Examinations & Evaluations

Eye Exams and Vision Evaluations for Every Age

We provide functional vision evaluations for infants, children and adults. Please read the full description of each evaluation before scheduling.

Infants, children & adults 4 South Florida offices Fees published up front
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Watch: short videos

Why Families Come Here

Developmental Eye Exams

Dr. Christina Murray is a board-certified developmental optometrist with an additional fellowship in vision development — one of the very few specialists with this advanced training in South Florida.

We care about your child's eyesight and ocular health, and also about how their vision affects their motor skills, their academic abilities and their overall daily activities. Evaluating how visual challenges may be affecting learning, coordination and everyday experiences is what lets us give a child the support they need to reach their full potential — individualized care that goes beyond a standard eye exam.

A young child in the exam chair holding an occluder over one eye during a cover test
Cover test — how the two eyes align and work together.
A child looking through a phoropter during an eye examination
Refraction — whether a lens prescription would help.
A handheld retinal camera held up to a child's eye, the retinal image showing on its screen
Retinal imaging — handheld, so it works at every age.
And We Are Doing a Lot More

Standard Eye Exam vs. Developmental Eye Exam

Both check eye health and prescription. Only one measures how the eyes work together for reading, learning and sport.

What gets tested Standard eye exam Developmental eye exam
Eye health check Included Included
Refraction Included Included
Retinal imaging Additional fee Included — handheld, for all ages
Depth perception Not included Included
Convergence Not included Included
Eye teaming skills Not included Included
Eye focusing skills Not included Included
Eye tracking skills Not included Included
Primitive reflex screening Not included Under 6 years
Visual processing screening Not included Over 6 years

More on the difference, in plain language: comprehensive eye exam vs. developmental eye exam and what school vision screenings miss. If you are not sure whether an evaluation is warranted at all, start with the signs and symptoms we see most often.

Vision Evaluations

Choose the Evaluation That Fits

Jump straight to the one you were referred for, or read them all before scheduling.

  1. Developmental Vision Evaluation

    $550 About 100-minute evaluation

    For children, teens and college students — to determine whether deficiencies in the visual system are causing challenges in reading, learning or behavior.

    Evaluation includes

    Not sure this is the right evaluation for your child? Take our interactive symptom checklist, or call (561) 462-1245 to speak with our vision therapy coordinator.

  2. Binocular Vision Evaluation (Adult)

    $350 1-hour evaluation

    For anyone referred to the office for additional testing on their visual system. We evaluate lazy eye (amblyopia), eye turns (strabismus), double vision, traumatic brain injury, concussions, vestibular disorders and computer vision syndrome. We are happy to evaluate any patient looking for a more in-depth vision evaluation.

    Evaluation includes

  3. Amblyopia / Strabismus / Binocular Evaluation (Under 4 Years)

    $250 1-hour evaluation

    For children under the age of 4 who have been referred to the office for additional testing on their visual system. We evaluate lazy eye (amblyopia), eye turns (strabismus) and any other concerns raised by other healthcare providers. We are happy to evaluate any patient looking for a more in-depth vision evaluation.

    Evaluation includes

  4. Comprehensive Eye Exam

    $150 About 40 minutes

    Includes an eye health evaluation, refraction, binocular vision evaluation, visual field and color testing. Watch the eye exam overview video with your child to see what to expect.

    Book a comprehensive eye exam and choose your office during booking.

  5. Corneal Health Assessment & Lens Fitting

    $100–$175 about 20 additional minutes

    Needed every year, not just the first time: it checks that your corneas are staying healthy in contact lenses and renews your contact lens prescription. Includes the fitting, a trial of lenses and one follow-up visit. The fee depends on the lens: $100 for daily or spherical soft lenses, up to $175 for custom lenses. First-time wearers also have a $50 insertion and removal training visit. Learn more about our contact lens evaluations.

  6. Same Day Glasses

    From $200 frames and lenses in office

    We keep a variety of infant, kid and adult frames to choose from, with simple lens options.

  7. Additional Binocular and Visual Processing Testing

    $400 1 hour of testing

    Additional testing, if it is indicated following the Comprehensive Eye Exam. Here is why a visual processing evaluation may be warranted.

    Evaluation includes

  8. 504 / IEP Meeting Attendance

    $150 per 30 minutes

    Request for Dr. Murray to discuss the diagnosis and classroom accommodations with your child's teacher and school administration.

Schedule an Evaluation Special Needs Eye Exams Meet Our Doctors
What to Expect

What to Expect at Your Child's Eye Exam

When Should My Child Have Their Eyes Checked?

Childhood is an important time in the development of the eyes, and it is vital that children are seen early and regularly. A child's eyes continue to develop until around the age of 12, and during these formative years many problems that would otherwise result in lifelong vision deficiencies can be diagnosed and corrected.

Eye exams for children should begin before the age of 3, and children should be seen yearly until at least the age of 18, because vision can change rapidly during these years.

Here is a short video to watch with your child, so they know what to expect before they arrive.

Eye Exam Overview — a walk through a visit at Vision & Learning Center, from the first questions to the testing itself.
1

Schedule

Book online or call. We'll tell you what to bring and roughly how long to plan for — visits run from about 40 minutes to 100 minutes depending on the type.

2

Comprehensive Testing

The doctor measures the full set of visual skills — well beyond an eye chart — using age-appropriate techniques, so even young children can give reliable answers.

3

Findings Review

We walk you through what we found in plain language, with time for your questions.

4

Individualized Recommendations

If care is needed you get a specific plan: therapy, lenses, co-management with your other providers, and a timeline.

Cost & Insurance

Straight Talk About Insurance

Our most frequently asked question is whether we take vision insurance. We are an out-of-network provider, so payment is due at the time of service — and for most families the total still comes out lower than using their benefits somewhere else. Here is the whole picture.

Do you take my vision insurance?

The short answer is no — but let us explain why. Vision plans are marketed as a way to save money, but in practice they work more like discount plans that limit the scope and quality of the care you receive. As a Los Angeles Times article describes, many plans dictate which services can be provided and at what level of care, often prioritizing cost savings over comprehensive care. We don't cut corners or reduce the quality of our testing to fit inside insurance guidelines. Instead we look at eye health and eye teaming, focusing, tracking and visual processing — the areas a standard insurance-covered exam overlooks.

Do you take medical insurance?

Vision & Learning Center is considered out of network on all medical insurance plans. If a medical diagnosis is found during your child's evaluation, we provide all of the procedure and diagnosis codes so you can submit them to your medical plan for possible reimbursement.

Can I still use my vision plan benefits here?

For comprehensive eye exams, yes. We are an open-access provider on all vision insurance plans. Open access means we are not in network, but we can still provide you with services and materials and you can still use your benefits and coverage. Contact the office and we will help you check what your plan allows.

What if I don't have vision insurance?

We are happy to see you as a cash-pay patient at the fees listed above. Payment options include CareCredit, FSA and HSA.

How much would my plan reimburse me?

If you do have a plan, we can give you a fee slip to submit for a reimbursement check. Typical reimbursement rates are $50–$75 for an eye exam, $30–$40 for single vision lenses and $70–$80 for frames — a total of roughly $150 to $195. These amounts vary by plan, so it is always worth checking your own plan details to confirm the exact rates.

Here Is the Truth

This is the "typical annual savings" example a vision plan advertises — one comprehensive exam, frames, single vision lenses and two lens enhancements over a year.

Item Without insurance With a VSP plan Savings
Comprehensive exam$205$15$190
Frames$244$75$169
Rx lenses (single vision)$111$25$86
Anti-glare$155$85$70
Polycarbonate$63$35$28
Annual plan cost—$204−$204
Total$778$439$339

And here is the same list at our offices.

Item Vision & Learning Center With a VSP plan elsewhere
Comprehensive exam$150$15 copay
Frames$100$75
Single vision lenses$50$25
Anti-glareIncluded in lens cost$85
PolycarbonateIncluded in lens cost$35
Annual plan cost None — or your plan sends you a reimbursement check of $150–$195 $204
Total$300$439

Once the $150–$195 your plan typically reimburses comes back to you, the out-of-pocket cost here works out at roughly $105–$150, against $235 using your plan at another office ($439 total, less the $204 you have already paid in annual premiums). You also get the more thorough exam: we do not reduce the testing to fit an insurer's rules, and we hand you a detailed receipt so you can seek reimbursement yourself.

Every evaluation fee is listed on the cards above. Payment plans, CareCredit, Step Up for Students, the pay-in-full discount and the questions worth asking your insurer are all on our cost & price page. If you would rather just ask, call (561) 462-1245 or send us a message — we will give you clear numbers before you book.

Our Offices

A Clean, Beautiful Office Built for Families

All of this happens in offices designed specifically to cater to families with children. Take a look around before your visit — addresses, maps and hours for all four offices are on our locations page.

Coconut Creek office tour
Boynton Beach office tour
Go Deeper

More on Exams and Evaluations

What a developmental evaluation tests that a routine exam and a school screening do not.

Not Sure Which Evaluation You Need?

Take the symptom checklist and bring the result with you, or call and our vision therapy coordinator will point you to the right evaluation.

Schedule an Evaluation Take the Symptom Checklist