What to Expect at Your Child’s First Eye Exam
The American Optometric Association (AOA) says 25 percent of all school-age children have vision problems. It is best to have your child see an eye doctor for an eye exam no later than age three and again before entering school, assuming the eye exam that took place as a newborn was fine.
Schedule your child’s appointment for a time when they are the most happy and alert. Your eye doctor will take a medical or case history, ask about your pregnancy and delivery, and obtain background information on your child. If you’re child doesn’t know the alphabet yet, that’s OK. An eye exam can still be performed using the following methods:
- LEA Symbols for young children are similar to regular eye tests using charts with letters, except that special symbols in these tests include an apple, house, square and circle.
- Retinoscopy is a test that involves shining a light into the eye to observe the reflection from the back of the eye.
- Random Dot Stereopsis makes use of special patterns of dots and 3-D glasses to measure how well your child's eyes work together as a team.
If you’d like to schedule your child’s eye exam, please contact Doctors for Visual Freedom in Chicago.
