11 Signs That Your Child Might Need a Visit to the Eye Doctor (and Glasses)

"If your child has farsightedness [where objects that are near are blurry], they may squint to see more clearly," says Dr. Weakley. Since squinting temporarily improves vision, this is a sign of your child compensating for poor vision.

Children who have farsightedness, astigmatism (where the cornea is irregularly shaped and causes blurred vision), or a lazy eye (also known as amblyopia, in which one eye develops poor vision) may tilt or turn their head to see better to compensate for eye misalignments, double vision, and eye muscle imbalance.

"Watch for signs of extreme farsightedness, which may cause one or both eyes to cross inwards," says Dr. Weakley. "An eye that turns in or out may be an indication your child needs glasses, but it might also suggest a more serious problem [like thyroid eye disease and Duane syndrome] and should be evaluated as soon as possible so talk to your pediatrician."

Has your child started sitting on the floor, closer to the TV, during movie time? "If your child is nearsighted [meaning he or she can see objects that are near, but things far away are blurry], they might hold things close to their face or they may get close to the television," says Dr. Weakley.

Children with astigmatism struggle to bring objects into focus. Your child might be covering one eye to read a book or when looking at their iPad, which is a signal that they might have the condition. Covering one eye may also be a sign of exotropia (an outward turning of the eye that creates decreased depth perception) — one of its symptoms is sensitivity to bright light.

As the eyes struggle to see, they may experience fatigue or strain, which is why excessive eye rubbing is another sign of vision problems in children. But not all eye rubbing is a symptom of poor vision. It can also be an indication of other more minor eye issues, such as allergic conjunctivitis or dry eyes, says Dr. Weakley.

Children who struggle with uncorrected farsightedness often experience pain in the eyes, frontal headaches, or brow aches. This is because they spend a lot of time exerting extra effort to correct blurry vision, says Dr. Weakley. Contact your pediatrician if this is happening to your child.

Some vision problems may present themselves as difficulty concentrating on school work. In a classroom setting, children need to adapt visual focus quickly between a variety of objects that are near and far. As students struggle to find visual focus as they look from a chalkboard or smart board to their paper or book on their desk, they may lose concentration. If your child is suddenly showing a decline in school performance, talk to their teacher to see if vision might be problem.

Excessive eye tearing is linked to a condition called lagophthalmos, a condition that prevents your eyes from closing all the way while sleeping, says Dr. Weakley. Since the eyelids do not close fully, the eyes dry out and frequently tear during the day.

Although many children use their finger to keep their place as they learn to read, especially new readers, this may be a sign of vision problems. Amblyopia or lazy eye causes words or letters to appear very close together, making them difficult to recognize.

Children are naturally clumsy, especially when they first learn to walk, but don't write off clumsiness completely when it comes to vision issues. If your child frequently bumps into things or is tripping and falling more than normal, it's worth discussing with your pediatrician.

"In preverbal children, parents often wonder how we can tell they need glasses. The technology we have available today allows us to do refraction or retinoscopy tests that can measure what a child's prescription is," says Dr. Weakley. So even if your little one is just learning to walk, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor if you feel something isn't right.

Reading is a difficult skill for most children, but those with vision issues will struggle even more. If you notice your child has difficulty keeping their place while reading or frequently skips lines and loses their spot, get their eyes checked out.