Kids' Eye Exams in Titusville Small Eyes. Big Years Ahead.

Did your child fail a school vision screening?

The note came home in the backpack. Or there was no note, just a tilted head at the dinner table, a book held an inch from the nose, or headaches that start with homework. Or nothing at all, and kindergarten is a month away.

Any of those is reason enough to bring them in. Most of what we find in a child is fixed with the right pair of glasses, and the rest is easier to help while the eyes are still growing. You do not need to know which it is before you call us.

When should my child have a first eye exam?

The American Optometric Association recommends a first exam between 6 and 12 months, another at age 3, one before school starts, and then every two years through the school years unless we ask to see your child sooner. If your child is past one of those and has never had an exam, that is fine. Bring them in now and we start from there.

A baby cannot read a chart and does not need to. With infants and toddlers we use lights, pictures, and lenses to see that each eye focuses and that the two eyes line up and move together. Older kids read letters or shapes. If you are not sure your child is ready, call and ask, and we will tell you.

Between exams, parents call us when they notice:

• An eye that drifts in or out, even now and then
• Squinting, sitting close, or holding a book near the face
• A head tilt or one eye covered when looking at something
• Headaches or tired eyes after reading
• A failed screening at school or the pediatrician
• A brother, sister, or parent who had a lazy eye or an eye turn as a child

Is a school vision screening the same as an eye exam?

No. A screening asks one question, whether your child can read a chart across the room, and it does a fair job of catching nearsightedness. It does not check farsightedness, focusing, eye teaming, or eye health. So a child can pass at school and still lose their place on every page.

A full exam asks all of the questions. We measure vision far and near, find the true prescription (with drops, so the number we get is honest), and check how the eyes line up, team, and track along a line. We test depth perception and color vision, and we look at the health of the eye inside and out with a dilated view. Failed the screening? Bring the note. Passed, and you still wonder? Bring them anyway.

What is the visit like for a nervous child?

Gentle, and nothing hurts. Most of it is looking at pictures and lights and answering easy questions, and you stay in the room the whole time. If a doctor visit has gone badly before, say so when you book and we will plan for a slower pace.

Plan on about an hour for a first exam, and expect dilating drops. The drops relax the focusing muscles so we can measure the eyes honestly. They sting for a few seconds. Then near vision is blurry and the eyes are sensitive to light for a few hours, so bring sunglasses and plan a quiet afternoon with no homework.

If your child needs glasses, picking the pair is the fun part. We keep a wide selection of children's frames for every age, in styles they will be excited to wear.

What to bring:

• Your child's current glasses, if they have any
• The screening note from school or the pediatrician
• Your vision or medical insurance card
• A favorite toy or snack for a little one

What is binocular vision, and why does it matter for reading?

Binocular vision is the two eyes working as a team: pointing at the same spot, focusing together, and moving smoothly along a line of print. When the teaming or the focusing is weak, a child can read 20/20 on the chart and still skip words, lose the line, tire fast, or come home from school with a headache. That is easy to mistake for a reading problem or a short attention span.

It is the field Dr. Bradley trained in during her residency in Chicago, so it is what she looks for, and it is what she treats. She cares for children with amblyopia (a lazy eye, where one eye never learned to see sharply), strabismus (an eye that turns in or out), and binocular vision disorders, all of which are easier to help while a child is young. She also offers myopia management for children whose nearsightedness climbs with every new pair of glasses. Whatever we find, we tell you in plain words what it means for school and what the plan is.

Who sees children at Aker Eye, and does insurance cover it?

Dr. Jennifer Bradley at our Playalinda office, 1114 S Washington Ave, is our pediatric and binocular vision specialist, with a one-year residency in pediatrics and binocular vision at the Illinois College of Optometry and a fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry. A lazy eye, an eye turn, a binocular vision problem, or myopia management is a visit with her. Downtown, Dr. Amanda Aker and Dr. Greg Aker see children, and Dr. Koehnemann sees them at Playalinda, so for a routine exam pick whichever office is closer. Dr. Amanda Aker is also certified to fit MiSight contact lenses for children, a lens designed to slow nearsightedness.

Most vision plans cover a yearly exam for children, and medical insurance covers a visit for a medical problem such as an eye turn, a lazy eye, or an infection. We check your benefits before the visit and tell you what you will owe. If you do not have coverage, call us at (321) 269-2021 and we will give you the self-pay price before you book.