Helping Your Child See Clearly and Comfortably
At Orangeville Optometric Centre, your child’s healthy vision is our priority. Our team is experienced in working with children and making them feel comfortable; in fact, many of our optometrists are parents too!
We provide thorough eye exams that check your child’s visual clarity, eye health, and how well their eyes work together. If your child does need vision correction, we can help them decide on a pair of glasses they’ll love. We also fit contact lenses for children, if they are interested and ready for the responsibility.
Take care of your child’s eyes by booking their annual eye exam today.
How Often Does My Child Need An Eye Exam?
We begin assessing children’s vision in infancy. As per the recommendations by the Canadian Association of Optometrists, we recommend that children have exams at the following frequency:
- Their first eye exam between 6 and 9 months old
- At least one exam between the ages of 2 and 5
- Annual eye exams once they begin school.
OHIP covers annual eye exams for children 19 years and younger.
Keep an Eye Out for Vision Problems
Children may struggle to express vision difficulties, either because they cannot articulate their problem or because they don’t know what clear vision looks like, and assume everyone sees the way they do. Because of this, an annual comprehensive eye exam is the most effective way to check for vision problems in children.
Children may not be able to explain that their vision is blurry or uncomfortable, but there may be other signs that could indicate a vision issue. For example, your child may have a short attention span or a dislike of near work like reading, writing, colouring, or building Legos. They may struggle with hand-eye coordination, act clumsily, or have difficulty using 3D glasses.
Physical signs they might have a vision problem include frequent complaints of headaches, rubbing or touching their eyes a lot, closing or covering an eye to see, or an eye that looks turned in or out.
While not every child or every vision problem has noticeable signs, keeping an eye on your child’s behaviour could alert you to a possible vision problem. In addition to their annual eye exams, come visit us if you notice an increase in any of the above behaviours.
Common Vision Problems in Kids
It can be surprisingly tricky to spot vision issues in children because, unlike adults, kids don’t always realize their “clear” is someone else’s “blurry.” They simply adapt to the world as they see it.
Here is a breakdown of the most common conditions and why detection is important.
Nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia) are likely the first vision problems that come to mind. These common refractive errors cause blurry vision, but may not be obvious in your child. During an eye exam, we can measure your child’s vision for refractive errors.
Myopia is the most common type of refractive error. It causes blurry distance vision and often starts in childhood. Myopia is also linked to an increased risk of certain eye diseases. If your child has myopia, we may recommend a myopia management plan to slow the progression of their nearsightedness, preserving their vision and eye health.
Amblyopia (lazy eye) is a condition resulting in reduced vision in one eye due to abnormal visual development in childhood. One cause of amblyopia is a large prescription difference between the two eyes that goes uncorrected. If amblyopia is detected early, we can provide treatment or refer to a vision therapist as needed to correct vision and help the eyes work well together again.
If left untreated, amblyopia can lead to permanently reduced vision and blindness in the affected eye.
Strabismus (crossed eyes) is a muscle condition that impacts your eyes’ alignment with each other. When children have strabismus, they may experience double vision or poor coordination between the eyes, affecting depth perception.
Without treatment, strabismus can worsen. A comprehensive eye exam can determine if your child’s eyes are developing properly, or if strabismus is detected and treatment is necessary.
How Does Vision Affect Learning?
Vision plays an important role in your child’s learning and development. From developing their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills to being able to see the board and track their eyes along a sentence while reading, clear, comfortable vision is necessary to succeed.
If your child has an untreated vision problem, it can contribute to speech difficulties, developmental delays, and reading difficulties. Some children with vision problems may exhibit signs similar to ADHD, dyslexia, and speech problems, which can result in misdiagnosis.
A comprehensive eye exam assesses for more than refractive errors. During an eye exam, your optometrist will also look at the structural development of your child’s eyes, evaluate their overall eye health, and check how well their eyes move together. This helps to detect vision and health problems that can go unnoticed after a vision screening or sight test at school.
Set Your Child Up for Success
By visiting their eye doctor each year, you can make sure your child’s vision is clear and functioning well. This can support their success at school, while playing sports, and even socially.
To help set your child up for success when they begin school, Orangeville Optometric Centre participates in the Eye See…Eye Learn® program. This program provides one pair of free glasses for children in junior or senior kindergarten to help them start school with crisp, clear vision.
Whether you’re concerned about your child’s vision or they’re doing fine, it’s important to bring them for an annual eye exam. By proactively monitoring your child’s vision, we can prevent small problems from progressing into more serious concerns.
Our friendly team is here to support you and your family. Book your eye exams today.
CAN YOUR GLASSES DO THIS?
For individuals ready to step into the future, we carry Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta AI glasses. Listen to music, take a phone call, or capture a video, all from your glasses.
Or enhance your connections with Nuance Audio Glasses for directional hearing amplification.
OUR FEATURED EYEWEAR BRANDS
Visit Our Location
We’re located on First Street, just across from the Lord Dufferin Centre. Parking is available behind the building with an accessible parking stall beside the entrance to the lot.
Our clinic has an accessible exam lane to accommodate individuals with wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
Our Address
Contact Information
- Phone: 519-941-6761
- Email: info@orangevilleoptometrists.ca
Our Hours
*Open on alternating Saturdays. Book an appointment in advance.
Our Google Reviews
What Patients are Saying
Amazing Doctors. Friendly and knowledgable staff. Makes the whole experience a pleasure. Highly recommended.
– Maureen
Prompt diagnosis of uveitis. Saved my vision. Forever greatful, thank you Dr. Costanzo
– G B
I have been seeing Dr Leblanc for years and now bring my son to see him as well. He is such a pleasure to deal with and although we only see him yearly, he remembers what’s going on in our lives and asks questions. He’s the best!
The reception staff are great as well!
– Trina
I’ve been going here for years. The staff are extremely helpful and very friendly. I especially find they answer all my questions and any concerns that I may have regarding eye care or even the right lenses to choose from. It’s always a pleasure to go there whether replacing my out dated frames or purchasing new frames and lenses for my eye care. They always inform me of specials too so I can add an additional option if desired.
– Kim
We drove from London for our appointment because they had my fiancé’s files. It was very worth the drive there. They were thorough, professional and friendly. We are very happy with our visit and look forward to returning soon to pick up the four new pairs of glasses!
Thank you to all the staff, Dmytro and Marlene
– June
