Assessing vision in young children: Communication skills

Measurement of visual functions is critical to the detection and diagnosis of eye disease, particularly in children where eliciting symptomology can be challenging. An effective practitioner-patient relationship is crucial in optometric practice and has numerous benefits such as increased satisfaction, good compliance to assessment and treatment. The aim of this work is to share my experience of assessing visual functions (visual acuity, stereopsis, and computer-based visual psychophysical testing) in infants and children. I will discuss some unique strategies in order gain attention of children ranging from infants to preschoolers. The importance of the waiting area, use of colorful toys, appropriate use of tests and language are a few among many strategies for getting through a pediatric vision assessment. Based on my 9 years experience as a pediatric optometrist and a child vision researcher, these approaches has been quite successful in conducting hundreds of pediatric vision assessments. A friendly clinician equipped with interesting age appropriate tests and colorful toys along with some essential communication skills can easily conduct a thorough and efficient pediatric vision assessment.