screenings catch signs of all underlying vision conditions, but these screenings often only test for distance visual acuity, according to LensCrafters.
LensCrafters’ new digital eye exam, Clarifye, is more precise and comprehensive than a traditional eye exam because it measures five times more characteristics of the optical system than a traditional exam, according to the company. In addition, Clarifye is a particularly good option for parents with young children because the exam’s digital capabilities reduce reliance on young children to subjectively assess their own vision during an exam, LensCrafters noted.