HOUSTON -- Does your child have behavioral problems, poor grades or trouble reading? According to optometrists, he or she could just have trouble seeing.

Ashely Armand, 12, always starts the school year off with an eye exam. This year she found out she needed glasses.

"Things were a bit blurry and I was struggling in school a lot," said Ashely. "I couldn't see overheads in class and stuff like that."

Ashely said that ever since she started wearing her glasses, she reads faster, does better on tests and her grades have improved overall.

Doctors said one in four children have vision problems, but despite this fact, a whopping 86 percent of children never go to the eye doctor before school starts.

According to the American Optometrist Association, one in four students have a visual impairment. Its Web site also says many experts believe 80 percent of learning comes through a child's eyes.  Studies indicate that 60 percent of children identified as "problem learners" actually suffer from undetected vision problems and in some cases are misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Optometrists say a child's first eye exam should happen as early as six months.  After that, experts advise another exam at three years and then every two years as soon as the child starts school.  Doctors say children need to check their eyes regularly because their eyes change as they develop.

"Get their eyes checked out regardless if they see 20/20 or not," said Dr. Liaqat Khalfe, who is an optometrist in Sugar Land.  "There are certain conditions that vision screening can miss."

The AOA recommends that parents contact their doctor of optometry if your child frequently:

Loses place while reading
Avoids close work
Tends to rub eyes
Has headaches
Turns or tilts head
Makes frequent reversals when reading or writing
Uses finger to maintain place when reading
Omits or confuses small words when reading
Consistently performs below potential
Struggles to complete homework
Squints while reading or watching television
Has behavioral problems
Holds reading material closer than normal