How often should children's eyes be examined after their initial eye exam?

A. As with adults, children's eyes should be examined every two years — or more often — if there is an eye or vision problem or a family history of eye disease. School children use their eyes more often than adults to read and perform other activities, so it's critical for them to have regular eye exams. Also, it's important to remember that an eye screening typically offered at school only tests distance. Screenings will not detect some vision problems. Your child can have problems with near vision, eye coordination and focusing and still have 20/20 distance vision. If left untreated, these problems can cause learning disabilities, headaches and other visual discomforts.