WELCOME!
Welcome to Artisan Pediatric Eyecare where we believe good eye health starts young. Our pediatric eye care services are widely recognized as being among the finest available in the Pacific Northwest. That's why Artisan Pediatric Eyecare is the Treasure Valley's first choice for pediatric eye care.
Residency Trained Pediatric Eye Doctors
Unlike other optometrists, our doctors have completed residency training in pediatric eye care and neuro-optometry. This advanced training uniquely qualifies our doctors to diagnose and treat vision conditions affecting children of all ages. Our doctors routinely treat complex refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism), eye infections, and pediatric vision conditions (such as amblyopia and strabismus). Early intervention and treatment is important for many pediatric eye conditions, which is why our doctors begin seeing children in the first year of life.
The eye doctors at Artisan Pediatric Eyecare are dedicated to providing excellence in a full-range of children's vision services in a warm, child friendly environment. So whether your child has net yet had an eye exam, has recently failed a vision screening at school or at the pediatrician's office, or has an on-going vision condition that requires expert care – Artisan Pediatric Eyecare is for you.
Age-Appropriate Eye Exams
Should you take your children to a family eye doctor or a specialized pediatric eye doctor? As you would expect, pediatric eye care is very different from an eye exam for an adult.
Seeing a residency-trained pediatric optometrist is your best bet. A pediatric optometrist has the skills and qualifications to diagnose and treat conditions specific to children because a residency-trained pediatric optometrist sees pediatric patients all day everyday, while a general optometrist may see only a handful of children over the course of an entire week.
It is important to remember that children are not just small adults. They can't always verbalize what is bothering them. They can't always participate in the eye exam or respond to “which is better, 1 or 2” in the same way that adults can. Residency-trained pediatric optometrists know how to examine and work with children in a way that encourages engagement and cooperation.
More importantly, residency-trained pediatric optometrists know how to complete a comprehensive eye exam even if their patient is less than cooperative, doesn't yet know the alphabet, or is non-verbal.
Our pediatric eye doctors provide comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and age appropriate treatment options for your child. Our doctors can perform eye exams and testing for children of any age, even if your child does not know their letters or how to read, has special needs, or is non-verbal.
Whether your child is an infant or a teenager, Artisan Pediatric Eyecare is your best choice. The eye doctors at Artisan Pediatric Eyecare provide specialized care for all aspects of ocular conditions affecting children. Our doctors are in-network with most insurances so it doesn't cost more to bring your child to the residency trained pediatric eye doctors at Artisan Pediatric Eyecare.
To learn more about why you should choose a residency trained pediatric eye doctor, visit our patient education center.
What’s the Right Age for an Eye Exam?
Wondering when you should schedule an eye exam for your child? It is recommended that every child have their first eye exam prior to their first birthday, typically 6 to 9 months of age. This is because vision affects childhood development.
Just like well checks with the pediatrician or check-ups with the pediatric dentist, there is a recommended schedule for children's eye exams with a pediatric eye doctor:
- Infants: 6 to 9 months of age
- Pre-schoolers: 3 to 3 ½ years of age
- School age: prior to entering kindergarten
If you missed scheduling that first recommended eye exam, it's not too late.
In addition to testing visual acuity and evaluating ocular health, a pediatric eye doctor assesses eye alignment and visual function. That's why so many parents seek out eye doctors with advanced, post-graduate training in pediatric vision care.
A few important points:
- 80% of learning is visual
- Approximately 65% of the population are visual learners
- A vision check with the pediatrician does not replace an eye exam with a pediatric eye doctor
- A child's eye exam is very different from an adult eye exam
- Not all eye doctors have post-graduate training in pediatric vision care
To learn more about the timeline for children’s eye exams and why regular vision care is important, visit our eye exam timeline page.
Call our office at 208-900-3336 to schedule an appointment. Our doctors can update your child's health record with your primary care physician or pediatrician, and ensure that your child's vision and ocular health is under the care of pediatric vision experts.
We look forward to seeing you!