We can give your child an eye exam. For children, the ability to see is incredibly important for development and something that cannot be taken for granted. Every day that a child is in school, information is written on the blackboard, whiteboard or SmartBoard. If a child's vision not clear enough, they will not be able to see what the teacher is doing and learning will become far more difficult. Imagine learning how to do a new type of math problem without being able to see a teacher work it out. It would be incredibly difficult. Unfortunately, a lot of children have problems that go undiagnosed and so they spend time in class, unable to see and struggling to learn. We have watched as the same children are given a proper pair glasses and are delighted how clearly they can see the world around them. Because of this, we recommend that parents bring their children in for a regular exam to make sure that their vision is as clear as it can be. Relying on the child to complain is not wise because most children don't. Instead, let us determine if they need glasses and when.
We make an eye exam fun
With children, we typically do not dilate the eyes. This means that the actual examination is easy, comfortable and there is nothing that will make your child have a negative experience. In fact, we make it fun to get an eye exam. When checking for color blindness, for example, we can easily talk about their favorite colors and turn it into a game. Even young children end up thinking that getting an exam is pretty cool. This is because our friendly staff enjoys working with children and making them feel right at home. Plus, as a parent, you can be in the room the entire time so the child is never alone.
There are many options when it comes to wearing glasses
If a child does have a vision problem and needs to wear glasses, we have such a wide variety to choose from. Many of our young patients think that it's really fun to get to pick their favorite color frames. We even have glasses with materials that are nimble and bendable so that children are less likely to break their frames. We also carry sports glasses and designer glasses, so truly there is a solution for everyone. Even children that get standard plastic frames can sometimes think it's a lot of fun to pick them out independently. It gives them a sense of empowerment and makes them excited to wear their glasses, which is the ultimate goal.
Contacts are also a possibility
We do not recommend contacts for young children but, in late elementary, some children are responsible enough to wear them. Depending on the child's age and how responsible they are, it may be possible for them to wear contacts instead of glasses. We can discuss all these options after the eye exam is complete. If this is something a parent is interested in, we can then discuss the type of contacts that are available. For example, disposable ones may be a good solution for parents who are concerned the child will not remember to clean them properly.
Schedule regular appointments
Typically, we recommend having an eye exam every two years. vision typically does not change drastically in a shorter period of time. This gives us the opportunity to make sure that a child's vision has not changed. However, it is still possible that a child's vision may deteriorate more rapidly and in this case, we need to see them more frequently. Once a child has begun wearing glasses, continue to follow-up and ask if they are still seeing clearly. If they are not, bring them in for another exam. Then, we can update their prescriptions and get them a new pair of glasses or contacts.
