Children’s Eye Exams | River Valley Eye Care

When Do Children Need Eye Exams?

Based on guidelines from the Canadian Association of Optometrists, RVEC recommends that children have exams at the following intervals:

A comprehensive exam to establish a baseline between the ages of 6 and 12 months
Another comprehensive exam as they grow & develop between the ages of 2 and 5
Annual comprehensive exams from the age of 6 until adulthood
More frequent comprehensive eye exams if recommended by your optometrist

Proper vision is essential for children’s success—in life and academics. Beyond just seeing what’s in front of them at school, visual skills are needed before social, cognitive, and motor skills can develop.

Book your child’s eye exam today!

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Valuable Visual Skills

Children aren’t born with the visual skills they need—they develop them over time, just like they develop the ability to walk and talk.

Good visual skills are essential to learning. Approximately 80% of what children learn happens through their vision. Whether it’s reading, interacting with other kids, throwing a ball around, or seeing what the teacher is presenting, eyesight is involved.

If you want to set them up for success, it’s essential that visual skills develop normally. Children who start school with undiagnosed vision problems may struggle to keep up in class. They may be misdiagnosed with ADHD or another behavioural disorder.

Undiagnosed vision problems can also lead to:

Learning at a slower rate than their peers
Behavioural & disciplinary problems
Underachievement & negative self-image
Frustration at school & other challenging environments
Higher risk of dropping out of school

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Glasses?

If children are experiencing a vision issue, they are often unable to articulate the problem—they might not even know there is a problem. Unlike adults, children have not established a baseline of what proper vision looks like for them.

Thankfully, there are a few behavioural signs you can look for that may indicate a developing vision and eye health concern, like:

Constant headaches
Sitting close to TV & computer screens
Short attention span
Head tilting to look at objects
Closing or covering an eye to see
Holding books too close or far from their face
One eye losing alignment
Eye strain
Struggling at school
Difficulty reading
Clumsiness or trouble playing sports
Sitting at the front of the class to see
Memory difficulties
Seeing double

Bringing your child for regular eye exams can help establish that baseline. We can help detect any vision problems early on. Book their appointment today!

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