Pediatric Eye Exam

To ensure that your children have the visual resources necessary to fully grow and develop, it is necessary to have their eyes examined at various stages of their development. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), children should have their eyes examined at the ages and time:

  • 6 months old
  • 3 years old
  • Before the start of school

Then every 2 years following your child should have their eyes examined to ensure their optical health.

 

Exam Process

Your child’s eye exam may assess the following visual skills required for optimal learning:

  • Binocular vision
  • Color vision
  • Focusing
  • Peripheral vision
Your child’s optometrist will check around the area around the eye and inside the eye to detect any signs of eye disease or concerning health conditions. This may include a dilated pupil exam, which is a process that expands the pupil in order to properly examine your child’s retina and internal eye structures and to determine how well your child can focus for optimal development. If your child may have vision problems, then your child may be recommended to the solutions of:
  • Eyeglasses
  • Contact lenses
  • Eyepatch
  • Vision therapy
 

Birth – 6 months old

In the first few months of your baby’s development, their visual system grows gradually. They have to learn how to focus and move their eyes together. This will later build the foundation for motor development such as crawling, walking, and hand-eye coordination. You can ensure that your child is developing properly with a comprehensive infant eye exam at 6 months old. This exam will assess if your child is seeing properly and to check for any conditions that may impair your child’s vision such as strabismus (crossing of the eyes), farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism.

 

2 – 5 years old

At this age, your child will experience significant growth in intellectual and motor skills that will require good vision. You should look out for signs of lazy eye or crossed eyes to have a greater success rate at resolving these conditions early on.

 

6-18 years old:

Undetected visual problems can cause your child or teen to suffer academically, physically, and socially. To ensure that your child’s visual systems are developing in a proper and safe manner, it is essential to have their eyes comprehensively examined.