Vision develops rapidly after birth. Any undetected vision problem can have a significant impact on infant and childhood development. The earlier a problem is detected and treated, the less likely it is that other areas of development will be affected.
It is recommended that infants have their first vision examination at six months of age. This initial assessment can detect any eye or visual abnormalities which were present at birth or which might develop shortly thereafter. Even if no problems are found, a second examination should be conducted at age three, and a third prior to entering school at age five or six.
A vision examination is a very important step in preparing children for that first day of school. During the school years, good vision is essential to the ability to read and to learn. Any vision problems need to be detected and treated before they lead to a learning and/or behavior problem.
If the pre-school or kindergarten offers a free vision screening, be aware that the screening might be incomplete. Many free school vision screenings do not test important visual skills, including eye teaming (binocular vision). Children need a comprehensive pre-school vision examination.
Once in school, children should have a professional vision examination at least once every two years. Children considered at risk for the development of eye and vision problems may need more frequent re-evaluation.
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