Pediatric Care

A common question we get is, "When should my child get an eye exam?"

This is the recommendation from the American Optometric Association.

First exam completed between 6 months-12 month old

At least one exam completed between age 3-5 years.

Exam completed before 1st grade and annually afterwards.

Vision screenings completed both at a pediatrician’s office and at school are also very helpful!

Depending on the age of the child, a pediatric eye exam can look very different from your typical exam for an adult. Our providers are well versed in adapting to use different techniques and equipment for each unique kid.

The following are some of the unique things we consider during a pediatric exam

Amblyopia: This is what is commonly referred to as “lazy eye” and occurs when something affects the development of vision during important early years of life. This can lead to reduced vision in the future even with glasses. The most common causes are an eye turn or a large prescription either in one or both eyes. These issues can be subtle and go on for years unnoticed without an eye exam resulting in poor vision. Starting treatment with glasses and other measures can impact your child for the rest of their life!

Vision Disorders: There are many vision disorders affecting eye movements and focusing ability that can commonly occur in children. These conditions can often contribute to delays in learning and school. Detecting any potential concerns early can impact your child’s success in school dramatically. Treatments for these conditions can be as simple as glasses or more involved with the utilization of vision therapy.

Myopia Management: In the last several years, there has been a major increase in myopia (blurry distance vision). Recent studies are showing that this is likely related to increased screen use. There are several new treatment strategies utilized to slow down progression of myopia. This doesn’t reverse the need for glasses but can keep the prescription from getting higher and higher each year. Just ask anyone with a really high glasses prescription about how challenging things can be without their glasses to understand how this can be impactful! There are also increased eye health concerns with people that have high prescriptions because this means the eyes shape is actually elongated. Some of these complications that generally occur later in life can be sight threatening! We utilize several proven treatment options including specialty contact lenses and eye drops to manage myopia in growing children.