Children

Focusing on Healthy Development

Regular eye exams can detect health problems and conditions such as a turned or lazy eye in the early stages. These conditions may be treated successfully if an optometrist diagnoses them early in a child’s life; if they go undetected, they can lead to permanent sight loss.

To help children maintain healthy vision, they should have their eyes examined at six months of age, at three years of age and then every twelve months or as recommended by your optometrist.

For more information on children's vision and eye exams for children, visit the website of our Eye See... Eye Learn Program by clicking here.

Eye examinations can be done at any age, even before your child knows how to speak – let alone knows the alphabet.

 Your child’s vision is vital in developing skills such as:

  • Reading
  • Copying
  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Social skills


More than 80%  of learning is done through the eyes

Children with poor vision often find it difficult to focus on their work and may be misdiagnosed as having a learning or behavioural disability

One in six children has a vision problem significant enough to impair their ability to learn.

Regular Eye Examinations are Crucial


Make sure children are prepared to succeed by having their eyes examined before they start school.

Often, there are no signs that a child has a vision problem, making regular eye examinations very important. Young children do not have the experience necessary to know what is normal as far as their vision is concerned; they often assume that everyone sees things the way they do.

Vision screening programs are no longer a common practice, and are not a replacement for a comprehensive examination by an optometrist; in fact, as many as 43% of children with vision problems may be able to pass a basic vision screening.

Regular eye exams can detect health problems and conditions such as a turned or lazy eye in the early stages. These conditions may be treated successfully if an optometrist diagnoses them early in a child’s life; if they go undetected, they can lead to permanent sight loss.

To help children maintain healthy vision, they should have their eyes examined at six months of age, at three years of age and then every twelve months or as recommended by your optometrist.

For more information on children's vision and eye exams for children, visit the website of our Eye See... Eye Learn Program by clicking here.

Vision Screenings vs. Eye Examinations

Eye examinations can be done at any age, even before your child knows how to speak – let alone knows the alphabet. Vision screenings are often no longer done in schools by public health nurses. A screening does not replace a comprehensive eye examination, it only tries to identify at risk children and identify the basics of visual acuity. Even with a vision screening it is important to have your child's eyes examined by an optometrist - and OHIP covers eye exams for all those under 20 years of age.

After your child's eye examination, you should know the essentials including:
  
1. If your child has good depth perception
2. If your child has good colour vision
3. If your child's eyes are healthy
4. If your child can focus well
5. If your child's eyes are working together

One of the most important aspects of the full and comprehensive optometric eye exam is the ability to assess overall eye and vision health. There are many causal factors that may contribute to vision challenges and only your optometrist is trained to help identify these factors.

For more information on children's vision and eye exams for children, visit the website of our Eye See... Eye Learn Program by clicking here.