AOA president highlights importance of eye exams for classroom success

In a 5 ½ hour satellite media tour on July 15, AOA President Steven T. Reed, O.D., conducted 22 back-to-back interviews for local tv, radio and online outlets encouraging in-person, annual, comprehensive eye exams ahead of the upcoming school year.  

Dr. Reed shared tips on how parents can help take care of their children’s eyes and underscored the importance of partnering with an optometrist and prioritizing eye health from a young age.  Carefully curated, the AOA targeted the largest media markets in the country to reach millions of Americans—especially parents. 

📽️Watch video: Importance of back-to-school eye exams (actionnews5.com)

Dr. Reed’s key messages include: 

• Vision screenings, such as those offered at schools or pediatrician offices, are not a substitute for seeing an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam. Parents should prioritize scheduling yearly exams with a doctor of optometry as they are leaders in primary eye health care, helping patients and their families take the first step toward healthier eyes and bodies. 
• Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to optimize children's eye health and vision, as eye and vision problems can worsen over time and lead to future vision loss. 
• Parents should visit the AOA’s doctor locator at aoa.org/eyedeservemore to schedule an appointment with a local AOA doctor and ensure their children are set up for success ahead of the school year.  

The AOA’s messages were amplified by ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates as well as other local stations across the nation, reaching an audience of more than 800k in less than 24 hours. And that number is growing as more interviews go live.

Below is a sample of the messages Dr. Reed delivered during each interview. 

There’s no substitution for comprehensive eye exams by a doctor of optometry.  

Dr. Reed shared how the AOA estimates that current vision screenings give less than 4% of the information and value of a comprehensive eye exam, so it’s important that parents take their kids to a doctor of optometry for a complete look at their eyes.  

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential.  

Because eye and vision problems can become worse over time, such as myopia or nearsightedness—on the rise in the last decade—early diagnosis and treatment are essential to optimize children’s eye health and vision and to prevent future vision loss. 

Prior to the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 5 preschool children in the U.S. had a vision problem, yet less than 15% received an eye exam before starting elementary school. Now, children are spending more hours using computers and digital devices, which can be extremely taxing on the visual system and have long-term consequences for vision and learning. 

Why are annual, in-person eye exams essential for students returning to school? 

Children often don’t know how they should see or feel, so they may not report if something is wrong. Eye exams are one of the most important, preventive ways to preserve vision and overall health. Dr. Reed shared how doctors of optometry examine, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the eye during a comprehensive eye exam but are also able to get a holistic view into overall wellbeing.   

Resources for doctors of optometry 

Children’s vision has long been a priority issue for the AOA and its doctors. Based on doctors’ expertise and experience, the AOA has developed several outstanding resources for eye care professionals to engage patients. 

View a trove of back-to-school resources on children’s vision for doctors of optometry to reach parents including short videos, a PowerPoint presentation, and full and abbreviated versions of the groundbreaking AOA Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: Comprehensive Pediatric Eye and Vision Examination, as well as other tools for doctors. 

Eye Deserve More: The next evolution 

Your new smartphone has a 48-megapixel camera. Impressive, right? Did you know that the human eye would have 576 megapixels? Our eyes are worthy of the same hype that the latest and greatest tech products always get. That’s why Eye Deserve More is getting Americans to prioritize the most impressive tech of all: the human eye. 

Inspired by real anatomy and capabilities of the visual system, the AOA is highlighting the unmatched power of the human eye and the importance of in-person exams with doctors of optometry. By putting it into a new perspective, the latest campaign is helping people reconsider the marvel of their eyes and take the necessary steps to protect them.  

The AOA will launch a first-of-its-kind interactive pop-up experience in New York City to reveal the next evolution of the Eye Deserve More campaign. The interactive event will be open to the public from Friday, August 23, to Sunday, August 25. To attend, contact Yakesha Cooper at ycooper@aoa.org.  

Learn more and join the Eye Deserve More campaign.