Most pediatricians and schools offer vision screenings, but these are not the same thing as a comprehensive eye exam. Use the guide below to find out when to schedule your child’s next appointment with a Wyomissing Optometric Center specialist.

Infants ages 6-12 months:

Wyomissing Optometric Center participates in the InfantSEE program. This public health benefit provides complimentary eye exams for all infants to make sure your baby’s eyes are healthy and to make eye and vision care an essential part of their wellness care to improve their quality of life. Complimentary exams are available to all infants regardless of family income.

Preschool Children:

Children in this age group may not realize or be able to communicate about vision problems they are experiencing. Our pediatric optometrists understand this and have equipment and techniques that help examine their eyes and vision without relying on verbal responses. Because 80% of learning occurs through the visual system, and even children with 20/20 (“perfect”) vision may have difficulty with eye teaming, tracking, or focusing that can impede their learning, it’s important for young children to receive a comprehensive eye exam as early as possible in their educational years.

Elementary, Middle School, and High School Students:

Pediatricians and school nurses both conduct vision screenings to look for red flags of possible vision problems. Although these screenings vary, most will measure your child’s ability to see clearly at near and far distances. Less common elements of a vision screening include depth perception screening, color vision screening, or a plus lens test for far sightedness.

By contract, a pediatric eye examination by an optometrist in one of our three offices begins with a comprehensive assessment of visual acuity, eye alignment, assessment of eye movement, and refractive status (need for an eyeglass prescription).

Beyond assessing a need for glasses, our pediatric optometrists also assess focusing and eye teaming skills needed for reading and schoolwork. Because some vision problems share symptoms with ADHD, a comprehensive eye exam with a pediatric optometrist can help make sure that your child is receiving the most appropriate support to succeed in school at any age.

What Happens During A Pediatric Eye Exam?

Our eye doctors perform a thorough eye health examination (usually with dilating drops) to diagnose diseases such as allergy, dry eye, holes/tears/detachment of the retina, optic nerve abnormalities or other eye or conditions or systemic health conditions that manifest in the eyes.

Many of these problems can go undetected unless a dilated eye exam is performed by an eye care professional. Following the examination, our pediatric eye doctor will discuss his or her specific findings and any conditions for which the child may be at risk. This allows for a more proactive, preventative approach to eye health, rather than waiting for the child to develop a significant problem and “fail” the school or pediatrician screening.