Parents often feel reassured when their child passes a school vision screening. It’s natural to think this means your child’s eyes are healthy and their vision is just fine. But here’s the truth: while school screenings play an important role, they’re not a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam.

School vision screenings are useful, but they only check basic distance vision and sometimes color vision. They often miss farsightedness, astigmatism, eye coordination, depth perception, and early eye health issues. In fact, up to 40% of children with vision problems can pass a school screening.

A comprehensive eye exam is different. An eye doctor tests how well the eyes work together, checks focusing skills, measures prescription, and examines overall eye health. Many children don’t report vision issues because they assume everyone sees the same way, so problems can go unnoticed without a full exam.

Experts recommend:

First eye exam at 6–12 months

At least one between ages 3–5

Before kindergarten, then every 1–2 years after

Bottom line: Passing a school screening doesn’t guarantee healthy vision. Regular comprehensive eye exams are the best way to protect your child’s sight, learning, and confidence.