The larger the second number, the tougher it is for your child to see without being up close.Ĭhildren who are farsighted (hyperopic) can see distant objects better than near ones.If they are 20/30, for example, they can identify an object starting at 20 feet away that the average person could see from 30 feet.“Perfect” vision is measured as 20/20, meaning your child can clearly identify an object 20 feet away.If your child is nearsighted, we will tell you how much of their vision is compromised: If we suspect something more serious, such as pediatric cataracts, uveitis, or an ocular tumor, we can perform specific tests to pinpoint a diagnosis. After the exam, your child’s eyes will be light-sensitive for a few hours – we’ll send them home in a fun pair of sunglasses to protect their eyes.įor most conditions, these exams are enough to make a diagnosis. The drops don’t hurt but putting them in might feel a little awkward. Without the drops, the pupils close instinctively and block our view. We will also dilate the child’s eyes, which is when we temporarily make their pupils bigger with special drops and shine lights (retinoscope and ophthalmoscope) into the eyes to examine inside the eye. In young and nonverbal children, we may watch them track an object with their eyes to see whether the eyes work together as expected. For most kids, getting glasses opens more doors than it closes – it’s tough to catch a football or get good grades when you can’t see well!įirst, we will check your child’s vision one eye at a time using charts that list letters, pictures, or shapes. About 1 in 4 children ages 2-17 wear glasses or contacts – and there is much less stigma associated with it than there was just 10 years ago. Spotting and treating a child’s vision problem early is the best way to protect their vision long term. Uveitis, an inflammatory state that can cause vision loss.Retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer.Pediatric ophthalmologists have advanced training to diagnose and treat all eye conditions in children, from myopia to more complex disorders such as: If your child fails, they should see a pediatric ophthalmologist – rather than an optometrist – to find out what’s causing their vision problem. Most school-based programs don’t have the technology to show why a child fails their vision screening. If they don’t pass, it just means they might need help, often in the form of glasses.

If a child passes the screening, it means their vision is appropriate for their age. This device allows us to determine if each eye is seeing and functioning properly. Nonverbal or pre-verbal children or those who struggle to follow instructions might get photo-screening, which checks special light reflexes in a child’s eye. School-based screenings typically use a standard vision chart, where your child will be asked to read lines of progressively smaller letters. In 2019, the American Academy of Ophthalmology formed a task force on myopia because of the global increase in cases – which is expected to more than triple by 2050. Today’s youth face a higher risk of nearsightedness (myopia) due to an increase in near work, such as reading from laptops and smartphones instead of the blackboard. Seeing clearly (or not) can have a real impact on a child’s ability to learn, which is why Texas requires vision screening at school starting at preschool and kindergarten.

Kindergarten color blind test for kids