Ayesha Malik, OD

Ayesha Malik, OD, is a pediatric optometrist in the Division of Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Dr. Malik became a pediatric optometrist for a very personal reason.

“As a child I never realized I had a vision problem until I failed a vision screening and then went for an eye exam and was prescribed glasses,” she says. “My world has been brighter from that day forward and now I have made it my life's work to ensure no other child is deprived of clear vision.”

While she enjoys working with children of all ages, Dr. Malik embraces the challenge of diagnosing and treating preschool children.

“Preschool children are not always able to reliably identify letters, so we have to use our objective skills to determine whether there is a vision problem that can be corrected by glasses,” she says.

She is also enthusiastic about technological advances and enhanced vision screenings by pediatricians and schools. This leads to earlier diagnoses of children with vision problems. As a result, providers like Dr. Malik are seeing children with amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, early enough to correct the condition.

“I am excited by the idea of using the power of refraction — bending of light — by way of glasses to help bring focused light into kids' eyes to help them see clearly,” she says. “Ultimately, clear vision in early childhood ensures each eye makes a connection with the part of the brain that is responsible for vision and, so through the work I do I play a role in the development of vision with the brain.”

Overall, Dr. Malik wants families to feel confident that their children receive the best possible care at CHOP.

“I hope that families come away knowing that we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure their child’s eyes are healthy and their visual development is optimized,” she says.