EyE Exams for Kids
should your Child see an optometrist?
CH’S MANOR
TRIAR
MA
by Felicia Hodges
I
s your child having difficulty reading a book comprehensive as one done by an optometrist.
without holding it close to her face? If there is “They’re pretty good with catching near-sightedness
only an inch or two between Suzy’s nose and her but they have trouble catching convergence and depth
favorite magazine and she is sitting a little closer to the perception difficulties that corrective lenses and eye
television than she used to, it might be time for an eye exercises can help correct,” Dr. Collins says.
exam. Even if your child is not yet ready to begin
Because of the difficulties that can result when kindergarten and you suspect he is having visual
your child can’t see clearly (including delays in learning difficulties, make an appointment with an eye specialist
to read and depth perception difficulties), yearly eye anyway. Children can be tested using pictures of familiar
exams should be as much a part of your child’s routine objects or if they haven’t yet mastered the alphabet.
as pediatric checkups and dental visits. Unfortunately,
many parents wait until there is a problem before the
The Big Fake Out
first visit to the eye doctor is scheduled. Many experts—
When Michael Welty of Washingtonville began telling
like Dr. Paul Collins, an optometrist at Sterling Optical
his mother, Lisa, that his eyes hurt, she wasn’t sure if
in Newburgh—say that a visit to the optometrist
the eight-year-old was really having difficulty seeing or
should be scheduled when your child is about to begin
if just trying to fake it so he could get glasses.
school. The reason? Most of the time, children aren’t
“A friend of his and his cousin had just gotten new
even aware they are having vision problems.
glasses,” Lisa says. “So I wasn’t sure he was trying to
“They [can have] amazingly poor acuity and not
jump on the band wagon or not.” Over the next week
even know it,” Dr. Collins says. “They get so used to it
or so, she began to watch him for things like sitting too
over time.”
close to the television. But still she couldn’t tell. “He
Your child’s school may conduct eye screenings
started bringing his Game Boy closer to his face even
as well, although the exams are not nearly as
when he didn’t know I was watching so I figured it was
16 I Tri-County Woman July/August 2009
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