Comprehensive Children's Eye Exams in San Ramon

Get Help Preserving Your Child’s Gift of Sight

Being a parent is a full-time job. But when your child starts to develop an eye or vision problem, we’re here to help.

One of the most important ways you can provide for your child is by taking them for regular eye exams. Eye exams are essential for managing your child’s eye development, and our tools and resources can help ensure they are finding the eye care they need as they grow up.

When was your child’s last eye exam? Book their next appointment with our team today!

The Importance of Children’s Eye Exams

Your child’s eyes develop as they grow older, but detecting an eye issue can be difficult to do on your own. In fact, many eye conditions develop symptoms that only a doctor can detect.

We recommend following this exam schedule to ensure your child gets the care they need. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s vision, be sure to contact us! We’ll be happy to help.

Infant (Birth to 2 Years)

Your child’s vision is limited at birth. They may struggle with light sensitivity and central vision, but this is all a normal part of their development.

Over the next couple of months, they’ll develop focusing and tracking skills. It might seem like their eyes are crossed or wandering during this time, but this is common and usually not a cause for concern.

Your child should have their first eye exam at around 6 months. At this point, they start developing visual skills that help them interact and navigate the world around them. During this exam, we’ll look for signs of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and any other issue that could develop.

Depending on your child’s eye development, we may recommend another eye exam between the ages of 1 and 2.

Pre-School (3 to 5 Years)

Now that your child has had some time to use their vision, we recommend they receive their next exam when they’re between 3 and 5 years old. Certain eye conditions like lazy eye (amblyopia), crossed-eyes (strabismus), and nearsightedness (myopia) can develop around this age, but eye exams can diagnose these issues.

Early diagnosis of these problems can help our team create a management plan that could preserve your child’s vision and eye health.

School-Age (6 to 18 Years)

Your child should have at least one more eye exam before starting school and then annual exams after that. Children depend on their vision when they’re at school, and undiagnosed eye problems can lead to poor performance, headaches, or consistent eye strain.

Eye exams can help prepare your child for learning and playing. With good vision, they can lead their lives with comfort and confidence.

What Happens During Your Child’s Eye Exam?

Eye exams can seem stressful or even scary to some of our younger patients, but we’re here to make sure your child is comfortable.

After checking in at our reception, our doctor will greet you and your child before escorting you to one of our state-of-the-art exam rooms. From here, we’ll get started with our exam process:

Pre-Examination

At the very start of the exam, we’ll have a conversation with you and your child regarding their health and family health history. This information helps us determine if your child has any health risks that could affect their vision, and we’ll orientate the exam to address these issues.

Once we’ve ensured your child’s medical history is accurate and up-to-date, we’ll answer any questions you have before proceeding with the exam.

We encourage both you and your child to ask questions or voice any concerns you have. The more information you provide, the better we can ensure your child is getting the highest quality care.

Visual Acuity Testing

Visual acuity testing helps determine the strength and sharpness of your child’s vision without glasses or contacts. We can test this in many ways, but some of the most tried and true methods use a lens-comparison device called a phoropter and a classic Snellen eye chart.

Once we determine your child’s lens prescription, we’ll perform an eye health screening.

Eye Health Screening

Eye health screenings aren’t just important for determining your child’s eye health, but their overall health and wellbeing as well!

We use advanced non-invasive technology to check your child’s eye health, including tools like optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Optomap retinal imaging. These tools allow us to diagnose early signs of glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes, and more.

Findings, Recommendations, & Fittings

After the exam, we’ll provide you and your child with our findings and recommendations. Depending on your child’s results, we could prescribe lenses, medication, or visual exercises to help your child achieve the best possible vision and eye comfort.

If your child is prescribed glasses, we will walk you both through our large selection of frames. We’ll fit your child’s new glasses so they’re comfortable and secure, and provide you both with information on maintaining and protecting them.

How to Tell if Your
Child Has an Eye Problem

It’s difficult to know if your child is struggling with a vision problem. In many cases, your child might not be able to tell if their vision isn’t working correctly, or they may not know how to word it.

There are a couple of different signs you can look for if you think your child has a vision issue. These include: