Pediatric Eye Care
Schedule an Eye Exam
70% of a child’s sensory receptors are in their eyes, meaning their capability to see clearly can significantly impact their ability to learn. Young children explore and discover the world around them through their sense of sight. It is vital to schedule regular eye exams for your children as our doctors make sure each child has the necessary visual resources required for their optimal growth and development. While it may seem like a challenging process, our highly skilled doctors incorporate state-of-the-art techniques and technology to provide accurate testing and a fun experience for your child.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that children have complete eye exams at six months, three years, before the start of first grade, and yearly after that. Establishing a regular schedule with your child’s comprehensive eye exams allow for early diagnosis and treatment of vision problems, injury, and disease. Early detection allows our doctors to treat any issues before your child has difficulty in school due to poor vision, or any permanent damage has been done to the eye(s). Our exams test for visual acuity, eye tracking and focusing skills, nearsightedness, farsightedness, amblyopia, crossed eyes, dyslexia, and color blindness. A child’s eyes can change rapidly as they grow, so catching issues in their early stages are vital to your child’s overall health.
Infant Eye Exams: Birth to 24 Months
Our doctors participate in the InfantSEE program which provides a free eye exam between the ages of 6-12months. In the first few months of life, your baby must learn to focus and move their eyes, resulting in using them together as a team. The visual system develops gradually over this period with the brain learning how to process visual information giving your baby the ability to understand and interact with the world around them. The base of motor development goes hand in hand with the development of eyesight, and proper advancement helps your baby learn hand-eye coordination, and how to crawl and walk.
By six months of age, your baby should be able to see as well as you in terms of focusing ability, color vision, and depth perception. Upon scheduling a comprehensive infant eye exam, our doctors check that your baby is seeing properly and developing on track. To assess the progress of development, our doctors use the following tests:
If your infant was born premature or is showing signs of developmental delay, our doctors require you to schedule more frequent visits for your baby to track progress and provide proper care efficiently.
Preschool Eye Exams:
Ages 2 to 5
Children that are in the toddler and preschool age range experience radical growth both intellectual and motor skills. However, approximately 5 to 10% of preschoolers have vision problems meaning the development of their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and perceptual abilities could be impacted. Their ability to read and write, participate in creative activities such as drawing, painting, or building, and play sports all rely on satisfactory vision and proper visual processes.
Parents should look for any signs of developmental delay as your child will have a higher success rate if conditions are treated early on. If your child frequently rubs their eyes, squints, avoids activities like puzzles or coloring, and sits unusually close to the tv or reading material, it may be worthwhile to schedule a visit with our doctors.
School-Age Eye Exams:
Ages 6 to 18
If vision problems are left undetected or uncorrected, children and teens can suffer in several areas such as socially, academically, athletically, and personally. If you notice your child having trouble in school or after-school activities, this usually is one of the first signs of a preexisting vision problem. It may be scary for your child to experience problems with reading, focusing, hand-eye coordination, or teaming their eyes, so they often experience frustration and possibly display behavioral changes. It’s essential to communicate with your child and express that the vision abnormalities they’re experiencing are normal and can usually be corrected.
Along with basic visual acuity, our doctors test your child’s binocular capabilities, peripheral and color vision, focusing, tracking, and hand-eye coordination. Additionally, the area around and inside the eye is examined to check for any eye diseases or health conditions.
Locations & Doctors
We are excited to bring you a team of exceptionally skilled doctors that provide each patient with unforgettable optical expertise and care. We guarantee that every patient will have a remarkable experience accompanied by an in-depth educational experience regarding their optical conditions. Our award-winning doctors establish lasting relationships with each patient, so they’re informed and receptive in every visit. With clarity and comfort, Art of Optiks guarantees an unforgettable customer experience every time.
Our office is spread between two locations that provide a variety of services to our patients. Our doctors, Timothy Haupert and Victoria Whitman, are located at offices in Wayzata and Edina, Minnesota. Art of Optiks also offers Vision Therapy at our Edina location, which is utilized to improve the quality and efficiency of vision in patients of all ages.
