Accurate and healthy vision is crucial for a child’s physical development, success in academic endeavours, and overall well-being.
Routine vision and eye examination are covered by Alberta Health Care for children 18 years and younger. According to experts, 80% of learning is visual, which means that if your child is having difficulty seeing clearly, his or her learning can be affected. This also goes for infants who develop and learn about the world around them through their sense of sight. To ensure that your children have the visual resources they need to grow and develop normally, their eyes and vision should be regularly checked by an optometrist.
Accurate and healthy vision is crucial for a child’s physical development, success in academic endeavors, and overall well-being.
Routine vision and eye examination are covered by Alberta Health Care for children 18 years and younger. According to experts, 80% of learning is visual, which means that if your child is having difficulty seeing clearly, his or her learning can be affected. This also goes for infants who develop and learn about the world around them through their sense of sight. To ensure that your children have the visual resources they need to grow and develop normally, their eyes and vision should be regularly checked by an optometrist.
A child should have their first eye exam around 6 months of age, although your optometrist is happy to see patients of any age if there are ever any concerns. A child’s eye exam will typically include a review of ocular and medical history, ocular health assessment, binocular vision assessment, and assessment of refractive error.
We are happy to see children once a year for routine exams, but can always see patients whenever needed if there are ever any problems or concerns.
Once a child begins school it is important that they have comprehensive eye examinations once a year. Visual acuity (sharpness of vision, like 20/20, for example) is tested as soon as the child is old enough to read letters or identify shapes on an eye chart. However there is more to a child’s vision than whether they can “see 20/20”. For example, many children are farsighted (hyperopic) but will not complain about blurry vision at any distance. While most children will not require glasses or other vision correction, regular eye examinations are still important.
- Holding books too close, or sitting close to the TV
- Headaches
- Squinting or closing/covering an eye to try and see better
- Frequent blinking
- Frequent eye rubbing
- An eye that seems to turn inwards or outwards
- Shortened attention span
- Frequently losing their place when reading or copying from the board
- Becomes nervous or irritable when asked to read
- Red, crusted, or swollen eyes or eyelids
- Apparent eye infection
Even if your child is not experiencing any of these symptoms, comprehensive eye exams are still important for overall health and to ensure your child’s vision is developing normally. We recommend that every child six months of age and older have a yearly eye exam.
- Holding books too close, or sitting close to the TV
- Headaches
- Squinting or closing/covering an eye to try and see better
- Frequent blinking
- Frequent eye rubbing
- An eye that seems to turn inwards or outwards
- Shortened attention span
- Frequently losing their place when reading or copying from the board
- Becomes nervous or irritable when asked to read
- Red, crusted, or swollen eyes or eyelids
- Apparent eye infection
Even if your child is not experiencing any of these symptoms, comprehensive eye exams are still important for overall health and to ensure your child’s vision is developing normally. We recommend that every child six months of age and older have a yearly eye exam.
River City Eye Care optometrists will perform a thorough internal and external eye health evaluation. He or she will use specialized, age-appropriate instruments, testing procedures, and technologies that provide accurate results independent of your child’s response.
A child’s eye exam will typically involve assessment of:
- Distance and near vision (“visual acuity”)
- Binocular vision (the eye alignment and working together as a team)
- Colour vision
- Refractive status (whether they need glasses and if so, how strong)
- Ocular Health status (both internal and external)
River City Eye Care optometrists will perform a thorough internal and external eye health evaluation. He or she will use specialized, age-appropriate instruments, testing procedures, and technologies that provide accurate results independent of your child’s response.
A child’s eye exam will typically involve assessment of:
- Distance and near vision (“visual acuity”)
- Binocular vision (the eye alignment and working together as a team)
- Colour vision
- Refractive status (whether they need glasses and if so, how strong)
- Ocular Health status (both internal and external)
In another effort to reduce or eliminate the barrier of cost when it comes to vision care, any kindergarten-aged child in Alberta who has had a comprehensive eye exam carried out by a doctor of optometry and been determined to need glasses is provided with a free pair.
The best part? There are no forms or hoops to jump through! Simply book an appointment with our optometrist and let them know you would like to take part in Eye See…Eye Learn. It’s that simple.
In another effort to reduce or eliminate the barrier of cost when it comes to vision care, any kindergarten-aged child in Alberta who has had a comprehensive eye exam carried out by a doctor of optometry and been determined to need glasses is provided with a free pair.
The best part? There are no forms or hoops to jump through! Simply book an appointment with our optometrist and let them know you would like to take part in Eye See…Eye Learn. It’s that simple.