MONROE, Wis. — With students back in the classroom, SSM Health is encouraging parents in New Glarus and across Green County to remember the role healthy vision can play in learning and school performance.

Difficulty focusing, avoiding reading or struggling to pay attention can sometimes be associated with vision problems, according to SSM Health. Because children may not realize their eyesight is different from what others experience, some problems can go unnoticed.

Nearly 7% of children younger than 18 have been formally diagnosed with an eye or vision condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The actual number of children affected could be higher because some conditions have not been identified.

“It’s hard to say how many kids are actually impacted because they often don’t know what normal vision should look or feel like,” SSM Health optometrist Dr. Wendy Huang said. “It’s difficult to address issues if there are no warning signs or discussions that something might be wrong.”