Children Eye Health Exam
Did you know that all children in Ontario are covered for FREE eye exams annually by OHIP? The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends vision and eye health examinations starting at 6-12 months old. Our eye doctors are experienced in paediatric optometry and recommend eye examinations annually for all children. Annual checkups ensure your child’s visual development is on track so they are ready to learn.
Eye See Eye Learn
As members of the Ontario Association of Optometrists, our doctors participate in the Eye See Eye Learn program, providing FREE eye examinations and FREE eyeglasses to children in junior kindergarten. The Eye See…Eye Learn® program was developed to raise awareness among parents of the importance of having their children’s eyes checked upon starting school. Each year thousands of children start school without ever having an eye exam.
Children, who cannot see the board, focus on a picture or follow words in a book may struggle to achieve their full learning potential. Vision problems can also impact their hand-eye coordination for physical activities and even impact their social development. In fact, 80 percent of learning comes directly through vision.
The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) recognizes the important link between eye health and learning, and recommends comprehensive eye examinations for all children entering kindergarten. The Eye See…Eye Learn® program will help make sure our kindergarten students get the best start to learning.
The program is funded in part by the Government Ontario.
Eye See…Eye Learn® provides comprehensive eye exams by local Doctors of Optometry to junior kindergarten students in participating school regions. The eye exams are covered under provincial health insurance (or OHIP) when you show your child’s health card. This means that there is no out-of-pocket cost for the eye exam.
*PLEASE CONTACT US DIRECTLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND MORE DETAILS.
Eye Tips For Kids
- Visit one of our clinics for your OHIP covered annual eye health exam. Remember, school vision screenings are not a replacement for annual visits to your Optometrist! Our eye care professionals will monitor your vision and eye health to ensure you’re seeing the best for success. Our expertise and advice will help find the best visual solutions that meet every child’s individual needs.
- Wear sunglasses! Sunglasses shield your eyes from harmful UV rays which affect our vision and eye health even from childhood.
- More than 2.5 million eye injuries occur every year globally. Fortunately, 90% of those eye injuries could have been prevented with the use of protective eyewear. In order to better protect yourself and your family, ask us about protective eyewear for sport, activity or everyday.
- High energy blue light is emitted from fluorescent lighting, the sun and digital devices. In high amounts, this light can increase symptoms of eyestrain and fatigue. Ask us about KODAK Blue Light Filtering Lenses and how it can help.
Eye Facts For Kids
- Approximately 80% of a child’s learning is done through vision (Source: Canadian Association of Optometrists).
- 60% of students identified as problem learners have undetected vision troubles (Source: Canadian Association of Optometrists).
- At 6 months, an eye doctor can spot if the infant’s eyes are developing normally and whether early treatment can prevent bigger problems down the road.
- Around 2-3 years old, a more comprehensive exam can be done.
- The most important eye exams, however, are during school years as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism can change quickly in that time.
- A child who cannot see clearly may exhibit signs of inattention or irritability. As such, Dr. Cassandra Chung always recommends an eye exam as the first protocol in diagnosing concerns for a child’s classroom behaviour.
- Squinting, holding things up close, or using one eye are obvious signs that your child may require vision correction. However, many children exhibit no signs or symptoms for their underlying vision issues. The only way to determine if a child is on track for their visual development is to have an assessment with an eye doctor.
- Did you know? Your eyes are composed of roughly 2 million working parts. Heterochromia is when the eyes are two different colors.
- Did you know? It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Your eyes will focus on about 50 things per second. Your eyes contribute to 85% of your total knowledge.
Eye Facts
- 4.6 billion people worldwide require vision correction but 2.5 billion of them continue to live with uncorrected vision problems (Source: Essilor Academy Canada).
- Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world (Source: Think About Your Eyes).
- 90% of people who work more than 3 hours a day on a computer suffer from visual fatigue (Source: Essilor Vision Foundation).
- This year, only 1 in 10 people will have an eye exam (Source: Essilor Vision Foundation).
- More than 1 million Canadians are living with blindness or a significant loss of vision; 510,000 are in Ontario. 75% of vision loss can be treated or prevented (Source: CNIB.ca).
- 90% of skin cancer occurs on the face and neck, with 5-10% occurring on the eyelids (Source: Essilor- UV Protection Essential to Vision Health).
- 31% of Canadians only go for eye exams once every 5 years or less (Source: National Post).
- 80% of vision problems or impairment worldwide are avoidable or even curable / correctable (Source: VSP).
- The eyes are the only place in the body where it is possible to look at the most microscopic blood vessels in the body in real time, non-invasively. As such, your eye doctor can detect early symptoms of serious health conditions such as diabetes.