Child Vision Care
If you’re wondering whether your pre-schooler has a vision problem, or when the first eye exam should happen, you’re asking the right question early. Experts estimate that 5 to 10% of pre-schoolers and 25% of school-aged children have vision problems, and catching them early matters: some childhood vision problems cause permanent vision loss if they go untreated.
When your child should have their first eye exam
The American Optometric Association recommends:
- A first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months
- Another at 3 years
- Another just before kindergarten or first grade, around age 5 or 6
- For school-aged children, an exam every two years if no vision correction is needed
- For children who wear glasses or contacts, an exam every year, or as often as their eye doctor recommends
Because good vision matters so much to learning, some states require an eye exam before a child starts school for the first time.
The visual skills children need in order to learn
Reading and classroom work lean on more than clear distance vision. An early exam checks:
- Near vision
- Distance vision
- Binocularity, or how well the two eyes work as a pair
- Eye movement skills
- Focusing skills
- Peripheral awareness
- Eye-hand coordination
Signs worth mentioning when you book
Tell us if your child:
- Was born prematurely
- Has had delayed motor development
- Rubs their eyes frequently, or blinks excessively
- Falls down or bumps into things that aren’t moving
- Doesn’t hold eye contact
- Can’t seem to hold a steady gaze on an object
- Has trouble tracking things with their eyes
- Failed a vision screening at the pediatrician or pre-school
Family history helps us too
Your child’s doctor will want to know about any previous eye diagnoses or treatment, including surgeries and time spent in glasses or contacts. It also helps to mention a family history of eye problems that needed correcting, nearsightedness or farsightedness, misaligned eyes (strabismus), or amblyopia, which most people know as lazy eye.
Frequently asked questions
When should my child have their first eye exam?
The American Optometric Association recommends a first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months, another at 3 years, and another just before kindergarten or first grade, around age 5 or 6.
How often do school-age children need eye exams?
Every two years if no vision correction is needed. Children who wear glasses or contacts should be seen every year, or as often as their eye doctor recommends.
What signs suggest my child may have a vision problem?
Frequent eye rubbing or excessive blinking, bumping into things that are not moving, trouble tracking objects with their eyes, not holding eye contact, or a failed vision screening at the pediatrician or preschool.
How old does a child have to be for contact lenses?
There is no set age. It depends on how responsible your child is, how careful they are about hygiene, and whether they can put in and remove the lenses on their own. We make that call with you at the fitting.
Book your child’s eye exam
A children’s eye exam is no different from any other doctor’s appointment, and it’s every bit as important. Request a time online, or call (843) 796-1155 and we’ll find a slot that fits around school.