Does my child need glasses? What to know

Kids should get their first eye exams between ages 3-5.

A visit to the eye doctor is more about just getting new glasses – especially for younger kids. Many kids don’t have any symptoms when experiencing vision problems, according to Pediatric Optometrist Dr. Sarah Guillette. Children should have their first eye exam between the ages of 3-5 to ensure they’re seeing clearly, and their eyes are healthy.

Dr. Sarah Guillette

There are 3 common eye conditions in kids:
Needing glasses

• This can happen if your child is nearsighted, farsighted or has astigmatism.
• If your child needs glasses, you may find that they squint to see, rub their eyes or complain when they read or need to do work that requires close up vision.
• Most children will not complain of blurry vision before the age of 5 or 6 because they’ve always seen the world with blurred vision.

Eyes that don’t line up correctly

• This happens if one eye turns inward or outward.
• Glasses can correct this as well.
• You may see one of the child’s eyes turn inward or outward all on its own.
• The child may close one eye when trying to focus, rub their eyes or complain that their eyes hurt.

Reduced vision

• This can happen in one or both of the eyes as a result of an eye turning inward or outward, nearsightedness, farsightedness or another issue that doesn’t allow the eye to develop as it should.
• Your child may squint, rub their eyes, say that they can’t see as well out of one of their eyes or have a short attention span for near tasks such as reading.