The position of our eyes when looking straight ahead is called primary gaze position

The position of our eyes when looking straight ahead is called primary gaze position. Turning our eyes to various other directions (at an angle of about 30 °), gives us the secondary gaze positions, top, bottom, right and left.

We check all the eye positions to see whether a person squints. If the child is cooperative, he may be required to look towards or watch a toy that we place towards these positions.

In younger or uncooperative children, we can instead turn (gently and without causing discomfort to the child) its head towards different directions, while it is watching for instance a game or a TV screen which is in front of it.

The examination in all gaze positions must be complete (sometimes we test and oblique eye positions as upper-right, upper-left, etc.), because this will determine the type of treatment.