Protect Your Child’s Visual Health
Your child’s eye health and vision are essential to their development, and sight is their gateway to learning in the classroom, with friends, and at home. When your child has an undiagnosed vision problem, it can impact their ability to learn or participate in recreational activities.
Children often don’t recognize when they have an eye problem—because it’s just how they see the world. But eye problems can worsen without treatment, interfering with their lifelong vision comfort and eye health.
You can help protect their sight with regular eye exams.
Eye Exam Frequency
Your child’s eye care needs change as they grow. Infants and toddlers are just developing essential visual skills, from recognizing faces after peek-a-boo to grasping objects. That’s why it’s essential to have their eyes assessed at various stages throughout their developmental years: because what a baby sees is very different from a 3-year-old or a 6-year-old.
The Alberta Association of Optometrists recommends:
- A first eye exam between 6–9 months
- At least one eye exam between 2–5 years
- Annual eye exams between 6–19
Yearly eye exams during your child’s school-age years help ensure they have the tools and support they need to succeed. The eye keeps growing until they’re about 21—so developmental vision problems or eye shape conditions, like myopia (nearsightedness), can still be managed into their late teens.
Diagnosing Children’s Eye Problems
Changes in your child’s vision can occur without you or your child noticing. Your little one may not recognize what they’re seeing or experiencing is unusual. Children’s vision problems can be misdiagnosed as behavioural problems or learning disabilities.
Eye exams help determine eye problems you can’t see. We also have experience detecting common signs and symptoms of eye conditions—even when your child doesn’t know their ABCs. We have the tools to diagnose eye health at every age, regardless of your child’s visual abilities. At Eye Q Optometry, we believe in education and transparency so you can make informed decisions about eye care for you and your family. We can help you recognize common signs and symptoms or provide exercises and tools to help develop your child’s visual skills. We also offer vision therapy to help children learn to see more comfortably.
Recognizing Children’s Eye Problems
Vision and eye problems can develop in between your child’s eye exams. You can help them receive the eye care they need by recognizing repeated behaviours, such as:
- Avoiding close work (colouring, reading)
- Holding reading materials or objects too close
- Losing their place while reading
- Making reversals when reading or writing
- Omitting or confusing small words when reading
- Performing below their potential at school
- Tilting their head, using only one eye, or closing one eye
- Rubbing eyes frequently or recurring headaches
Book Your Child’s Eye Exam
Looking after their eye health and vision now can help protect their future. We want your child’s experience with us to be comfortable, safe, and fun. We can teach them about their eyes and vision so they can be a part of their lifelong visual journey. Visit Eye Q Optometry for your child’s eye exam.
Visit Us Today
Our practice is located in the Killarney area of 17th Avenue, within walking distance of the Westbrook LRT station. There’s plenty of parking available nearby.
Our Address
- 3314 17 Ave SW
- Calgary, AB T3E 0B4
Contact Information
- Phone: 403.727.4404
- Fax: 888.457.6613
- Email: [email protected]
Our Hours
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed