As if you didn’t know, toddlers are not always the best when it comes to sitting. But they also aren’t all that efficient at walking, running and climbing. Everyday their eyes and bodies work together to help them learn how to move through space: without tripping over the dog, without falling down a step, without bumping into the wall, without knocking their cup of milk off the table (unless that’s what they wanted to do, of course). With each experience the eyes and body become more finely attuned.
The visual system plays three key roles in helping your little one learn about her world. They tell her what things are, where they are, and where she is relative to everything else. If something isn’t working as it should, this information can be garbled and interfere with normal development. Your toddler’s visual world, what she spends most of her time attending to, usually extends only 4 or 5 feet away. Within this range she’ll study objects to know how to most accurately reach for them, how they feel, how they taste, and what they look like, and how to put all this information together. If the eyes don’t coordinate well and one eye turns in excessively, or not enough, when she’s looking at something up close (even if they aim together when looking further away) she may have a tougher time learning to judge distances, see in 3D, and focus clearly and comfortably, important factors in later learning. These are specific things a toddler eye exam will check for. If you notice anything of concern, please bring it to the attention of your pediatrician or eye care professional.
Dr. Steve Jacobs is an optometrist in Blacksburg, Virginia who works with patients of all ages. He is a sponsor of NRV Macaroni Kid and you can find him here. In a series of short articles we’ll take a peek at the eyes and vision development from infancy thru the early school years, and point out some basic things to look for (and to look out for). Some segments may key on a particular age, whereas others will address common questions or concerns. If you’d ever like more information, please feel free to contact Dr. Jacobs at 540-953-0136 or sjacobs07@comcast.net or speak to your child's physician.
