A Child's World in Focus
- Melissa Mitchell
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Aug 19, 2026
By Melissa Mitchell
Long before my daughter Lauren had a degree hanging on the wall of her exam room, she left clues about where she might be headed.
She was about seven years old when, one Halloween, she announced she wanted to be an optometrist.
Armed with her little doctor's kit and a tiny eye chart tucked into her pocket, she went to work checking her siblings' eyes.
Lauren remembers being fascinated by her own first eye exam—the equipment, the experience, and especially what happened when she received her first pair of glasses.
She could see clearly.
Years later, while attending Baylor University, Lauren originally planned to go to medical school, but by her senior year she realized it wasn't the right path for her. An internship with the optometrist she had visited as a child brought everything full circle.
She had found her career.
Today, Dr. Lauren Jensen is an optometrist and owner of Island Family Eyecare, where she cares for patients of all ages—and still checks her siblings' eyes, only now in an exam room of her own.
More Than Reading an Eye Chart
This time of year, children are heading back to classrooms with new backpacks, freshly sharpened pencils, and perhaps a few butterflies.
But there's something else they need to do their best in school.
They need to see clearly.
Lauren has volunteered with vision screenings at Seashore Charter Schools and knows their value, but she also explains their limitations. A child can pass a school vision screening and still have a vision problem. Screenings generally check distance vision, but they don't evaluate near vision, eye alignment, eye health, or many of the other things that can affect how comfortably and effectively a child sees.
Astigmatism is one example. A child's brain may compensate well enough that they appear to see normally, even when significant astigmatism is present.
Other problems can make it difficult for a child to keep both eyes aligned while reading or doing schoolwork.
Sometimes the clue isn't, “I can't see.”
Sometimes it's, “I don't like to read.”
The same thing can happen on the ball field. A child struggling to hit a baseball may discover that the problem isn't ability at all. Once the vision problem is corrected, suddenly seeing the ball—and hitting it—becomes a lot easier.
“Comprehensive eye exams are crucial to making sure our children are seeing their best before they enter the learning environment,” Lauren explained. “We need our eyes to be functioning to their fullest before we can read or learn to read.”
Lauren shared a story that shows just how closely a child's vision can be connected to what they're experiencing in life.
A little girl, about eight years old, had recently experienced a tremendous change in her life and had gone to live with her grandparents. She began experiencing blurry vision, limited peripheral vision, and difficulty reading and concentrating in school.
Lauren diagnosed her with Streff Syndrome, a rare condition in which psychological stress can produce very real changes in vision.
With reading glasses, therapy, reassurance, and plenty of love and support from the people caring for her, the little girl's symptoms improved.
Within six months, her visual acuity and peripheral vision had returned to normal.
Most importantly, the little girl felt happy and safe.
Sometimes caring for someone's eyes means seeing more than what appears on the chart.
Some signs of a vision problem are relatively easy to recognize—squinting, sitting very close to the television, frequently rubbing the eyes, or noticing one eye drifting inward or outward while a child is doing homework.
Others are easier to miss.
A child who avoids reading, complains of headaches, struggles to concentrate, or isn't performing as well as expected just may not be seeing comfortably or clearly.
Her advice to parents before another school year gets underway is simple:
“A good eye exam before school can set your child up for success.”
Caring for the Island
For Lauren, owning a practice on Padre Island means caring for the community she has called home since 2018. She loves being able to provide eye care for friends and neighbors—and there are definite advantages to working close to home.
In true Island fashion, she put it simply:
“Who wants to go OTB?”
I suspect most Islanders would agree.
Lauren's office manager, Jennifer, who also lives on the Island, is a licensed optician and a mom herself. Together, they want patients to feel welcomed and comfortable, with the time and attention they need—without feeling rushed.
For younger patients, even some of the intimidating parts of an eye exam have been made a little easier.
And if you happen to dread that infamous puff of air at the eye doctor, good news...
They don't have that.
Instead, they use an iCare device to check eye pressure, which Lauren says is gentler and less startling—something children and more than a few adults can appreciate.
Lauren also sees very young children, something not every optometry practice offers. Her pediatric training included working under Dr. Glenn Steele, her preceptor in optometry school and a highly regarded leader in children's vision care.
“I see patients of all ages,” Lauren said. “Infants–100+.”
A child may not always know how to explain that something doesn't look right. They may assume everyone sees the world exactly as they do.
Lauren knows a little something about that.
Years ago, she was the little girl with blurry vision fascinated by an eye exam and amazed by what happened when she put on her first pair of glasses.
Her world came into focus.
Today, she gets to help other children experience that same moment.
Island Family Eyecare is located at 14650 Compass Street, Suite 2, on Padre Island.
The Art of Island Life will return next week with more stories and coastal reflections.
Have a story to share or a cause close to your heart? I’d love to hear from you at contact@melissamitchellart.com
14646 Compass Street, Suite 10
The Island—Corpus Christi, Texas 78418
Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: 11a-4p
Friday & Saturday: 12p-4p
Closed Sunday & Monday
After-hours private shopping appointments may be arranged upon request, based on schedule availability.
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