Children’s Vision

The importance of identifying vision disorders in children is a top priority in our office. A child should receive his/her first comprehensive exam around the age of 4. Curative rates are much higher when problems are discovered at an early age. Amblyopia (also called "lazy eye") affects approximately 2% of children and is the leading cause of vision loss in this population. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment will often yield an excellent outcome. In addition to amblyopia, we also test for muscle imbalances, binocular disorders, accommodative (or focusing) disorders and refractive errors.

The exam itself is different from an adult's exam. Many times there is more of an emphasis on objective tests than subjective tests. Initially, our trained assistant will perform a visual screening using pieces of equipment that are actually fun for the child. This "visual profile" helps the doctor target the exam toward specific areas that may need further attention. The instillation of "drops" may or may not be performed on the first encounter. Just getting your child comfortable in the office surroundings initially is very important. If a second visit is necessary to instill these "drops", the child is usually much calmer and the results more accurate and reliable. A case summation is given to the parent at the end of the testing as well as the suggested treatment plan.

With the sophisticated state of the art computerized equipment of today and 10 years plus of experience. We provide comprehensive eyecare your child needs. If a referral to another pediatric vision specialist is needed, we will assist you.

We are also proud to offer contact lenses for children that can be put in before bed and will correct the vision while sleeping. Upon awakening, and removing the lenses, great vision throughout the day will be achieved without glasses or contacts. CORNEAL REFRACTIVE THERAPY, or CRT®
, can reduce near-sightedness(myopia)by using the same principles used in refractive surgery. CRT is FDA approved ,very safe, and unlike surgery is completely reversible. CRT HAS BEEN FOUND TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE MYOPIC (NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS)PROGRESSION IN CHILDREN. For more information please go to www.paragonCRT.com.

Vision Exams for Children

The American Optometric Association recommends that pre-school children receive a complete vision exam at the ages of six months, three years and five years. It is particularly important that a child have a complete evaluation in the summer prior to entry into Kindergarten. While in school, yearly evaluations are recommended.