20/40 Vision in My Son.......

I failed with a 20/40 when I was in 13. I started wearing glasses only in the classroom. I even passed the driving eye test at 16 and 17 without my glasses. I wore my glasses when I drove anyway. I didn't start having to wear my glasses all the time until I was 19. I switched to contacts at 27.

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An optometrist will be able to tell you if it is near sightedness or farsightedness. He may have some astigmatism. They will get him glasses, he may have to wear them all the time. Lots of kids get glasses in 2nd and 3rd grade.
Just so you know, 20/40 is barely legal to drive in most states. He will probably want contacts by then.

It's actually pretty normal. Kids can "fail" within a specific range of normal. My eldest has spectacular vision but she "fails" the eye exams at the pediatricians office because frankly she just doesn't concentrate very well and fidgets. She likely will need to wear glasses when she's older because of genetics, but for now her eyesight is excellent based on what we know she can see. There's also the fact that she was a very, very early reader and she hasn't stopped reading since she started and there's a causal link between early reading and wearing glasses at an earlier age.

I was an early reader and had to start wearing bifocals by junior year of high school but probably should have started wearing them sooner. I was getting increased migraine frequency for nearly two years before I got my glasses and getting them did decrease my migraines. Since my daughter does get migraines we do keep an eye on the frequency and if she's squinting and other warning signs for needing glasses. Actually, with her recent issues with homework and school work, I may have her eyes double checked even though she just had her pediatric exam in her annual physical.

the 20/40 is distance vision and shouldnt affect his reading. He may have a tracking problem or where one eye moves a little slower than the other. Go ahead and ask your ped. eye doctor about it.

The 20/40 is for distance. I doubt it would affect his reading. It might make it hard to see the blackboard.

I'd ask his teacher to put him in the front of the room. My own son has 20/35 in one eye and 20/40 in the other. I bought him glasses (he finally accepted that he needs them after refusing to even try them on because he was too "cool" for them) but he still "forgets" to put them on in the classes where he can see the board. He actually reads better without them.

D.