Some children are born with vision problems, while others develop them later in childhood. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to know if your child's eyes are functioning properly. It can be especially challenging to detect vision issues when children are young and can't communicate that they're having problems seeing.
As pediatric eye specialists, our team at ABC Children’s Eye Specialists can help take the guesswork out of whether your child needs glasses or not. We recommend scheduling routine eye exams for your child when they're 6-12 months of age, 3-5 years of age, and then annually once they start first grade. By making eye exams a routine part of your child's medical care, we can help detect vision issues early and correct any problems as quickly as possible.
If you see any of the following signs that your child may need glasses, come see us at our locations in Phoenix or Mesa, Arizona.
When a child has difficulty seeing, they often squint, tilt their head, or cover one eye to try to improve their focus. These actions can reveal a variety of vision issues, including refractive errors — which impact focus — and amblyopia, a common disorder associated with eye alignment.
If you see your child sitting closer to the television than necessary or holding books or handheld devices close to their eyes, they might be nearsighted. By bringing these objects close to their eyes, it can show that your child is trying to make images or words larger and clearer.
Excessive eye rubbing can indicate a variety of eye issues, from allergic conjunctivitis to vision problems. When your child rubs their eyes because of vision issues, it’s usually because of eye strain or fatigue.
If you have a child who routinely complains of headaches or eye pain, it can be a telltale sign of eyestrain. That’s because their eyes have to work hard to focus on the blurred objects in front of them.
When school-age children have vision problems, they often display a variety of symptoms, such as:
Sometimes, children with undetected vision issues also get described as highly distractible or hyperactive. In fact, it’s common for children with untreated vision problems to get labeled with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even though they may simply need glasses.
If you think your child needs glasses, we can help. Call us at ABC Children’s Eye Specialists today.
