Every Child Should Receive a Comprehensive Examination
We promote full eye examinations, because we believe strongly that a simple vision screening misses a lot of potential issues that are much more subtle to detect, and the earliest we can detect these problems, the better it is for the child long-term. Here’s some reasons why we feel a vision screening is not adequate.
- Vision Screenings typically only evaluate whether a child can see an eye chart from a distance or has an obvious eye health issue. Most vision screenings only address acuity.
- School Vision Evaluations are required by law for students entering school. The law requires testing for lazy eye, misalignment of the eyes, and internal and external eye health as well as acuity. These evaluations must be performed by an optometrist (OD), physician (MD), a physician assistant (PA), or an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).
- Vision Examinations are typically performed by eye doctors. They include a series of tests and observations that assess the health of the eye as well as a broad range of visual functions. These are the most comprehensive evaluations of a child’s visual capability for learning.