Eye Care Eye Care Basics

Diagnosing Vision Problems in Children

Summary & Participants

Vision problems are often overlooked in kids, even though good vision is necessary for development.

Medically Reviewed On: August 06, 2008

Webcast Transcript

Dr. Irene Llanto, Volunteer doctor: Good vision is important for kids of all ages, especially in the early years, because that’s when vision is developing. You need to have clear, crisp visions for the development system of the vision to even take place.

ANNOUNCER: And, yet, vision problems in children are often overlooked.

Dr. Irene Llanto, Volunteer doctor: They’ll be identified as kids who are poor in school, just, you know, lazy. And that’s very sad, because it can be easily corrected if you have a pair of glasses, have a vision screening.

ANNOUNCER: Unfortunately kids often don’t know there’s a problem with their vision.

Caitlin,Got Glasses: I just thought everybody else saw that way also. I just thought it was blurry to everyone else when they were reading so far away, also?

Dr. Irene Llanto, Volunteer doctor: The misconception where, “I’m seeing fine. I feel like I’m seeing fine. My eyes are fine.” That’s a huge misconception, especially for children, because, again, they won’t know to tell you that something’s wrong.

ANNOUNCER: Visual disabilities can be detected early, so be aware of warning signs.

Dr. Irene Llanto, Volunteer doctor: Parents should look out for any child who tends to sit close to anything that they need to see, if they tend to rub their eyes frequently or if you notice that their eye seems to turn out or in. The eyes just don’t look like they’re coordinating well, if you shake something in front of their face and they don’t react to it, that is one symptom.

Leona Dockery, Senior Mission Manager, The Gift of Sight: One out of every four children have a visual need, may it be for correction for distance vision or help reading, some convergence issues, something that eye care, may it be through vision therapy and or eyeglasses to help them be able to see properly.

ANNOUNCER: The key to keeping your child’s vision sharp starts with a visit to the eye doctor.

Dr. Irene Llanto, Volunteer doctor: A visual screening, meaning seeing either an optometrist or ophthalmologist, any vision care provider is very important. I’d say it’s as important as getting that initial pediatrician visit.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily!