Help Your Child Love Their Eyes

Good eyesight plays a vital part in your child’s development and growth. Visual learning accounts for 80% of all learning during the first twelve years of life. Since 25% of school-aged children experience vision problems, it’s important to bring your child for regular eye exams so they can reach their full potential.

Children may not be able to vocalize or even recognize vision problems themselves. By following the eye exam schedule recommended by your optometrist, vision problems and eye health concerns can be caught early enough so that corrective steps can be taken before permanent damage is done.

We believe that establishing a relationship between your child and their optometrist early in life will help them learn how to take proper care of their eyes through adulthood. We want to make taking your child to the eye doctor as simple as possible, so we offer comprehensive children’s eye exams at convenient hours to suit your schedule.

When to Take Your Child for an Eye Exam

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that children receive their first eye exam between 6 months and 9 months, their second eye exam between the ages of 2 and 5, another exam before they begin school, and then an exam every year once they start school until they turn 19. To help parents cover the expense of annual eye exams and to help Alberta’s children maintain strong and healthy eyes, Alberta Health Care covers annual eye exams for children under 19.

What Happens During a Children’s Eye Exam

Depending on the age and associated risk of each child, the actual process of an eye exam will vary. Everyone is different, and we like to get to know each of our patients so we can personalize the exam to fit their specific needs. However, the following is what to expect in general for a child’s eye exam:

Infants

At this age, your eye doctor will check to ensure your child’s eyes are developing normally. They will also look for warning signs of eye disease like retinoblastoma or cataracts, and signs of refractive errors (vision problems that require a prescription). They’ll also look at the general health of the eyes and the internal pressure of the eyes which, if too high, can cause optic nerve damage. Lastly, your optometrist will check eye coordination and alignment.

Preschoolers

It is highly recommended that your child undergoes at least one comprehensive eye exam before they start school. If vision problems are left untreated, your child may experience problems learning. There are also a number of eye conditions that are easier to correct at a young age such as amblyopia, or lazy eyes.

In addition to determining whether your child’s eyes are still developing normally, testing at this age will look at visual acuity, the need for glasses, potential eye conditions, and colourblindness.

If your optometrist determines that your child requires corrective lenses, the Eye See…Eye Learn® program developed by the Alberta Association of Optometrists will supply your child with a free pair of glasses.

School-Aged Children

As children grow, their eyes develop and change quickly which means they could develop vision issues in the space of a year without experiencing any problems the year before. Untreated vision problems can lead to learning difficulties, frustration, and even low self-esteem.

If your child has trouble seeing properly, they will have to work harder to see what other children do not struggle to see at all. Annual eye exams for your child between the ages of 5 and 19 can help catch eye disease or vision problems before they have the chance to negatively impact your child’s education or health.

Signs to Look For

It can be difficult to know if and when your child is experiencing vision problems. Below are some common indicators that can suggest your child may be struggling to see:

Rubbing or covering one or both eyes
Squinting
Avoiding reading
Head tilting
Clumsiness
Frequent headaches or fatigue

We are dedicated to providing your child with exceptional care. Please call to book your child an appointment, no matter their symptoms or age!

Children’s Eye Exams in Medicine Hat, AB

Help Your Child Love Their Eyes

When to Take Your Child for an Eye Exam

What Happens During a Children’s Eye Exam

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