For children, a trip to the eye doctor can be both terrifying and exciting. They are exposed to a new environment, all the strange equipment, plus attention from strangers. If this is your child’s first comprehensive eye exam, here’s what you and your child can expect.
WHEN TO GO
Whether or not you suspect something is wrong with your child’s vision, the American Optometric Association recommends that children have an eye exam by the time they reach one year of age. They should have another exam at least once between the ages of 3 and 5 and once or twice a year after first grade until they graduate from high school.
Depending on your child’s eyes and vision, your eye doctor may recommend a different schedule.
HOW TO PREPARE
- When you call to make an appointment, ask how long the exam will take.
- If possible, focus on planning when your child is awake. Avoid eating or sleeping time.
- Be prepared to provide your child’s medical history, including any current medications, allergies, or past surgeries.
- Be prepared to provide a family history of vision problems.
- Bring a list of questions you have to the doctor.
- Show your child some YouTube videos of children getting their first eye exam.
- Let your child bring a favorite book, toy or stuffed animal to the meeting.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE EXAMINATION
Your eye doctor is primed and trained to work with children and will likely pull out all the stops—from toys to silly faces to songs—to grab short attention spans and soothe anxieties. The actual examination process will vary slightly from eye doctor to eye doctor, but each examination is designed to catch vision problems and other eye problems as early as possible.
FOR KIDS
Babies’ visual systems develop at a remarkable rate between birth and the first year. At first, their ability to focus is limited to the distance from their face to their parent’s face—about 8 to 10 inches. As they grow, the eyes begin to work in unison to track objects, and visual skills such as hand-eye coordination, color vision, and depth perception begin to develop.
By six months of age, your child’s visual acuity should have sharpened and it is time for his first comprehensive eye examination (recommended age is from six months to one year).
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What the eye doctor will look for:
- Refractive defects (myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism)
- Eye movement and focusing ability
- Reaction to light
- Peripheral vision
- Overall eye health to rule out certain eye diseases and conditions (including congenital cataracts and tumors)
What an eye doctor will do:
The doctor can assess your child’s reaction to light or a toy or other object moving in front of his face and dilate your child’s pupils with dilating eye drops. The eye doctor will also use an ophthalmoscope (a lighted instrument with a magnifying glass) to examine the entire eye and make sure that the entire system is developing as it should.
FOR CHILDREN OF PRESCHOOL AGE
When preschoolers build a block tower or draw a picture, they’re not just being creative; they continue to improve visual skills that will help them be successful later in school, sports and other activities.
What the eye doctor will look for:
In addition to checking for nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, your eye doctor will also monitor certain vision problems that may occur at this age. It will also check for focus problems, poor depth perception and color blindness.
What an eye doctor will do:
Your eye doctor will perform a physical examination of your child’s eye anatomy and check their vision using eye chart tests, pictures, letters, and even toys and games. The tests used at this age are meant to be engaging and even fun, while allowing the doctor to check visual acuity and any vision errors or eye health problems.
The doctor may also use drops—with your permission and your child’s permission—to dilate your preschooler’s pupils, allowing a better view of the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. These drops may sting a little and cause your child’s vision to be blurry for a short time. The doctor can also suggest eyeglasses for your child. You can visit Lenzique Optical best for designing eyeglasses.
FOR CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE
Since vision is inextricably linked to the learning process, it is important for routine examinations, even if your child has an eye test at school. Everything from sports performance to reading and even socializing can be affected by good eyesight.
What the eye doctor will look for:
Again, catching refractive errors is one of the top things on your eye doctor’s list. They will also check focusing, peripheral and color vision, hand-eye coordination and tracking skills.
What an eye doctor will do:
A doctor will examine eye disease or other eye or vision conditions using eye chart tests and specialized equipment. He or she will ask about reading problems, headaches, and other behaviors or symptoms that might indicate a vision problem.
