children’s eye exams
Our children’s eye exams are tailored to your child’s age and ability. Your child does not need to know the alphabet or know how to read in order to undergo an eye exam. For younger children, we use shapes, videos, and pictures to make the eye exam experience as engaging and fun as possible.
Children rely on their vision to help them learn and succeed. In fact, 80% of learning is visual. Regular eye exams allow us to monitor your child’s growth and development of their eyes and ensure they can see clearly and reach their full visual potential. Barrhaven Optometric Centre & Manotick Optometric Centre are proud participants in the EYE SEE…EYE LEARN© program for junior kindergarten kids. If a vision correction is required, your JK child will receive a complimentary pair of glasses.
How often does my child need an eye exam?
Children should undergo their first eye exam at 6 months old. After that, your child should see an optometrist once every year. OHIP covers one comprehensive eye exam per year for children 19 years old and under.
Does my child have a vision problem?
61% of Canadian parents mistakenly believe they would know if their child is having vision problems. While some children may present with symptoms such as poor reading skills and headaches, other children will have not symptoms nor recognize that they see differently from others. This is particularly true with amblyopia (also known as “lazy eye”) in which the child’s developing brain is favouring visual information from one stronger eye more than their other weaker eye. This is why regular eye exams are so important for proper visual development. Certain behaviours and symptoms however, can indicate a possible vision problem.
Symptoms of vision problems may include:
Squinting
Excessive blinking
Turning or tilting of the head
Excessive eye rubbing
Closing one eye to read or watch television
Sitting too close to the television or holding books close to their face
Wandering or “lazy” eye
Losing their place while reading, or using their finger as a guide
Complaining about not being able to see what you see
Red eyes
Frequent headaches