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Since vision problems are usually easy to detect and correct when discovered early in life it is important for parents to bring children in for a complete eye examination at least by age four or five. |
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If there is a family history of eye problems or parents suspect something is not right with their children's eyes, they should have the child examined by the age of one. All children should have a comprehensive eye examination prior to starting school. An eye examination on an infant is done using objective testing (testing that does not rely on a response from the child) and the refractive error, eye coordination, and eye health can be checked as early as six months of age. For older children, most of the testing is also objective, along with some tests which also allow the child to tell Dr. Kossol about their vision. These tests are often done in the form of games, and either with pictures or letters of the alphabet depending on the age of the child.
Sometimes eye drops are necessary to achieve more accurate results, and these eye drops do not have any adverse side effects except temporary loss of focus on near objects and temporary light sensitivity outside.
It is important to remember that 70-80% of learning is dependent on vision. Children are often labeled or considered underachievers if they have difficulty in school, when it is often the result of an uncorrected vision problem. If your child avoids reading, holds the book too close, squints, rubs the eyes, complains of headaches while reading, or has watery or tired eyes, the child should have an eye examination.
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on catering to the specfic needs of all children. Dr. Kossol and the optical
staff are great with kids!