At Visionary Eye Care we love to see children of all ages! A large percentage of infant and childhood learning is related to the eyes. In addition to being optometrists, Dr. Metzger and Dr. Gates also are mothers, thus vision and its link to learning is near and dear to our hearts. Dr. Metzger grew up with strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye). She is also very farsighted with astigmatism. Thus, Dr. Metzger relates firsthand to vision related learning challenges and is passionate about helping children gain optimal vision and visual functioning. Usually a farsighted child will pass the school vision screening because he or she can see distance. That same child also will most likely be able to see to read and to look at screens due to the ability to focus. Yet this focusing is using up a lot of energy and adding stress to the eyes. The result may be short attention span, avoidance of near tasks, inability to want to sit inside or in a classroom, headaches, fatigue, sometimes even nausea. As time goes on, this child may fall behind in school. This same child often loves physical activity since the eyes are then focused at a distance rather than a book or screen. As optometrists and parents, we want all children to have a healthy balance of physical activity and near task learning. Dr. Metzger sees children from 6-12 months old for InfantSee screenings. Then, starting at age 2 years old, a comprehensive eye exam is recommended annually. The summertime before a new school year is always a good time for a child’s eye exam!
Dr. Anne Metzger in Kindergarten