As your kids grow, their eyes are always changing, and good vision will help them do well in school. If they have trouble seeing, it can impact both their learning and play. In fact, over 10 million children in the U.S. suffer from vision problems that can affect learning success. However, many parents aren’t sure if a school vision screening is enough or if their child needs a comprehensive eye exam. Knowing the difference between the two is important for protecting your child’s vision and helping them succeed in school.
What Is a Vision Screening?
Your child may have a vision screening at school, the pediatrician’s office or a community health center. These screenings help identify any vision problems that may need further evaluation by an eye doctor. Vision screenings usually include:
- Basic Eye Chart Tests: Your child will be asked to read letters or symbols with each eye from a distance to check how clearly they can see things far away.
- Eye Coordination and Movement Tests: These quick tests look for problems like lazy eye or crossed eyes, which affect how your child’s eyes line up and work together.
- Color Vision: A test to see if your child has trouble telling certain colors apart, like red and green.
While vision screenings can catch common problems, they don’t tell the whole story. Up to 75% of school vision screening miss vision problems, and don’t check for more serious eye conditions that can affect your child’s ability to focus, read or learn. They also don’t look for eye diseases that could affect their eye or overall health.
What Is a Comprehensive Eye Exam?
A comprehensive eye exam, usually done by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, gives a deeper look at your child’s vision and overall eye health. Unlike vision screenings, these exams check more than just how well your child can see. They also include tests for:
- Checking for focus problems: The eye doctor uses several instruments l to see if your child has nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
- Pupil assessment: Abnormal pupil symmetry and reaction to light can indicate a number of eye or general health issues
- Examining overall eye health: The doctor uses specific instruments to look closely at both the front and inside of your child’s eyes and checks for any signs of eye diseases.
Addressing vision problems early can really help your child both in school and in everyday life. That’s why the American Optometric Association (AOA) suggests that kids get a comprehensive eye exam before they start school. The first exam should be done around 6-18 months old, then at 3 years, at 5 years and every year while your child is in school.
The Bottom Line
As a parent, it’s important to know the difference between vision screenings and comprehensive eye exams to keep your child’s eyes healthy. A vision screening is a good start, but it shouldn’t replace annual eye exams. Making sure your child has good vision health is an important way to support their learning and overall health.
This blog was written in collaboration with Dr. John Lahr, medical director at EyeMed Vision Care which administers Delta Dental of Arizona’s DeltaVision plans. Dr. Lahr has 50 years of experience in eye care delivery and vision care.
