Pediatric Eye Exams

Children need regular eye exams to support healthy vision. Pediatric eye care uses age-appropriate testing methods to accurately evaluate young children.

Experts estimate that 80% of learning is visual, which means vision problems can affect your child’s performance. This is especially true for infants who develop and learn about the world around them through their sense of sight. Schedule eye exams at key stages to support your child’s vision and development.

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), children should have eye exams at 6 months, at age 3, at the start of school, and annually after that. Children with signs of vision problems or risk factors may need more frequent exams. Children who wear glasses or contact lenses should have yearly eye exams. Children’s eyes can change rapidly as they grow.

Eye Exams in Infants: Birth–24 Months

A baby’s visual system develops gradually over the first few months of life. They learn to focus, move their eyes, and use them together. The brain must also learn to process visual information. Vision development supports motor skills such as crawling, walking, and hand-eye coordination.

Monitor your baby’s development and schedule a comprehensive eye exam at 6 months. During this exam, the doctor checks vision development and screens for conditions such as strabismus, farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism.

Infants born prematurely or showing developmental delays may need more frequent visits to monitor progress.

Eye Check-Up in Preschool Children: 2-5

Toddler and preschool years involve rapid intellectual and motor development. During this time, children develop motor skills, coordination, and visual abilities needed for reading, writing, sports, and creative activities. These skills rely on healthy vision.

At this age, parents should watch for signs of amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye misalignment). The earlier we treat these conditions, the higher the success rate.

Parents should also watch for delays in recognition, coordination, or color perception, as these may relate to vision problems. If your child squints, rubs their eyes, sits close to screens, or avoids visual tasks, schedule an eye exam.

Eye Exams in School-Aged Kids: Ages 6-18

Undetected or uncorrected vision problems can cause children and teens to suffer academically, socially, athletically, and personally. If your child is having trouble in school or after-school activities, there may be an underlying vision problem. Learning and development depend on both clear vision and how well the eyes work together. Children with focusing or coordination issues may experience frustration and behavioral challenges. Children often don’t realize their vision is abnormal, so they may not ask for help.

In addition to the symptoms written above, signs of vision problems in older children include:

• Short attention span
• Headaches
• Frequent blinking
• Avoiding reading
• Tilting the head to one side
• Losing their place while reading
• Double vision
• Poor reading comprehension

What We Check During Your Child’s Eye Exam

In addition to visual acuity, an eye exam may assess skills needed for learning and mobility:

• Binocular vision: how the eyes work together as a team
• Focusing
• Peripheral Vision
• Color Vision
• Hand-eye Coordination
• Tracking

The doctor will also examine the surrounding structures and internal eye health for disease. Share your child’s medical history, including premature birth, developmental delays, eye conditions, injuries, or medications. Use this time to address any concerns about your child’s vision.

Children’s Eyeglasses, Contacts, and Other Treatments

If your child has a vision problem, the doctor may recommend glasses, contact lenses, patching, vision therapy, or ortho-k. Early diagnosis makes many vision conditions easier to treat.

Following exam guidelines and watching for symptoms helps support your child’s development.