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Although it is normal for pediatricians to perform a brief vision test during your child’s annual physical, it is important to note that these scans do not replace a comprehensive evaluation by an eye doctor.
To evaluate your child’s ocular health and visual skills, eye doctors use specialized clinical and diagnostic instruments and tests. Since certain learning abilities, such as binocular vision, precise eye movements, and the ability to see distant objects, are reliant on the strength of visual skills, doctors suggest that children get their first eye exam even before they start school. These doctors can also detect emerging eye conditions that may require the expertise of eye surgeons.
Many schools administer children eye test to detect any vision issues that can impair a student’s ability to learn. Even if your child has completed a school vision screening, a thorough eye exam is also highly recommended. Children’s vision scans do not detect any of the vision disorders that can affect them.
When Should You Pay the First Visit Along With Your Child to an Eye Specialist?
Children eye test should be done at the age of six months to ensure that their eyes are progressing normally. Doctors suggest that you take your child for a second eye test when he is three years old, and then again when he starts first grade.
What Can You Expect On the Visit to the Eye Clinic?
Prepare to answer questions about your child’s birth history (including any complications during pregnancy or delivery), birth weight, and whether they were born full-term when you consult with their eye doctor for the first time. Your doctor will also inquire about your family’s ocular condition background as well as your child’s medical history, including past eye disorders, procedures or operations, current drugs, and any allergies they might have. It’s also necessary to note whether your child missed a child’s eye test at school or with their pediatrician.
How to Choose the Right Eye Care Doctor for Your Child?
There are a variety of eye care providers who can meet your needs, whether you’ve found a particular issue with your child’s vision or have been recommended by your child’s pediatrician for a general children eye test.
But how do you know which doctor to take your child to for his or her appointment? What’s the difference between a doctor of optometry and a doctor of ophthalmology? What about a doctor of orthopedics? Here’s some simple details to help you understand the various types of eye doctors and specialists your child might see.
Ophthalmologists (MD) are doctors and surgeons specializing in the eyes. They are responsible for the medical and surgical elements of eye care. When your child’s eyes are diagnosed with a problem, you’ll take them to an ophthalmologist. If required, ophthalmologists also conduct surgical procedures. They complete four years of medical school, then a three-year ophthalmology residency and, in most cases, an additional one or two years of advanced fellowship training.
Doctors of optometry, on the other hand, are known as optometrists (OD). They have regular eye health services as well as vision tests. They can be compared to the primary care physician for the eyes. Children with otherwise safe eyes can be prescribed glasses or contact lenses. To improve eye protection, an optometrist may also prescribe eye drops and other drugs. Optometrists have completed a four-year doctoral programmer.
Orthoptists (CO) are eye doctors who specialize in treating vision, alignment, and movement disorders. Ophthalmologists and orthoptists collaborate to assess your child and formulate treatment plans. Orthoptists must have a bachelor’s degree, two years of orthoptic fellowship training, and American Orthoptic Council certification (AOC).
Final Verdict
Children eye test doctors are certified professionals who can provide your child with proper eye care.
