Pediatric Eye Exams in Illinois

For patients with vision insurance, typically the cost of a yearly pediatric eye exam is covered. We offer free benefit checks (no appointment needed) at all locations.

For patients without vision insurance, Eye Boutique keeps routine eye exams affordable. Check out our current offers for eye exam promotional pricing.

Children should have an eye exam before entering kindergarten. Our eye doctors provide eye exams for children ages three and up. For toddlers younger than three, please contact us for a referral.

School-aged children and teenagers who don’t need vision correction should have an eye exam once every two years. If your child wears glasses or contacts they should have an exam once a year.

Ages 4-5 years

During an eye exam for small children the eye doctor will check for:

• Amblyopia (lazy eye)
• Strabismus (misaligned or crossed eyes)
• Visual acuity

Eye testing for small children may include:

• Vision tests using symbols or icons (such as a house or apple) instead of an eye chart
• 3D glasses used to view random dot patterns to measure eye teaming
• Retinoscopy (shining a light into the eye) to examine the retinal reflection and help determine prescription if necessary

In addition to the recommended routine eye care, you should schedule an eye exam if you notice your child frequently squinting or rubbing their eyes, avoiding visually dependent activities like puzzles or coloring, getting too close to screens or reading materials, or struggling with number, letter and object recognition.

Ages 6-18

At eye exams for school-aged children optometrists check for:

• Focusing and visual acuity (near- or far-sightedness)
• Proper binocular vision (eye teaming)
• Peripheral vision
• Depth perception
• Color vision
• Eye tracking and hand-eye coordination

Sometimes children struggling with school or extracurricular activities have an underlying vision problem to blame. If a child (or parent) doesn’t realize they have abnormal vision, untreated vision problems may lead to behavioral issues including short attention span.

Parents of school-aged children should schedule an eye exam if their child has symptoms including:

• Frequent headaches or blinking
• Frequently losing their place when reading, poor reading comprehension, or avoiding reading
• Double vision or often tilting head to one side
• Inability to maintain focus or eye contact
• Eye alignment fails when looking at near objects

Good vision is essential for reading, learning and motor skills development. Undiagnosed and uncorrected vision problems can lead to academic, social or athletic difficulties.

There are several eye health tips good for patients of all ages:

Eat a nutritious diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables
Foods with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and more promote retinal health & support healthy tear production.

Stay active & maintain a healthy weight
Risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol & diabetes can lead to vision loss.

Wear protective eyewear during sports
Discuss your child’s extracurricular activities with your eye doctor to learn how to prevent common eye injuries.

Monitor screen time & take breaks
Don’t let kids stare uninterrupted at computer screens, televisions, smartphone displays or tablets. At a minimum, take a screen break every 20 minutes to relax the eyes.

Wear sunglasses
Children’s eyes are even more vulnerable to UV light than adults’. Wear lenses with 100% UV protection when exposed to UV rays.

Avoid smoke
Encourage your children to avoid smoking, including second-hand smoke (and be a good example!). Smoking elevates the risk of forming cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome and macular degeneration.

Learn the family tree
Discuss your family history of eye health and diseases with your optometrist. Follow all of your eye doctor’s advice on screening and treating eye conditions.

Young children may not recognize the difference between clear and compromised vision. If you notice your child frequently squinting, getting too close to screens, or closing one eye when trying to read, they may require vision correction.

Optometrists are eye doctors who conduct eye exams, write prescriptions for eyeglasses and contact lenses, prescribe medication to treat eye conditions, diagnose and treat eye disease, and offer pre- and post-operation care.

Eye Boutique eye doctors are licensed optometrists welcoming patients of all ages (3 and up). For patients younger than age 3, please contact us for a referral.

If your child is diagnosed with a health problem concerning the eyes, they may be referred to an ophthalmologist. Ophthalmologists have a different level of training and are qualified to perform eye surgery.