Consult the Parent's Checklist below and look for early signs of vision impairments such as
amblyopia ("lazy eye"),
strabismus (esotropia, esophoria, exotropia, "wandering-eye", "crossed-eyes", wall eyes", alternating esotropia, intermittent exotropia, exophoria), double vision, poor visual coordination, convergence insufficiency, accommodation problems (i.e., accommodative esotropia) and more.
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained herein is intended to be educational and is not intended in any way as a substitute for medical advice and care from qualified vision care providers -- the reader is advised to consult a vision care professional in matters relating to visual health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention -- See the
Directory of Vision Care Providers.
If you check off several items on the following checklist, consider taking your child for a thorough vision examination that includes the testing of the following visual skills:
While reading or doing close work your child:
- holds the reading material or object too close
- closes one eye or covers eye with hand
- twists or tilts head toward book or object so as to favor one eye
- frequently loses place and/or skips or repeats lines
- fatigues easily and/or becomes drowsy
- uses finger to read
- rubs eyes during or after periods of reading
- reports that words move or run together
- has a tendency to knock things over on a desk or table
- exhibits avoidance behaviors
Your child frequently complains of:
- headaches or eyestrain
- nausea or dizziness
- motion sickness or car sickness
- DOUBLE VISION!
Say no more. If your child reports seeing double, please take your child for a binocular vision evaluation immediately. You are invited to request a free referral at the
Directory of Vision Care Providers.
Catch Visual Problems Early!
Early detection of visual problems greatly increases the chances of successful rehabilitation. Children should be examined by an eye doctor during infancy and preschool years to detect potential problems with binocular vision. This is particularly important if any member of the family has had ambylopia or strabismus. Testing of binocular teaming skills should be a part of every child's comprehensive eye examination.
A second opinion is warranted when your eye doctor:
- diagnoses ambylopia or strabismus, but offers only surgery and/or patching -- no mention is made of eye exercises or other supporting vision therapies
- recommends surgery only for cosmetic purposes (to make the eye appear straight to others) and does not believe that your child can develop binocular vision
- tells you that it is too late for either surgery and/or patching and that your child can not develop binocular vision.
In the above cases, parents are advised to consult an eye doctor who offers comprehensive functional
eye examinations supervised Vision Therapy to children, particularly a
behavioral optometrist. You are invited to request a free referral at the
Directory of Vision Care Providers.
Learn which visual skills are to be tested as part of a complete pediatric
eye exam.
To locate an eye doctor who provides comprehensive pediatric vision examinations and treatment, including
Vision Therapy, request a referral through our
Referral Directory: Find a Pediatric Eye Doctor.
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