Children’s Vision Exam

Imagine being a child who has difficulty seeing a chalkboard, reading a book, writing, participating in sports, or any other normal childhood activity. Going through life with a vision problem can be very frustrating, especially if no one knows about it. Quite often, children have vision problems of which they themselves are not even aware; they only know that they are “not good at” certain tasks, like reading, writing, or sports. For many of these children, the solution to these challenges is often as simple as a comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor.

An estimated 10 to 15% of school-aged children in the United States suffer from undetected vision impairment, according to the American Foundation for Vision Awareness statistics. Most pre-school and school vision screenings are designed to detect only the most obvious vision problems, so many childhood vision ailments go undiagnosed. A child with vision problems may squint, complain of headaches, or may not complain at all. The child may simply avoid tasks that are visually challenging. Too often, children with vision-related learning problems are misidentified as having social or behavioral problems, or even learning disorders.

80% of all learning during a child’s first twelve years of life is obtained through vision. Because vision problems discovered in school-aged children are almost always present from infancy, it is important to have your child’s eyes examined before two years of age. Ideally, a screening examination should be done by the age of six months. When vision problems are detected very early in childhood, appropriate therapy can be implemented immediately and learning problems due to poor vision can be avoided. In fact, early detection and treatment of certain eye problems can prevent a lifetime of vision impairment.

When your child’s eyes are examined by one of the eye care professionals at Milwaukee Eye Care Associates, a complete vision and eye health examination will be performed. The need for eyeglasses will be evaluated and your child’s depth perception and ability to coordinate the efforts of the two eyes will be assessed. Your child’s eyes will be dilated and examined thoroughly for the presence of any ocular disease.

Every Milwaukee Eye Care Associates location has an optical department staffed with opticians who are knowledgeable about the special needs of children. We offer a wide variety of children’s frames, specialty lenses, and even carry prescription-ready sports goggles. We also offer complete contact lens services if contact lens wear is desired and is appropriate for your child.

To schedule an appointment for your child call 414-271-2020.