Comments on: Pediatric Optometrist Or Opthamologist? My 6 Year Had A Weak Score For Visual Perception On School Test?

By: dino

dino — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:47 +0000

I take a quick trip to a optometrist, they probably don’t need to be specialized. My youngest had this problem with the school administered tests, then scored perfectly on the one in the doc’s office everytime.

By: notsayin

notsayin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:33:30 +0000

An optometrist can give you the information that you need. They are trained for visual perception, but if your child has other concerns that might be the cause of this, and might need further testing, an opthamologist would be better. Basically the only difference is the opthalmologist can do surgery on the eye. (I’m sure that there are a few other reasons too)

By: ??Mrs SSG B??

??Mrs SSG B?? — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:28:40 +0000

I would start with the optometrist, have them perform a thorough examination, and based on those results, go from there. Its possible he/she just needs a pair of glasses. If its something that requires a specialist, your optometrist will refer you to someone.

By: your optometrist

your optometrist — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:14:32 +0000

First take your child to the neurologist to see if there are any physical neurological problems that need to be addressed. If there are no neurological problems, then see a pediatric optometrist.
Pediatric optometrists, also called behavioral optometrists, specialize in visual perceptual problems. Ophthalmologists and some pediatric optometrists do not. They will generally be checking to see if a child needs glasses and if the eyes are healthy. A behavioral optometrist will do special tests that address the visual perceptual issues. For more information on visual percectual problems and how they can affect your child and to find a qualified behavioral optometrist go to http://www.children-special-needs.org/. Feel free to email me if you have further questions or I can be of service.