Question: When should my child have an eye exam? They are going into elementary school this year and I would like to ensure that they do not have any vision problems.
Answer: Excellent question! Given that up to 80% of a child’s learning is through vision, having a comprehensive eye examination for your child is very important. The visual system is very complex, and typical vision screenings can miss at least 50% of vision problems. Nearly one in ten children have a vision problem significant enough to impact learning.
A comprehensive eye examination can help your child see their best and most comfortable both at school and during extracurricular activities. At their appointment many parts of the visual system are assessed to see if there are any issues with how the eyes are focusing, working together, tracking, developing, or any visual processing or ocular health issues. If any abnormalities are found then appropriate treatment options will be recommended. If this includes glasses or contacts, our dispensing team will help to assess what frames and lenses would work best. Having an exam before going back to school in September is a good idea to make sure everything is up to date.
We recommend children have their first eye examination before they’re one year old for a general assessment, and then every year once they reach the age of three.