At What Ages Do Kids Need to Have Their First Eyes Exam?
The American Optometric Association (AOA), suggest that babies should have their very first extensive eye examination 6 months after they are born. These kids then ought to get an eye examinations at 3 years old, as well as just prior to beginning kindergarten or before they start the first grade at about 6 years old.
For children that are in grade school, the AOA advises a vision and eye examination once every other year, assuming no vision correction is needed. For kids that have been prescribed glasses or even contact lenses, they need to be examined every year or on their optometrist‘s advice.
Finding ANY vision problem in your children is vital to their development. In order for children to excel in their school studies, kids have to have unimpaired basic visual skills :
- Near vision
- Distance vision
- Eye teaming (binocularity) skills
- Eye movement skills
- Focusing skills
- Peripheral awareness
- Eye/hand coordination
In school kids need good vision to read, see the blackboard, and make eye contact with their teachers and fellow students. Good eyesight is important for a school performance. As a result many states make an eye examination a requirement for all students when they start school.