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A child’s eyesight is precious. Approximately 80% of your child’s learning occurs through sight but 1 in 4 children has a vision problem that can be serious enough to impact their learning and development. These problems aren’t necessarily the classic not being able to see the board but can include issues with reading, comprehension, development, and attention. Dr. Saari and the Ontario Association of Optometrists recommend that children have their first eye examination at 6 months to 2 years of age and annually during their school years. A child’s eye examination is tailored to their age and ability. They do not need to know their alphabet or numbers and we will work with your child determine how well their eyes are working in a fun way.
It may be difficult to tell if your child is seeing well since they generally won’t tell you, it may not be evident by looking at their eyes and many family doctors don’t check all aspects of vision during regular yearly health checks. Many conditions are best detected at the youngest possible age including amblyopia (lazy eye) to give your child the highest change for success.
Some symptoms that might indicate your child has an eye issue may include rubbing eyes, squinting, blinking, turning or tilting of the head, headaches, wandering eyes, red eyes, complaints of poor vision, poor reading comprehension, slow reading, loss of place while reading, closing one eye in bright sun and poor hand-eye coordination to name a few. The only way to be sure your child’s eye are healthy, seeing well at all distances and working as a pair is through a comprehensive eye examination including binocular vision testing by an optometrist.
Dr. Saari is the Niagara Region lead and proud member of the Eye See Eye Learn program. This program entitles all junior kindergarten students who require a prescription to be supplied with high-quality glasses at no charge, if necessary. Take a look and watch a video on the Eye See Eye Learn program. Dr. Saari is also a participating location for the Education Foundation of Niagara (EFN) Glasses for Classes program.
Children are covered under the provincial health insurance (OHIP) for yearly comprehensive eye examinations and all problem focused exams (infection, allergies, pink eye etc) from birth until their 20th birthday.
Dr. Saari and his staff look forward to the opportunity to treat your family as we would one of our own and partnering with you to maintain your child’s precious gift of sight. Call or book your appointment today.
