Children
All children should have a complete eye examination with an eye doctor before the age of two.
Children do not realize they are not seeing well and school screenings are not enough. They are designed to "catch" nearsighted children (for example, children who are having difficultly seeing the chalkboard) and are done far too late in a young child's development.
A child's safety, learning, behavior, comfort, and vision needs should be evaluated at a very early age to ensure the child develops properly. Do not wait for a school screening or accept a rough estimate of how well your child is seeing as part of a physical exam. All children should have a complete and thorough exam by an eye doctor prior to age 2 or sooner if you see an eye turning in or out.
Children who are farsighted (for example, a child who has trouble reading), anisometropic (a child who has a significant difference in prescription between the eyes), and those with muscle problems (for example, an eye that turns in or drifts out) will not be detected as having a problem in a school screening. Their learning, safety, comfort, and long-term vision health necessitates a complete eye examination.
If parents observe an eye drifting, crossing, turning, or if there is a family history of any of these abnormalities, the child should be seen as soon as possible, even prior to age 2. Dr. Irons examines infants.
During your child's eye examination, Dr. Irons will be evaluating a child's overall eye health and vision including, but not limited to, the following:
- Muscle coordination
- Vision close and at a distance
- Accommodation (ability to focus eyes)
- Visual field-confrontation
- Glaucoma-if possible
- Depth perception
- Color vision
- Internal eye health
- External eye health
- Refractive errors (for example, whether your child is nearsighted, farsighted, or has astigmatism)
Dr. Irons has a wide selection of children's frames and most frames have spring hinges and lenses that are safe and made with a lightweight, Polycarbonate material.