Pediatric Eye Care in Thornton

Pediatric Eye Care in Thornton

Children's Eye Doctors - Dedicated to Helping Kids See Clearly

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Pediatric Eye Care: Why Is It Important?

  • Concerned that your baby’s eyesight may be hindering their development?
  • Do your toddler’s eyes appear misaligned?

Studies show that up to 10% of preschoolers have vision problems. However, kids generally aren't aware there's an issue, and don't complain about their eyes. It is therefore crucial to detect the first signs of vision problems before complications arise.

Give them the clear vision and healthy eyes they deserve by visiting our Thornton pediatric eye doctor at EyeCare Specialties of Colorado - Thornton.

boy getting eye exam


Safeguard Your Child’s Vision, Now and In the Future

Your Pediatric Eye Care Professional in Thornton

Our optometry practice in Thornton

Photograph of Joel Riggs
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • Thursday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Medicare
  • VSP
  • Spectera

4 Signs Your Child May Have a Vision Problem

  • Trouble seeing electronic screens

    Your child sits very close, tilts their head or squints to better see TVs, computer screens and other electronic screens.

  • Difficulty reading or following moving objects

    Your child often loses their place while reading, or can’t track a ball as it moves when playing sports.

  • Headaches & eye strain

    Your child complains of tired eyes or headaches after performing tasks that are visually intensive, such as reading or writing.

  • Missed milestones

    Your child may miss milestones such as crawling and walking, or show signs of poor depth perception.

For your child to successfully engage in sports and achieve their academic potential, they need to have healthy eyes and clear vision. The experienced and caring children's eye doctors at EyeCare Specialties of Colorado - Thornton will carefully examine their eyes and provide guidance to ensure your child’s healthy vision.


Pediatric Eye Exams: What You Need to Know

  • Baby’s First Eye Exam- 6 months old

    Though your baby won’t be able to speak yet, we can still assess their eye health. Is there anything abnormal about their eyes' appearance? Do the eyes move in unison? Can your baby’s eyes follow a toy or a familiar face in motion? Do they respond to light? Your child’s general eye health will be assessed for infection, or eye conditions such as an eye turn or potentially sight-threatening eye disease.

  • Eye Exams for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Ages 2 - 5

    At EyeCare Specialties of Colorado - Thornton we do our best to make eye exams fun for the little ones; we use toys and other fun objects where possible, and our eye charts for little kids feature colorful shapes or pictures that they’ll recognize. We check for poor depth perception, color vision problems, strabismus/amblyopia (eye turns/lazy eye), and problems with visual focusing. Our optometrist may dilate your preschooler’s pupils to get a better view of their retina, optic nerve and blood vessels.

  • Eye Exams of School-Age Kids: Ages 6 - 18

    For this age group, our eye care team will use advanced technologies to assess refractive errors and determine how well the visual system is functioning. This includes checking for difficulties with distance and near vision and signs of eye disease, eye-coordination problems or other health conditions.

