Vision screenings and exams should be a routine part of the health care a child receives.

Vision screenings

Vision screenings are a general check for eye or vision problems. Pediatricians, school nurses or others with specialized training may do screenings.

A screening can tell whether there might be an eye or vision problem. A screening can not tell for sure whether a problem exists. If a child does not pass a screening, he should have an eye exam.

Screenings Begin at Birth

When a baby is first born, he or she should be checked to see if they are healthy.

Vision screenings can be done for children as young as 3 months old.

It is recommended that a very basic eye exam be done on children beginning at 6 months of age. They should be done each year since vision problems can occur as children grow.

School Screenings

School screenings may find only 20 to 30 percent of vision problems in children.

If your child passes an eye screening, but you still think your child has an eye or vision problem, your child should have an eye exam by an eye doctor.

Vision Exams

No infant or child is too young for an eye exam by an eye doctor. Vision exams may take up to an hour to complete. An exam should check to see how clearly a child sees and how well the child is able to use his or her eyes.

• What an exam checks for:
• Signs of eye disease
• The ability to see clearly at a distance and close-up
• The ability of the eyes to focus when looking from near to far and from far to near
• The ability of the eyes to work together to focus on things such as pictures and words
• The ability of the eyes to move smoothly without any jerking movements
• The ability to detect depth and color perception
• Developmental vision exam

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