When should children have their eyes tested?
Children should be screened early, in the preschool years, and again during school. Development of the visual system is largely complete in early childhood, which is why some findings matter much more when they are picked up young.
- Subject
- Children's eyes
- Topic
- Testing & screening
- Kind of question
- When…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
If there is a family history of squint, lazy eye or glasses in childhood, or if the child was born prematurely, an earlier examination is usually advised.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Children's eye health in Testing & screening . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026