Dr. Hicks welcomes children starting at 6 months of age

Children rely heavy on their visual skills to develop their eye-hand-body coordination.

During the infant and toddler years, your child has been developing many vision skills and has been learning how to see. In the preschool years, this process continues as your child develops visually guided eye-hand-body coordination, fine motor skills and the visual motor skills necessary to learn to read. As a parent, you should watch for signs that may indicate a vision development problem, including a short attention span for the child’s age; difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination in ball play and bike riding; avoidance of coloring and puzzles and other detailed activities.

There are everyday things that you can do at home to help your preschooler’s vision develop as it should.

These activities include reading aloud to your child and letting him or her see what you are reading; providing a chalkboard, finger paints and different shaped blocks and showing your child how to use them in imaginative play; providing safe opportunities to use playground equipment like a jungle gym and balance beam; and allowing time for interacting with other children and for playing independently.

By age 3, your child should have a thorough eye examination with a pediatric eye doctor to make sure your preschooler’s vision is developing properly and there is no evidence of eye disease. If needed, Dr. Hicks can prescribe treatment including glasses and/or vision therapy to correct a vision development problem.

Here are several tips to make your child’s pediatric eye examination a positive experience:

• Make an appointment early in the day. Allow about one hour.

• Talk about the examination in advance and encourage your child’s questions.

• Explain the examination in your child’s terms, comparing the E chart to a puzzle and the instruments to tiny flashlights and a kaleidoscope.

Unless Dr. Hicks advises otherwise, your child’s next eye examination should be at age 5. By comparing test results of the two examinations, Dr. Hicks can tell how well your child’s vision is developing for the next major step…into the school years.

At about age 6 months, you should take your baby to your pediatric doctor of optometry for his or her first thorough eye examination. Things that the pediatric optometrist will test for include excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism and eye movement ability as well as eye health problems. These problems are not common, but it is important to identify children who have them at this stage. Vision development and eye health problems can be more easily corrected if treatment is begun early.

​​​​​​​Unless you notice a need, or your pediatric eye doctor advises you otherwise, your child’s next examination should be around age 3, and then again before he or she enters school.

Between birth and age 3, when many of your baby’s vision skills will develop, there are ways that you can help.

During the first 4 months of life, your baby should begin to follow moving objects with the eyes and reach for things, first by chance and later more accurately, as hand-eye coordination and depth perception begin to develop.

To help, use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby’s room; change the crib’s position frequently and your child’s position in it; keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby’s focus, about eight to twelve inches; talk to your baby as you walk around the room; alternate right and left sides with each feeding; and hang a mobile above and outside the crib.

Between 4 and 8 months, your baby should begin to turn from side to side and use his or her arms and legs. Eye movement and eye/body coordination skills should develop further and both eyes should focus equally.

You should enable your baby to explore different shapes and textures with his or her fingers; give your baby the freedom to crawl and explore; hang objects across the crib; and play “patty cake”and “peek-a-boo” with your baby.

From 8 to 12 months, your baby should be mobile now, crawling and pulling himself or herself up. He or she will begin to use both eyes together and judge distances and grasp and throw objects with greater precision. To support development don’t encourage early walking because crawling is important in developing eye-hand-foot-body coordination; give your baby stacking and take-apart toys; and provide objects your baby can touch, hold and see at the same time.

From 1 to 2 years, your child’s eye-hand coordination and depth perception will continue to develop and he or she will begin to understand abstract terms. Things you can do are encourage walking; provide building blocks, simple puzzles and balls; and provide opportunities to climb and explore indoors and out.

There are many other affectionate and loving ways in which you can aid your baby’s vision development. Use your creativity and imagination. Ask your pediatric eye doctor to suggest other specific activities.
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Preschool Age Vision Development

Your baby has a whole lifetime to see and learn. But did you know your baby also has to learn to see? As a parent, there are many things that you can do to help your baby’s vision develop. First, proper prenatal care and nutrition can help your baby’s eyes develop even before birth. At birth, your baby’s eyes should be examined for signs of congenital eye problems. These are rare, but early diagnosis and treatment are important to your child’s development.
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School Age Children's Vision

A good education for your child means good schools, good teachers and good vision. Your child’s eyes are constantly in use in the classroom and at play. So when his or her vision is not functioning properly, learning and participation in recreational activities will suffer.
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The basic vision skills needed for school use are:

• Near vision. The ability to see clearly and comfortably at 10-13 inches.

• Distance vision. The ability to see clearly and comfortably beyond arm’s reach.

• Binocular coordination. The ability to use both eyes together.

• Eye movement skills. The ability to aim the eyes accurately, move them smoothly across a page and shift them quickly and accurately from one object to another.

• Focusing skills. The ability to keep both eyes accurately focused at the proper distance to see clearly and to change focus quickly.

• Peripheral awareness. The ability to be aware of things located to the side while looking straight ahead.

• Eye/hand coordination. The ability to use the eyes and hands together.

If any of these or other vision skills are lacking or not functioning properly, your child will have to work harder. This can lead to headaches, fatigue and other eyestrain problems. As a parent, be alert for symptoms that may indicate your child has a vision or visual processing problem. Be sure to tell your optometrist if your child frequently:

• Loses their place while reading;

• Avoids close work;

• Holds reading material closer than normal;

• Tends to rub his or her eyes;

• Has headaches;

• Turns or tilts head to use one eye only;

• Makes frequent reversals when reading or writing;

• Uses finger to maintain place when reading;

• Omits or confuses small words when reading;

• Consistently performs below potential.

Because vision changes can occur without you or your child noticing them, your child should visit the optometrist at least every two years, or more frequently, if specific problems or risk factors exist. If needed, the doctor can prescribe treatment including eyeglasses, contact lenses or vision therapy.

Remember, a school vision or pediatrician’s screening is not a substitute for a thorough eye examination.
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