When does my child need an eye exam?
Our doctors start seeing patients for routine pediatric eye care around 6-12 months old. All of our doctors participate as InfantSEE™ providers, seeing children at no charge before their first year of life.
Vision is a key part of development and children have many important vision milestones they need to meet in order to properly develop vision, eye movements and ultimately the vision skills needed for reading, learning, and moving through space.
While we prefer meeting your child before their first birthday, you’re never too old for your first eye exam!
Frequently Asked Questions about Kids' Eye Exams
What is the doctor checking?
During a pediatric eye exam, our doctors will assess if your child is farsighted, nearsighted, astigmatic or has any other need for glasses. They also will check eye health with a dilation or an Optomap retinal image. For any age, developmentally appropriate eye movements and visual skills are assessed.
What should I expect?
Our goal is for your child to have a fun and easy experience at their eye exam. Your child will start pre-testing with our skilled technicians. We have many methods for determining if your child needs glasses or further care in Vision Therapy that are easy and stress-free for kids. Our doctors will check the health of your child’s eyes, along with how they move, focus, and work together - all necessary skills for learning and reading!
How can they tell if my child needs glasses if they cannot speak yet?
Our doctors obtain a lot of information objectively, meaning that the patient does not need to respond or give an answer, but rather just take a picture or look at a screen while our doctors take measurements of their eyes and how their eyes see. This allows us to accurately prescribe glasses for patients of any age and any need.