Pediatric Optometry

When Should My Child's First Eye Exam Be?

Did you know that you should be scheduling your child's eye exam as early as 6 months of age? Many have been told to book before starting school the first time, or have been told by their optometrist that they don't see children under six, but in fact the American Optometric Association recommends the FIRST vision exam to be between 6-12 months of age. Not only that, but at High5 we are InfantSEE partners which means there is no cost for that first visit. And not only are we accepting children under the age of six, our doctors are specialists in pediatric vision and developmental optometry. Plus, kids make our day so FUN!

As developmental optometrists, we remind parents that children aren't born with a visual system that is fully developed, it is a LEARNED skill. Think about your child learning to crawl and walk, these are developmental milestones that are learned. Well, in much the same way, skills such as eye focusing, accurate eye movements and using both eyes together are such skills. Our early exams will help us determine if your child is able to process visual information in a way that helps them understand and interact with the world around them.

Once we've had that initial exam and seen a healthy visual system developing, we'll recommend their next exam at around age 3, then 5 or 6 before kindergarten, and then annually after that. Or, if there are concerns about development roadblocks hampering your childs vision, we will recommend a vision therapy program tailor made for infants. By establishing this care early, we get a headstart on potential difficulties in learning and reading by the time they've started school.

High5 Vision's Services for Pediatrics Include:

InfantSEE Exams

InfantSEE is a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve their quality of life. Managed by Optometry Cares - The AOA Foundation, High5 Vision is a participating provider, providing no-cost comprehensive eye and vision assessments for infants 6-12 months old regardless of income or insurance coverage.

Pediatric Neuro-Visual Exams

Aside from the typical comprehensive exam testing you are familiar with, we will perform tests that check:

Visual Behavior: We will look for issues in spatial behavior, ocular alignment, horizontal and vertical deviations and supression of one or both eyes
Stereo Testing: Did you know that some children are unable to see the world in 3-D? Our tests will check this ability
Binocular Vision: If you've been told your child has strabismus or amblyopia, this test is crucial for determining the levels of suppression or diplopia.
Accommodative Disorders: We'll test the eyes ability to focus their eyes individually and in coordination
Retained Primitive Reflexes: Reflexes that should naturally phase out during development can sometimes retain, leading to problems in coordination and balance.
Sensorimotor Skills: Testing how well your child receives information through the eyes/brain and then produces an appropriate motor response.

Myopia Management for Children

With electronic devices being accessed by children younger and younger each year, the shift to preserving precious eyesight has us offering these exams to patients as early as 3 years of age. Even the smallest decrease in myopia will lower the likelihood of developing myopic maculopathy, or loss of vision, by 40%

Vision Therapy for Toddlers and Children

Our vision therapy programs are tailored to issues discovered in our neuro-visual exams. Did we notice that your toddler has difficulty focusing their eyes in unison? Or have amblyopia (lazy eye)? Our ten week program will have our therapists work to train the brain on how to appropriately work with the visual system to correct itself. After the age of four, our programs can become much more in-depth and involved, ranging from 10-50 weeks depending on severity and desired goals.

Outcomes of Early Pediatric Vision Care

Behavior

As an adult, you know how frustrating it is when you are slowed down by poor vision. Imagine how that manifests in a child or toddler. By addressing roadblocks early, they are less likely to become frustrated or agitated. Similarly, a child that struggles to read letters from the chalkboard is going to sit in their chair and fidget or become distracted which will lead to problems with their teachers and peers.

School Performance

80% of what a child learns in school is information that is presented visually. 80! Glasses and contacts can help blurry vision and eye strain, but what about everything else? What about the child who loses their place while reading? Has poor reading comprehension? Confuses similar words? Reverses words and letters? Has a short attention span? At High5, we focus on everything that happens beyond 20/20 vision.

Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

At High5, we focus on not just the academic skills we're building, but also the social ones. A child with amblyopia, unneccesarily thick lenses, or who is bed-wetting might feel embarrased. We see children who are teased because they have a lazy-eye, or have to be held back because they can't read. Our sports vision program is not only meant for athletes, but also the kids who never get picked to play basketball, baseball or other activities that require hand-eye coordination. Any one of those children can have 20/20 vision with or without corrective eywear, but will struggle with their self identity. Let us show you what part of the visual system needs to be retrained to help any one of th

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