Patient Reviews
4.8
533 Reviews
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- Mar. 18, 2024
I have been searching for a new eye place and finally found it! The staff are all around excellent, ... kind and knowledgeable. They answered questions I didn't even know to ask. If you are looking for great care try them out. I will be a lifelong customer for sure!
- Mar. 16, 2024
Great experience here! Dr. Riggs was awesome!!
- Mar. 13, 2024
Staff, especially Michael, were extremely helpful, friendly, and engaging. They were very patient wi... th me going over the best combination of benefits for my veteran and employment insurance. There is a large selection of frames to choose from and Michael explained to me the quality of each additional coating for glasses. The physician and tech were thorough, answered my questions in detail, and were timely with exams. I also like that frames are delivered directly to your house.
- Mar. 13, 2024
I wished they would assemble the glasses on location. It would make it even better
- Mar. 12, 2024
I would recommend these people to everyone, they are great
- Mar. 07, 2024
Great people. My family goes here and will continue to do so.
- Mar. 02, 2024
Eyecare Specialties of Colorado has an amazing,knowledgeable,helpful,caring staff! Thank you!
- Feb. 28, 2024
While the whole stave is wonderful and very helpful, Allie is the best. I had some insurance issues ... and she was helpful from the start. Dr. Riggs was wonderful as well. Took time to explain what he was seeing and wasn’t in any hurry to get out the door and onto the next patient he took his time and was very thorough. They even help exchange The lenses after a week of me, not being able to get used to them. I will be back for a pair of prescription sunglasses!
- Feb. 26, 2024
Awesome eye doctor office. Everyone was super helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Highly recommend...
- Feb. 21, 2024
Dr Joel Riggs was very patient and informative of the examination. I value the information of my eye... care and the staff was also accommodating and friendly.
- Feb. 13, 2024
This place is definitely a 4.8, not quite perfect, but definitely better than a 4 star review. Custo... mer service is really good, and the people there have a sense of humor as well as professionalism. The reason why they're not quite perfect is purely aesthetic. Some of the walls look like they need cleaning and a paint job, which can give off the wrong impression, but that's just surface level really. My experience here was top notch, again great customer service with staff that has a good sense of humor and seem like they care about your experience there. If you asked me if I'd return, I definitely would!
- Feb. 09, 2024
I have had glasses for all of my adult life, and have never been treated as well as I did here! Dr.... Riggs made me feel comfortable and empowered, giving me great insights and opinions on everything from lasek to cataracts. We also had a blast chatting about nerdy things and what the best sci-fi movies were. He's awesome! Not only was everyone super friendly, but it felt like I had an entire team to give me advice and help me choose the best glasses. That was above and beyond for me. My usual experience at any other eyeglass store has always been on my own, and because I don't know the ins and outs of glasses, I would usually just choose a pair that looked like my old pair did. At EyeCare Specialties of Colorado, I had an entirely new experience. The staff helped me break out of my mold (of always buying black framed glasses) and helped me to find a pair that matched my skintone and looked fresh (with colors and even sparkles)! It really felt like I was being cared for and had a team on my side to get me the perfect pair of glasses! (Thanks Steve and team!!!) This is the ONLY eye doctor and glasses location I will ever go to again!
- Feb. 02, 2024
Very professional.
- Feb. 02, 2024
Very professional and friendly! Excellent service!!!
- Jan. 27, 2024
I love this office! Such friendly and knowledgeable people. I can’t wait to go back. 🙂
- Jan. 23, 2024
Very thorough eye examination with excellent eye doctor. Friendly office staff and clean facilities....
- Jan. 19, 2024
Dr. Joel Riggs provides the best eye 👀 care!! He is professional & makes the whole experience fun... 😊 I highly recommend him! We specifically came to this location just because of him!
- Jan. 18, 2024
If you have eye-care needs, this is the place you need to be! Dr. Hieb and the staff will take care ... of you with dedication and professionalism, and you will leave with a much improved view of the world! We will be back!
- Jan. 14, 2024
Thank you for service your team provides for my family
- Dec. 14, 2023
The staff and doctors are very helpful and knowledgeable and treat you very well. They thoroughly ex... plain your options and answer any questions that you have, and make sure you are completely satisfied.

View All 533 Reviews

Pediatric Eye Care FAQs

How do you take care of kids
  • Make sure they wear sunglasses and a hat to protect their eyes from dangerous UV rays when outside.
  • Increase the time they spend outdoors. 
  • Make sure they eat their fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies high in lutein and zeaxanthin have been found to protect eyes from free radical damage.
  • Schedule regular pediatric eye exams. Detecting and treating eye conditions and diseases commonly found in children, such as strabismus and amblyopia, can help prevent unnecessary struggles and vision problems later in life. The pediatric eye doctor will also check your child’s vision for refractive errors and visual skill deficiencies that might hinder your child’s development.
At what age should I bring my child for their first eye exam?

Our pediatric eye professionals recommend you bring your child in for their first eye exam at around 6 months of age. This allows your child’s eye doctor to check that their vision is progressing as expected. Early detection and treatment of certain conditions at this stage of development are essential for keeping your child’s vision and eye health on track, and can help prevent complications as they grow up.

Can I use Ortho-K lenses if I have dry eye syndrome?

While kids may wear glasses from as early as a few months of age, most kids who wear glasses tend to get them between the ages of 6 and 12. The three main conditions for which they wear eyeglasses are myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.


eye exam for kids in Thornton

Your child deserves to see the world clearly!

EyeCare Specialties of Colorado - Thornton pediatric eye doctors can help.

Schedule Eye Exam