Children's eye exams
Early identification of a vision problem is crucial.
When to come
Experts say 80% of learning is visual, so if your child has difficulty seeing clearly, their learning can be affected.
The American Optometric Association recommends eye exams at 6 months, at 3 years, at the start of school, and then at least every two years. Children with signs of a vision problem or certain risk factors, such as developmental delays, premature birth, crossed or lazy eyes, family history or previous injuries, should come more often. A child who wears glasses or contact lenses should have an exam every year. Children's eyes can change quickly as they grow.
By age
Infants, birth to 24 months
A baby's visual system develops gradually over the first few months: learning to focus, to move the eyes and to use them together as a team. Schedule a comprehensive infant eye exam at 6 months. The doctor checks that your baby is seeing properly and developing on track, and looks for conditions such as strabismus (misaligned or crossed eyes), farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism.
Preschool, ages 2 to 5
This is the age to watch for lazy eye (amblyopia) and crossed eyes (strabismus). The earlier they are treated, the higher the success rate. Delays with recognizing objects, numbers, letters or colors, or with coordination, can have a visual root.
School age, 6 to 18
Undetected vision problems can hold children back in class, socially and in sports. Children often do not know that what they see is not normal, so they cannot tell you they need help.
Signs to watch for
- Squinting or rubbing the eyes often
- Sitting very close to the TV or a book
- Avoiding reading, puzzles or coloring
- Short attention span
- Headaches
- Frequent blinking
- Tilting the head to one side
- Losing their place while reading
- Double vision
- Poor reading comprehension
Vision and learning
If your child is not succeeding in school, ruling out vision problems should be one of your first steps. Our doctors can identify whether a vision problem is getting in the way of your child's learning and after-school activities.
Watch for these signs alongside school challenges:
- Headaches or eye strain
- Blurred or double vision
- Crossed eyes, or eyes that seem to move independently
- Dislike or avoidance of reading and close work
- Turning or tilting the head to use one eye, or covering one eye
- Placing the head very close to the book or desk
- Losing their place while reading, or using a finger as a guide
- Slow reading or poor comprehension
- Poor eye-hand coordination
Having your child's eyes checked is fast and easy, and it can take a lot of worry and guesswork out of helping them succeed.
The exam
Besides distance and near vision, an exam may assess the visual skills needed for learning and moving: how the eyes work together, focusing, peripheral vision, color vision, hand-eye coordination and tracking. The doctor also examines the area around and inside the eye for any eye disease.
Tell the doctor about anything relevant: a premature birth, developmental delays, family history of eye problems, eye injuries or medications your child takes. If there is a vision problem, the options may include glasses or contact lenses, an eye patch or vision therapy, depending on the condition.
Book your child's exam
Our assistant can take your details and your child's age, and the office will confirm a time.