A baby’s first eye examination should take place when he or she is six months old. At this age, optometrists can check for symptoms of eye diseases like crossed-eyes and lazy eye and can make certain that a baby's vision skills, such as eye-hand coordination, are developing properly. The next examination should take place at age three, when a child's visual system undergoes its most rapid development and vision correction is most effective. School-age children should receive an eye exam before entering kindergarten and annually after that.