If your child shows signs of visual problems, such as difficulty reading, headaches, and eyestrain, or visual inattention and distractibility, you may be referred to a behavioral optometrist (also called a developmental optometrist). This is different from an optician who works in an eyeglass store or an ophthalmologist who specializes in eye disease. A behavioral optometrist not only checks for eye health and visual acuity but also how your child is using his eyes to process visual information. If there is an actual visual problem, the behavioral optometrist may recommend vision therapy, special therapeutic activities, or corrective lenses. How often your child may need to visit the optometrist depends on his needs. Some children go regularly for in-office vision therapy, while others are given eye exercises to do at home which are followed up with an office visit every so often.

Consider going to a behavioral optometrist even if no one offers you, because an undiagnosed vision problem is a major obstacle for any child. The American Optometric Association recommends vision exams at six months old, three years, before entering first grade, and then annually. Don’t rely on a quick vision screening at school or the pediatricians. Such a screening often just considers visual acuity from one distance (such as reading from a nearby chart of letters), and doesn’t identify the child who, for example, can’t read from the blackboard or follow a moving object. Instead, get a full vision evaluation.

Book title: Raising A Sensory Smart Child

Author: Lindsey Biel, Nancy Peske

Page 180 – 181

(We) at SunTime Vision Specialist (Neuro-developmental Optometry and Vision Therapy Services) are eager to help patients develop their vision to see the world at its best. If you, or someone you love, is experiencing less than adequate vision, please contact us at 03- 2110 3967, or [email protected]