When to Schedule Your Child’s First Eye Exam
The American Optometric Association recommends that infants receive their first eye exam during their first year of life. As long as no abnormalities are detected, another eye exam should be completed when they are between three to five years old, and a third at age five. Once your child is in school, they should have an eye exam from an optometrist once per year.
These regular checkups are important because your child’s eyes are growing along with them. While some types of vision problems are detectable early on, some may take some time to cause symptoms. Often children can’t put into words why they have trouble reading or don’t want to pay attention in school. Therefore a visit to our office may provide the answers you have been looking for.
What We Test During Childs’ Eye Exam
During your child's eye exam, our optometrists use an age-appropriate method to test both distances and close up vision. The examination also includes checking how well your child’s eyes work together to focus on an object at various distances, tracking their eye movements to make sure there are no abnormalities, checking hand-eye coordination and peripheral awareness. Our optometrists will also check the health of the eyes. We accomplish this all in a relaxed, non-threatening environment for your child.
Establishing a Healthy Lifelong Habit
No matter how old your child is or how long it has been since their last optometrist visit, it is never a bad time to start incorporating an annual eye exam into their routine. If it turns out your child does have a vision issue, our optometrists will work to provide them with the proper prescription for corrective lenses, and adjust that prescription over time to ensure they’re always seeing clearly.
To learn more about our eye exams for kids or to schedule one for your child, call our office today at 512-341-2020.