Children\'s Eye Exams

Taking Care of Little Eyes

Children’s eyes continue to develop until early adulthood. Sight is a vital part of their learning process—80% of learning is visual!

The pediatric optometrists at Specialty Eye are experts in pediatric eye care, offering preventative eye exams and solutions for all types of eye problems.

Following the recommended eye exam schedule will help preserve your child’s sight and ensure that any issues they develop are treated as quickly as possible.

Children's Eye Exams

Protecting Their Sight

A child may not tell you they are experiencing vision problems, because they might not even know. They don’t have a normal reference to compare to. This is why it’s up to us (you and Specialty Eye) to provide eye exams and create healthy visual habits that will help them experience their best vision throughout their life.

At Specialty Eye, we recommend yearly eye exams:

0–6 Months: Children should have their first eye exam at 6 months old, even if no eye or vision problems are apparent. We will check to see if their eyes are developing properly and check eye health, eye movement, and eye alignment.

1–5 Years: Your child should have their eyes examined each year between 1–5 years of age. By this time, children will have reached several visual milestones, so their optometrist will check for those, as well as refractive errors, ocular development, eye health, alignment, and movement.

6–17 Years: Before entering Grade 1, your child should have their eyes examined so we can prescribe any lenses or vision therapies that will help them succeed in school. After this, we want to continue seeing your child each year for their eye exam to check for any changes to their vision, health, and more.

Common Vision Issues

There are some vision and eye health issues that are more likely to develop during childhood. In many cases, we are able to manage the symptoms and/or treat the issues to promote healthy eyes.

The experts at Specialty Eye take all eye conditions seriously and want what’s best for your child. Their optometrist may recommend prescription lenses, or vision therapy to help correct issues as soon as they arise. The earlier treatments are implemented, the better visual success your child will have.

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

When you are able to see objects at near distances but not further away, you may have myopia, also known as nearsightedness. Myopia typically develops in children while their eyes are growing, and occurs if the eyeball grows too big or the cornea becomes too curved, resulting in a blurry image landing on the retina.

Myopia management control options are available to children, which may limit the progression of myopia over time. If left untreated, myopia is free to worsen and can lead to high myopia, a condition of poor vision that is also associated with an increased risk of developing certain eye diseases later in life.

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

When children’s eyes are growing, they can each develop different prescriptions. Uncorrected vision in one or both eyes can lead to amblyopia, which is also called lazy eye. This condition results in a clear image in one eye and a blurry image in the other. Their brain can automatically favor the stronger eye to see objects clearly, neglecting the weaker one.

Amblyopia can be treated at any age with the use of vision therapies and prescription lenses.

Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)

One of your child’s eyes may turn up, down, out, or in if they are experiencing strabismus (also known as crossed eyes, if turned in). If the muscles in the eyes don’t develop properly, or if there is an uncorrected prescription in one eye, it can cause one eye to wander or not move in the direction they are looking. Treatments are available by use of prescription lenses, vision therapies, or surgery. The earlier strabismus is treated, the easier it will be to resolve. However, we are happy to help treat strabismus at any age.

InfantSEE

Infants can benefit from visual wellness care that will help ensure they are developing the necessary visual skills.

InfantSEE is a public health program, managed by The AOA Foundation, and is something Specialty Eye stands behind. Our very own Dr. Kristi Kading volunteers with InfantSEE, and won the InfantSEE Award in 2015.

Make Exams Fun

Who has the most fun in our office? Kids do!

Oftentimes, they are surprised when the exam is over because the games have to stop. Our team enjoys meeting small infants, getting to know toddlers, and establishing a relationship with kids of all ages.

The best way to prevent eye issues from developing is with a routine eye exam. Make sure your children have all of the visual tools they need for school, recreation, and for life by scheduling their next eye exam with Specialty Eye.