Children's Eye Care

All children entering kindergarten in Illinois are required to have a complete eye examination before starting school.

We provide the required school vision exams at both of our locations. All of the Visibly Better Eye Care Doctors are parents and all work well with children. We provide vision testing for children aged 3 years old and above. If you have concerns about a younger child’s vision, please call us for a referral for a pediatric vision specialist.

The ever increasing demands of schoolwork can put too much stress on a child’s visual system, and sometimes problems can occur. Schoolwork requires children's eyes to focus on very close, small work for hours every day. This can sometimes cause vision problems to arise. Children don’t realize that their eyes are strained, and rarely report vision problems. Because their vision is "normal" to them, they think everyone sees the way they do.

School vision screenings provide a valuable service, but children can pass a school eye chart test and still have undetected vision problems which could be affecting their school work. The eye chart just checks a child’s sharpness of vision, but reading requires many other visual skills. It is important to keep tabs on your child to watch for increased rubbing of the eyes or headaches when preforming schoolwork or reading.

The eye chart test cannot tell if a child’s eyes are healthy, or if he can track a line of print without losing his place, focus his eyes comfortably, or use his two eyes together for long periods of time. School vision screenings are no substitute for a comprehensive eye examination by your family optometrist. The latest research shows that about 20% of school-aged children have undetected vision problems.

Children who may be struggling with an undetected vision problem often fail to progress well in school. So if your child is showing signs of struggling, the Optometrists may be a good first stop.  The following is a list of common symptoms that children with hidden vision problems can exhibit. This list is an excellent screening tool to evaluate if your child is at-risk for vision-based learning or attention problems.

Pediatric Vision Screening Test (pdf) / Online Screening Test

A score above 20 is a fail, and an exam with an optometrist is recommended. The first step in helping your child is correctly identifying the problem. Should your child score above 20 we will be happy to make an appointment for your child to be fully evaluated in one of our offices.

Now offering Myopia Management!

Make an appointment today to have your child’s vision properly evaluated.