Back to School Basics: Book an Eye Exam
As summer winds down and the back-to-school season approaches, parents are busy checking off their to-do lists. While new clothes, school supplies, and backpacks are important, there’s one crucial item that often gets overlooked: the back-to-school eye exam.
Why Eye Exams Matter for Your Child
VISUAL LEARNING
Approximately 80% of what children are taught in school is presented visually. Each child needs the following skills to be able to see and learn comfortably:
- Visual acuity—being able to see clearly from any distance, such as when looking at the chalkboard or when reading a book.
- Eye focusing—being able to maintain clear vision when changing focus from something far away (ex. the chalkboard) to something up close (ex. a colouring book), and vice versa.
- Eye tracking—being able to track a moving object like a ball or tracking from one word to the next when reading a book.
- Eye teaming—being able to use both eyes together in a coordinated way, especially when reading a book or needing to see depth when playing sports like baseball.
- Eye-hand coordination—being able to use information about the visual world to coordinate movements with the hands, such as writing or hitting a ball.
- Visual perception—being able to recognize and interpret letters, words and images into thoughts, as well as remember and understand what is read.
Children with uncorrected vision problems may struggle with reading, writing, and attention in the classroom, as well as their ability to participate in sports, engage in classroom activities, and interact with peers.
EARLY DETECTION OF EYE CONDITIONS
Early detection and treatment of eye conditions are crucial for preventing long-term vision problems and ensuring that your child has the best possible visual development.
An eye exam can detect issues such as:
- Nearsightedness/myopia—blurred vision when trying to focus on things in the distance.
- Farsightedness/hyperopia—blurred vision when trying to look at something up close.
- Astigmatism—when the eye is shaped more like an oval as opposed to a sphere, which causes shadowing of objects in the distance and up close.
- Amblyopia/lazy eye—when one eye does not see as clearly as the other eye, causing the brain to turn off the “lazy eye.”
- Strabismus/crossed eyes—when one eye turns in or out and is not able to stay straight. This can lead to amblyopia in the “crossed eye.”
- Congenital cataracts—a child can be born with a foggy lens that prevents proper vision and development of the eye.
- Congenital glaucoma—a child can have optic nerve damage in one or both eyes, which is called glaucoma.
- Childhood eye cancers—Retinoblastoma, a childhood eye cancer, accounts for 2% of all childhood cancers.
When to Schedule an Eye Exam
The good news is that OHIP covers children eye exams until the age of 19!
The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends the following schedule for eye exams:
- First exam between 6 and 9 months of age
- At least one exam between 2 and 5 years of age
- Yearly after starting school
Why Choose Us?
We have been serving Dundas & Hamilton families since 1989 and are devoted to the well-being and proper visual development of all children. We understand life is busy, especially during the back-to-school hustle. Cross off one thing off your to-do list, and book your child’s eye exam today through our new online booking portal!
Adapted from:
