Here are commonly asked questions of eye doctors related to babies and their vision.

#1 How often should babies and children have their eyes checked?

All babies should have their first eye exam at 6 months of age, even if no visual problems are suspected.

During an eye exam, the eye doctor will check your baby’s visual development and for any visual problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, eye movement ability and eye alignment.

If no problems are detected, and your child’s eyes continue to be healthy, your optometrist will let you know when to schedule their next eye exam.

If you suspect your child has an eye condition, contact an eye doctor near you, who can diagnose and treat the condition.

SEE RELATED: Your Baby’s Vision Development

#2 What are the most common vision problems in babies and toddlers?

The most common vision problems in babies and toddlers are refractive errors (farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism), amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (eye turn), genetic eye diseases, congenital abnormalities, pediatric ptosis and nystagmus.

#3 How does an eye doctor test for a refractive error?

When testing for a refractive error the eye doctor may use lenses and light from a small hand-held instrument to assess how the eye responds to particular targets.

The doctor may also repeat this test after dilating the eyes to enlarge the pupil and stabilize the baby’s focusing.

Infants typically have some degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism not requiring correction.

Studies show that up to 50 percent of infants under 12 months have significant astigmatism, long-sightedness or lazy eyes.

#4 What can a baby see?

While babies have poor vision at birth, they can see faces at close range.

At about six weeks a baby’s eyes should be able to follow objects, and by four months the eyes should work together.

Over the first year or two, a baby’s vision develops rapidly. A two-year-old typically has  20/30 vision, nearly the same as an adult.

#5 As a parent, what can I do to help with my baby’s visual development?

There are many things a parent can do. The following are a few examples of age-appropriate activities that can help with an infant’s visual development.

From birth to 4 months

• Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby’s focus (about 8 to 12 inches from your baby)
• Use a dim lamp or nightlight in your baby’s room
• Alternate left and right sides with each feeding
• Talk to your baby as you walk around the room

From 5 to 8 months

• Give your baby plenty of time to play on the floor
• Hang a mobile or place various objects across the crib for the baby to grab, pull and kick
• Play patty cake and other games that involve moving the baby’s hands through the motions while saying the words aloud
• Provide soft blocks that they can hold with their hands

From 9 to 12 months

• Encourage crawling and creeping
• Play hide-and-seek games with toys or peek-a-boo to help the baby develop visual memory

As a baby’s eyes are constantly changing, it’s important to get their eyes checked to ensure they are reaching their visual milestones.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can assess your child’s eye health and diagnose any problems.

The post Vision Problems and Babies: Part 2 Q&A appeared first on Optometrists.org.

Many times, parents are hesitant to get their child contact lenses because they are concerned about their eye health and safety.

Below are commonly asked questions about children and contact lenses.

#1 When is a child ready for contact lenses?

Although even some babies are fitted with contact lenses, most optometrists feel that the best age to begin wearing contacts is between 10-12 years old.

There are two questions to consider before getting a child contact lenses:

1. Is my child showing signs of maturity and responsibility?
2. Does my child have good personal hygiene habits?

If the answer is yes to these two questions, then your child may be a great candidate for contact lenses.

A child’s motivation, as well as their maturity level, is a good indication of whether a child is ready to wear contact lenses. The willingness of a child to be responsible for contact lenses and the required hygiene regimen are just as important.

#2 What are the advantages of wearing contact lenses? 

Some of the benefits of  wearing contact lenses include:

• Clear vision without eyeglasses
• Enhanced feeling of ‘natural vision,’ especially if the child has a high prescription
• Increased self-esteem
• No risk of lost or damaged glasses
• Improved vision for sports:
  • Better peripheral vision
  • More stable vision
  • Reduced risk of eye injuries

Schedule an eye exam for contact lenses with an eye doctor near you who can help determine the best fit for your child.

SEE RELATED: Multifocal Contact Lenses for Children 

#3 What are the disadvantages of wearing contact lenses?

There are also some disadvantages of wearing contact lenses:

• Additional expenses
• Disinfecting and cleaning can be inconvenient
• There is a small risk of eye infections and scratches
• Lenses can fall out, get damaged, or lost during the day
• Higher frequency of visits to the eye doctor

#4 How can I prevent an eye infection from contact lenses?

By taking preventative measures, a child can minimize their risk of developing an infection by:

• Always washing hands with soap and water before inserting or removing contact lenses
• Replacing contact lenses as directed by your eye doctor
• Cleaning contact lenses and cases as directed by your doctor
• Keeping fingernails short and clean
• Attending all appointments with your eye doctor

#5 My child has astigmatism, are contact lenses an option?

Yes! Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is irregularly shaped, causing a refractive error and blurry vision.

Recently, many styles and brands of contact lenses, called toric lenses, have been designed for patients with astigmatism. These lenses are available as daily, biweekly, and monthly replacement options.

Multifocal contact lenses that contain lens powers for astigmatism and near vision problems are also available, as well as lenses designed for overnight wear. There are also special order toric lenses that can essentially correct any amount of astigmatism.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Children’s Eye Exams

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you to determine if your child is ready for contacts, and to ask  any questions you and your child may have.

The post Contact Lenses and Children: Part 2 Q&A appeared first on Optometrists.org.

Most baby’s eyes are assessed by a neonatologist within a few days after birth.

Undetected vision problems could affect your baby’s abilities to interact with the environment around them and result in learning or reading delays.

Studies show that up to half of all infants in their first 2 years have astigmatism and long-sightedness.

Here are some answers to questions related to babies and their vision.

#1 Does my baby need eye exams?

Yes, all babies should have their first eye exam at 6 months of age, even if no visual problems are suspected. The most common vision problems in babies and toddlers are farsightedness and astigmatism.

Up to 5% of all infants have amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye turn).

#2 What does my baby see?

When babies open their eyes, their vision is fixed at about 12 inches (30 cm). This allows them to see their mother’s face and learn to recognize the source of their food.

At about six weeks a baby’s eyes should be able to follow objects, at about 1-2 meters away and by four months the eyes should work together.

Over the first year or two, a baby’s vision develops rapidly. A two-year-old typically sees around 20/30 vision, nearly the same as an adult.

#3 How can I help my baby’s visual development?

There are many things a parent can do to help their baby’s vision develop. The following are a few examples of age-appropriate activities that can help with an infant’s visual development.

From birth to 4 months;

• Place soft toys within your baby’s focus (up to 12 inches)
• Use a dim lamp or nightlight in your baby’s room
• Feed from alternate left and right breasts
• Talk softly from 12-24 inches away

From 5 to 8 months;

• Encourage floor play and exploration
• Use crib mobile for the baby to grab, pull and kick
• Stimulate grabbing and touching soft objects

From 9 to 12 months;

• Encourage crawling and creeping
• Play hide-and-seek games with toys

As a baby’s eyes are constantly changing, it’s important to get their eyes checked at 6 months and again at 2-3 years of age.

If you notice anything unusual, such as an eye turn, it is important to see an optometrist with experience in babies.

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can discuss your baby’s visual development and ensure they are meeting their milestones.

The post Does my Baby have a Vision Problem? appeared first on Optometrists.org.

The first step in reading is reading fluency. Once a child has mastered that, they will start to be able to comprehend what it is they are reading.

Without comprehension, reading is a pointless and frustrating exercise. What most people don’t realize is that visual information is essential for reading comprehension.

If a child struggles with reading comprehension it could be due to an undiagnosed vision problem.

A traditional vision exam primarily measures visual acuity, or 20/20 eyesight, unusually it does not assess functional vision, so a child with ’20/20 sight’ could still have a visual problem.

Functional vision is how your entire visual system – the brain, the eyes, the visual pathways – works together to help you interact with your environment.

There are 17 visual skills that impact a child’s school performances.

The functional vision exam includes a comprehensive assessment of the visual skills including;

• Lazy eye
• Eye focusing
• Eye Tracking
• Binocular function
• Convergence
• Visual information processing

A functional eye exam is vital for all children with reading comprehension challenges.

If your child is not reading to their grade level, contact an eye doctor near you, who can diagnose and treat any visual problems.

SEE RELATED: 2021 Update: Reading Fluency

Vision and reading comprehension

There are in fact 17 visual skills that can impact a child’s school grades. Listed below are just 3 of the top functional vision problems related to reading comprehension:

1. Eye focusing (Accommodative insufficiency)

Accommodation is the eyes’ ability to focus. Tiny muscles inside your eyes contract or relax to change the shape of your eyes’ lenses and allow you to bring objects at different distances into focus.

When you focus on something close, the muscles contract, and when you focus on something in the distance, they relax. This can make reading difficult when trying to maintain focus on objects up close, such as a book.

2. Convergence insufficiency

Convergence insufficiency is a problem with keeping both eyes working together, especially when focusing on words on a page.

When the eyes don’t converge accurately, it can affect the ability to concentrate on simple near tasks. This can also result in headaches, double vision, and visual discomfort when performing near activities like reading.

3. Eye tracking (Irregular saccades)

Eye saccades is a visual skill that enables a person to make quick eye movements from one object to another, such as moving from word to word while reading. Irregular saccades make reading more challenging and difficult for a child to keep their place when reading.

Can vision therapy help?

Vision therapy is a fully personalized treatment program designed to improve and strengthen visual skills, and retrain a child’s visual system to interpret visual input with increased accuracy and ease.

Vision therapy is more than just simple eye exercises — it improves brain-eye communication, and the effective operating of a child’s visual system.

The goal of vision therapy is to boost attention, concentration, learning, and reading.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Vision and Learning Difficulties

Contact an eye doctor near you that specializes in vision therapy, this may just be what your child needs to significantly improve their reading comprehension.

The post 2021 Update: Reading Comprehension appeared first on Optometrists.org.

You may easily find answers to your questions below. If you still have questions, contact your nearest eye doctor experienced in children’s vision.

Over 2.5 billion children have vision problems, yet 80% of those are preventable.

A comprehensive eye exam will assess not only a child’s vision, but can also detect problems with their eye health and general health.

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you for a comprehensive eye exam to ensure your child has healthy vision and to check for eye diseases and other health problems.

SEE RELATED: Does your Child have a Learning Difficulty?

Here are some frequently asked questions related to pediatric eye health:

1. How regularly should children visit an eye doctor?

The American Optometric Association and the American Public Health Association recommend that children have their first eye exam at 6-12 months of age.

After their first eye exam your optometrist will let you know when their next exam is due. At a minimum, they should return for an eye exam every 1-2 years.

Once a child starts school, they should have  a comprehensive eye exam once a year, or as recommended by their eye doctor.

2. Is a school vision screening sufficient for my child?

No.

School vision screenings are insufficient since they are only intended to detect a few vision problems, such as myopia (nearsightedness).

A thorough eye exam, on the other hand, allows an eye doctor to evaluate a child’s vision and eye health, as well as visual skills like focusing and eye tracking. Since a child’s visual skills are important to their academic success, eye doctors suggest that children have a comprehensive eye exam before starting school and every year after that.

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you to have your child’s vision checked.

3. How does vision play a role when children are diagnosed as dyslexic or learning disabled?

Not every child who has been diagnosed with a learning disability and/or ADHD actually has one or both of these conditions.

Undiagnosed vision problems sometimes present with the same signs and symptoms as dyslexia and attention disorders.

Of course, children with dyslexia, ADHD, and other conditions can experience vision problems at the same time. When children’s vision issues are addressed, they also find it easier to learn.

It is estimated that 25% of school-aged children have an undiagnosed vision problem that could interfere with learning.

4. At what age can a child wear contact lenses?

There is no set age when a child may begin wearing contact lenses. In fact, 4 million children under the age of 18 in the United States wear contacts.

Contact lenses are particularly well suited for children after the age of 8 years.

Many children love wearing contacts especially for active or sports-loving children, and they are an excellent treatment choice for children with myopia.

They may be prescribed for children as young as six months old due to congenital cataracts or other infant eye disorders.

5. My child keeps breaking their glasses. Are there effective long-lasting glasses for children?

There is a wide selection of frames for children that are specifically built to be flexible and withstand a sufficient amount of mechanical stress.

Some children, on the other hand, can manage to break, bend, or damage their glasses, that is why having a spare pair of glasses is advised.

Early vision care can help your child reach their full learning potential.

LEARN MORE: Vision for School

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you to ensure your child’s vision remains clear and healthy.

The post Children’s Vision: FAQs appeared first on Optometrists.org.

How can optometrists help?

Visual processing describes the way the brain processes visual information – this includes all information from a child’s reading, computer, sports, facial cues and social interactions.

Visual processing difficulties affect many students diagnosed with reading and learning disabilities, dyslexia and ADD/ADHD.

What are VIP difficulties?

There are several different types of visual processing difficulties, each with its own symptoms. An individual can have more than one type of visual processing difficulty.

1. Visual discrimination

Visual discrimination is the ability to recognize similarities and differences between shapes, sizes, objects, colors and patterns.

2. Visual figure-ground

Figure-ground perception is the ability to filter visual information that isn’t immediately relevant  so that you can focus on the relevant visual information.

3. Form constancy 

Form constancy is a visual perceptual skill that allows you to understand that a form, shape or object stays the same even when it changes its size, position or is in a different environment.

4. Visual closure

Visual closure is a visual perceptual skill that allows you to know what an object is even when the object is only partially visible.

5. Visual memory

Visual memory is the ability to immediately recall what the eye has seen.

6. Visual sequential memory

Visual sequential memory is the ability to remember and recall a sequence of objects and/or events in the correct order.

7. Visual motor integration

Visual motor integration is the ability to interpret visual information and respond with a motor action.

Signs VIP difficulties?

The most common signs of VIP difficulties include:

• Slow reading speed
• Difficulties with spelling
• Confusing similar looking words
• Reading words backwards
• Writing letters or numbers backwards
• Reduced math skills
• Poor reading comprehension
• Messy handwriting
• Confusion of letters and numbers

How can vision therapy help?

A vision therapy treatment program can improve a child’s visual processing abilities through eye exercises that help retrain the eyes and brain to work together.

Schedule an eye exam with a vision therapy eye doctor near you who can diagnose and treat any vision problems your child may have.

The post What is Visual Information Processing? appeared first on Optometrists.org.

If a child has some kind of visual dysfunction, it can hinder their academic performance and affect their reading fluency.

Children who struggle with reading fluency are often intelligent and bright, but somehow they have difficulty reading.

If your child avoids reading or is not reading to their potential, contact an eye doctor near you, as they may have an undetected visual problem.

SEE RELATED: How Does Vision Therapy Boost Self Confidence?

What is reading fluency?

Reading fluency is the ability to read quickly, accurately, clearly and with expression. Children must be able to read fluently, whether aloud or quietly to themselves, in order to comprehend what they read. While reading aloud, the words should sound natural, with proper intonation.

Reading fluency is an essential classroom skill as it connects the child’s word recognition to their comprehension. 

Reading fluency gives students the opportunity to concentrate on the meaning of text and to draw correlations between what they are reading and their own prior knowledge. Reading fluency enables students to develop an accurate comprehension.

Non-fluent readers read slowly and sound choppy. They spend more time decoding, so they have less time and energy to understand what they are reading.  Oftentimes, they have to read the same passage many times in order to comprehend it.

Reading fluency and vision

Reading fluency is dependent on the strength of visual skills such as convergence, binocular vision, accommodation, visual fixation and saccades.

A deficiency in any of these crucial visual skills can lead to reading problems, which can have a negative effect on a child’s ability to learn.

Which visual skills are necessary for reading?

• Convergence – the ability of the eyes to retain a single image by turning inward, while at the same time focusing on a near object, such as a book or computer screen.
• Binocular fusion – the ability of the brain to create a single image using distinct visual information received from each eye.
• Accommodation – the ability of the eyes to switch focus between two distances while maintaining clear vision.
• Visual fixation – the ability of the eyes to accurately focus on a target image, such as a word on a page.
• Saccades – rapid eye movements across two or more focus points, such as when reading a sentence across a page or moving from one word to the next.

Could my child have a vision problem?

As children may not be able to verbally express themselves it can be difficult to identify a vision problem.

Common signs of a vision problem may include:

• Covering one eye
• Behavioral problems
• Frequent blinking
• Excessive fidgeting
• Limited attention span
• Tilting head to one side
• School avoidance
• Reading comprehension difficulties
• Reading below school grade level
• Reading avoidance

If your child shows signs of a visual impairment, it is important to visit an eye doctor near you for a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s vision and visual skills.

Can vision therapy help?

Vision is a learned skill that can be trained and strengthened.

If a vision problem is at the root of your child’s reading difficulty, a vision therapy program can improve your child’s reading grades.

A vision therapy program may help to improve your child’s visual skills and provide them with the necessary tools to succeed in learning and reading.

Each vision therapy program is created to the needs of the individual child, and may include prisms, filters, specialized lenses and eye exercises to help retrain the brain-eye connection and improve visual skills.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Vision and Learning Difficulties

If you think a vision problem may be affecting your child’s reading success, schedule an evaluation with a vision therapy eye doctor who can help strengthen their visual skills to improve reading fluency.

The post What is Reading Fluency? appeared first on Optometrists.org.

When a child incorrectly perceives the information their eyes are relaying to their brain, their body will react with an inappropriate motor response.

Visual motor integration is crucial for activities that require the body to respond to visual information, such as eye-hand coordination and playing sports. 

Schedule an evaluation with a vision therapy eye doctor who can help improve any visual problems your child may have.

SEE RELATED: Visual Form Constancy

What is visual motor integration?

The ability to interpret visual information and respond with a motor action is visual motor integration. For example, you see a ball and you respond by moving your hands to catch the ball.

Visual motor integration is essential for the development of their fine motor and gross motor skills.

Signs of poor visual motor integration

Your child might have trouble with visual motor integration if they exhibit some of the following visual processing symptoms:

• Difficulty staying within the lines when coloring
• Difficulty catching or kicking a ball
• Trouble fastening buttons or tying shoelaces
• Difficulty copying from the board
• Poor handwriting
• Trouble in geometry and lining up math problems

If you suspect a problem in your child’s vision, contact an eye doctor near you, to have your child’s vision evaluated.

How vision therapy can help

Vision therapy can improve visual motor integration skills through eye exercises that help retrain the eyes and brain to work together.

These exercises will help them improve their fine motor and gross motor skills to improve their body coordination and enhance their enjoyment of participating in sports.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Vision and Learning Difficulties

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can diagnose and treat any vision problems your child may have.

The post Visual Motor Integration appeared first on Optometrists.org.

The ability to remember the objects in a certain order is crucial to learning how to read, write, develop comprehension and succeed in math.

Schedule an evaluation with a vision therapy eye doctor who can help improve any visual problems your child may have.

SEE RELATED: Visual Closure

What is visual sequential memory?

Visual sequential memory is the ability to remember and recall a sequence of objects and/or events in the correct order.

For example, a child with poor visual sequential memory may  read the word ‘felt’ as ‘left’ or ‘cat’ as ‘act.’

Signs of poor visual sequential memory

Your child might have trouble with visual sequential memory if they exhibit the following visual processing symptoms:

• Reading or comprehension difficulties
• Difficulty remembering forms (including shapes, orientation, sizes, and colors) or characters in the correct order
• Often whispers or talks aloud as they write
• Trouble spelling – misses, adds or jumbles letters within words
• Trouble recognizing and remembering patterns

If you suspect a problem in your child’s vision contact an eye doctor near you, to have your child’s vision evaluated.

How vision therapy can help

Vision therapy can improve visual sequential memory skills through eye exercises that help develop the child’s visual information processing skills.

These exercises will not only improve a child’s sequential memory issue, but help them improve their reading, comprehension and spelling skills so that their academic performance improves.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Vision and Learning Difficulties

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can diagnose and treat any vision problems your child may have.

The post Visual Sequential Memory appeared first on Optometrists.org.

Does your child still reverse letters, numbers or words? It could be a visual form constancy problem.

Form constancy is necessary to understand that letters, words and numbers remain the same whether in a book, newspaper, a sign or in a different font or text.

Children who have problems with form constancy may frequently reverse letters and/or numbers, causing reading or math difficulties.

What is visual information processing?

Visual information processing (VIP), also known as the visual perceptual skills, are the skills necessary for processing visual information, such as when reading, using a computer, playing sports, understanding facial cues, and more.

Difficulties with VIP are often found among students reading and learning disabilities, dyslexia and ADHD.

What is visual form constancy?

Visual form constancy is a specific visual perceptual skill that allows a child to understand that a shape, form or object stays the same even when it changes its position, size, or is in a different environment.

For example, when you see the letter ‘A,’ it’s always the letter ‘A’ whether in a word, bigger text or different font.

Schedule an evaluation with a vision therapy eye doctor who can help improve any visual problems your child may have.

SEE RELATED: Visual Sequential Memory

Signs of poor visual form constancy

Your child might have trouble with visual form constancy if they exhibit the following visual processing symptoms:

• Reading or math difficulties
• Struggles to find missing items quickly
• Struggles to recognize objects when placed in a new location
• Struggles to always recognize familiar objects or places in photographs
• Has trouble using building blocks or putting together a puzzle based on a picture
• Has trouble judging heights and distances
• Has trouble reading unusual fonts

If you suspect a problem in your child’s vision, contact an eye doctor near you to have your child’s vision evaluated.

How vision therapy can help

Vision therapy can improve visual form constancy skills through eye exercises that help retrain the eyes and brain to work together.

These exercises will help your child to more effectively remember words and improve spelling and number recognition.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Vision and Learning Difficulties

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can diagnose and treat any vision problems your child may have.

The post Visual Form Constancy appeared first on Optometrists.org.