Brittany Lane, child life specialist, ophthalmology clinic, McMaster Children’s Hospital
Annual eye exams
With back to school around the corner, parents should be booking their child’s yearly eye exam with their local optometrist. This should be done for children ages three and up. It’s important for your child’s eye health to do these eye exams each year, even if your child seems to have good vision and the parents never needed eye glasses. These eye exams are covered by OHIP.
For kids starting junior or senior kindergarten, born in 2017 or 2018, you may want to find an optometrist who is affiliated with the Eye See…Eye Learn Program where these kids are eligible for one free pair of glasses.
Maintaining healthy vision
To help keep your child’s vision healthy, protect their eyes from sunlight by using sunglasses or a brimmed hat. Also, when using a screen be sure to schedule frequent breaks to allow their eyes a rest.
Signs of difficulty seeing
- Squinting often or tilting their head
- Wanting to sit closer to “see better”
- Complaining of headaches or tired eyes
- Difficulty performing in school, such as seeing the lesson and reading instructions