Children’s Eye Exams in Columbia & Eldon

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We Focus on Your Whole Family

Your children’s eye health matters to us. From infants to young adults, vision care is paramount. 

Important life skills have a basis in visual skills. Things like recognizing the difference between letters, picturing a story as it’s told out loud, and remembering the details of what they read in a book are all part of your child’s visual perceptual skills

Like any skill, visual skills are learned and practiced. If there are barriers to acquiring them, there can be barriers to learning. Visual abilities begin in infancy, and kids’ eyes develop and change frequently throughout their school years.

Regular eye exams are essential at every age and stage of their development. So please book their appointment today.

How Do I Know My Child Needs Glasses?

Kids often have no way of knowing their vision isn’t normal, and they might not be able to express to you when something is wrong. But, there are telltale signs that your child may need an eye exam:

  • Squinting
  • Holding items close to the face
  • Excessive eye rubbing
  • Tilting the head
  • Covering one eye
  • Headaches
  • Eye pain
  • Trouble concentrating

Some of these signs indicate a refractive error, but they can also be symptoms of other vision issues, like strabismus or amblyopia. 

If your child does need glasses, Family Focus Eyecare carries a diverse array of eyewear your kid will love. 

Vision Screening vs. Eye Exam

The clear choice between an eye exam and a vision screening is always an eye exam. Vision screenings are sometimes provided at school and are used to test for visual acuity

But these simple vision screenings miss up to 75% of kids with vision problems. And, almost 40% of kids who fail the vision screening don’t receive any follow-up care. 

A comprehensive eye exam gives the optometrist the opportunity to assess overall ocular health, provide education, and recommend a treatment plan. We have the equipment, skills, and time to help your child see clearly.

A simple screening won’t assess prenatal and postnatal health, cover head or ocular trauma, or gather information about your family’s health history—all things that help provide optimum ocular care for your child.

When Should My Child Have an Eye Exam?

The American Optometric Association recommends the following frequency for comprehensive eye exams:

  • One baseline exam between the ages of 6 and 12 months
  • One comprehensive exam between the ages of 3 and 5
  • Annual, comprehensive exams starting before 1st grade

Proper vision helps children understand and respond to visual cues. It’s essential for learning and development, and it’s about more than just being able to see the board. 

School-age kids need visual skills like tracking, focusing, and coordination. Tracking helps move the eyes along a printed page or follow a ball. Focusing lets kids move back and forth between different distances, from looking at the teacher to the page and back again. And coordination is the part that helps write, draw, and play sports.

Set Them up for Success

Family eye care is our passion, and we believe that eye care sets children up for success. We participate in the InfantSEE program, which offers free eye exams for infants aged 6 to 12 months. We also take part in the SEEtoLearn program, which offers free eye exams for 3-year-olds. 

Setting kids up for success begins with an eye exam. Please book a pediatric eye appointment with Family Focus Eye Care today.

Visit One of Our Locations

Columbia

We are in Westbury-1.5 miles further west from our old W. Broadway location, near Toasty Goat and the new Club Carwash

  • 725 S. Scott Blvd Suite 101
  • Columbia, MO 65203

Eldon

Our Eldon location is on Oak Street, two blocks north of the post office and between North and High Street.

  • 115 N Oak St
  • Eldon, MO 65026

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