Children's Eye Doctor Near Me
How to find the best pediatric eye doctor near me
Using the locator tool from All About Vision (below) makes finding the best pediatric eye doctor near you an easy task. Just follow these steps to set up an appointment:
If you close out the Cookies Settings pop-up box at the bottom of the locator page, there will be a toolbar with the option “Edit Search.” Click on this button.
Add your area code in the second bar, or click the blue circle icon to the right of the bar to search your current location.
If you have insurance, click the third bar and a drop-down menu will open for you to choose your provider. If you don’t have insurance, select the “I’ll pay for myself” option.
Once the three boxes are filled in, close the “Edit Search box” or click the blue “Find” button at the bottom of the page.
Next to the “Edit Search” button, there will be a “Filter” button. Click on this and a menu will appear from the right side of the screen.
Select the “Specialty” option from this menu, then scroll down to select “Pediatric Specialist.”
When you’re finished filtering your search, scroll back to the top of the menu and press “Done.”
Your search results will display automatically in a list view. You can search using a map view by clicking on the “Map View” tab located above the very first eye doctor listed.
The map view will display blue markers to represent eye doctors for toddlers and children near you. If you’re using a computer and want to narrow or widen your search, click the Ctrl button and scroll in or out. Mobile users can pinch and zoom in or out to do this.
Each result has customer reviews and ratings, with the option to “Call now” or “Book now,” so you can have peace of mind knowing you’ve found the best pediatric eye doctor near you.
What is an eye doctor for toddlers called?
An eye doctor for toddlers and children is known as a pediatric optometrist. Pediatric optometrists are doctors of optometry (abbreviated as “OD”) with an expertise in children’s eye exams and eye health.
Though they are doctors of optometry, pediatric optometrists are not medical doctors and cannot perform surgery — that task is reserved for a pediatric ophthalmologist.
After a children’s eye doctor completes regular training to practice optometry, they continue their education to gain experience in conducting eye exams on toddlers and young children. They also become more familiar with child-focused eye conditions so they can easily identify and correct them.
This specialized training gives them the ability to accommodate toddlers and young children during an eye exam. For instance, an eye doctor for toddlers near you may have the child point out different shapes or objects instead of reading an eye chart.
Using accommodations like this during a toddler or young child’s eye exam makes them more comfortable and cooperative while the eye doctor gathers important information on their vision.
Children's eye doctor vs. a general eye doctor
There aren’t many differences between a children’s eye doctor and a general eye doctor. They’re both professionally trained and equipped with the skills needed to correct and treat different eye conditions.
However, an eye doctor for toddlers and children specializes in identifying and correcting eye conditions that commonly appear in young children, such as strabismus (misalignment of one or both eyes).
While a general optometrist can effectively examine and treat children, they did not receive the same additional training as a children’s eye doctor and may have a different approach to a child’s eye exam.
In the case of emergency, it’s important to understand that a pediatric eye doctor near you could safely examine and treat an adult, just as a general eye doctor could properly examine and treat a young child.
SEE RELATED: Children's optometrist near me
Why is taking my child to a children’s eye doctor near me important?
Vision is vital to a child’s learning. In fact, experts believe approximately 80 percent of what a child learns in school is obtained visually.
When a child’s vision is affected negatively, either due to a refractive error, eye misalignment or other eye condition, they’re not able to learn as efficiently.
Having poor vision extends beyond eyesight in the classroom. If a child has to strain their eyes in order to see, it can cause headaches and sore, tired eyes.
This eye strain can also affect how a child is able to perform extracurricular activities like sports, riding a bike or watching television. Over time, untreated eye problems can worsen and become more difficult to correct.
A pediatric eye doctor near you can treat whatever vision problems your children may be experiencing and provide them with the best tools to learn.
Use the locator today and find the best pediatric eye doctor near you!
Page published on Wednesday, May 12, 2021
