Pediatric Vision Tests

Every child should have their vision tested at least once every two years – yet statistics indicate that only about a third of all kids have had this screening prior to entering kindergarten. Moreover, a large proportion of school-age children who need glasses don’t have them because they’ve never been diagnosed with an eye problem that keeps them from performing to their best ability. With SPOT vision screening, select physician practices can provide a quick and accurate diagnosis of a child’s visual acuity and any abnormalities that need to be addressed, even when the child is not fully cooperative. The SPOT Vision Screener is a handheld device that can “spot screen” both eyes from three feet away – similar to taking your child’s photograph – and determine whether a child is nearsighted, farsighted, or has an eye abnormality such as astigmatism. Other vision testing that may be employed by your primary care physician during a typical well-child visit may include visual inspection with a flashlight, use of a different type of photo-screener than the SPOT device, corneal light reflex testing, cover testing and subjective visual testing with a simple eye chart. All such testing is important for identifying eye problems that may cause permanent visual impairment in kids when not addressed early.