Children’s/Pediatric Eye Exams

The American Optometric Association recommends children have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months old, again at age 3, before starting kindergarten, and annually throughout the school years.

At COVE, Dr. Keller examines patients as young as 6 months. We participate in InfantSEE, a national public health program that provides a free, no-obligation comprehensive eye and vision assessment for babies between 6 and 12 months old, regardless of family income or insurance coverage.

Why so young? Many vision problems are most easily corrected when caught early, while a child’s visual system is still developing. Issues like amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye misalignment) respond best to treatment before age 7. Waiting until your child can read an eye chart often means missing a critical window.

Comprehensive Evaluation

• We go beyond basic screenings to assess your child’s ability to track while reading, focusing issues, and detect any pathological causes of poor vision, in addition to checking for refractive errors.

Helping Children Understand Normal Vision

• Many children don’t realize they have vision problems because they perceive their vision as normal. Our comprehensive eye exams reveal issues like double vision or misalignment that they might not notice.

Expert Care with Dr. Keller

• Dr. Keller specializes in pediatric eye care and works expertly with children of all ages. She uses various techniques to gather detailed information about your child’s visual system, ensuring accurate diagnoses and effective treatments.

Focusing on Learning and Development

• Good vision is essential for learning. Dr. Keller aims to remove any visual barriers that might hinder your child’s academic performance and overall development. She dedicates herself to helping every child in New Albany and the surrounding communities achieve their full potential.

Signs Your Child May Have a Vision Problem

Children rarely complain about their vision because they don’t know what “normal” looks like. Watch for these common signs:

• Sitting too close to the TV or holding books and tablets very close to the face
• Frequent squinting, eye rubbing, or excessive blinking
• Tilting the head or covering one eye to see better
• Complaints of headaches or tired eyes, especially after schoolwork
• Difficulty concentrating on visual tasks like reading or homework
• Skipping lines, losing place, or using a finger to follow along while reading
• Reversing letters or numbers beyond an age where most children outgrow it
• Falling behind academically without a clear explanation
• Poor hand-eye coordination during sports or play

If you notice any of these signs, schedule a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Keller. Many of these symptoms are easily corrected once the underlying vision issue is identified.

How Vision Affects Learning

An estimated 80% of what a child learns in their first 12 years is processed visually. Reading, writing, smartboard work, computer-based learning, and athletics all depend on accurate, comfortable vision and well-developed visual skills.

When a child’s vision is functioning properly, they can focus, track moving objects, switch attention between near and far, and process visual information at the speed school demands. When something is off — even a mild prescription, a focusing delay, or an eye-teaming problem — the child often compensates by losing attention, avoiding reading, or developing what looks like a behavioral or learning issue.

Vision-related learning problems are sometimes misdiagnosed as ADHD, dyslexia, or general learning difficulty. We’re not suggesting an eye exam replaces evaluation by a pediatrician, psychologist, or learning specialist. We are saying that a comprehensive pediatric eye exam should be one of the first steps any time a child is struggling in school. Ruling out vision as a contributing factor is straightforward and worth doing.