Children’s Eye Exams | Chatham-Kent

Children’s Eyes Need Special Attention

As you watch your child play, learn, and grow, it’s obvious how important their eyes are. In fact, your child’s eyesight plays an essential role in their overall development. Roughly 80% of everything your child learns is gained through their eyes—so help protect their primary sense by taking them for regular eye exams.

At Dr. David Oliphant Optometry, we’re devoted to caring for all our patients’ eyes, including our littlest ones. We provide complete eye health exams for children of all ages. Call us today to book an appointment.

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Signs of a Vision Problem

Because children’s eyes are constantly changing, they may not be aware when they develop a vision problem. Instead, they may simply believe they see the same way everyone else does and try to adjust to how their eyes work. Parents and guardians can help their children by watching for signs of an eye condition between eye appointments.

These signs include:

Crossed or wandering eyes
Complaints of frequent headaches
Red or watering eyes
Covering or closing one eye
Frequent squinting
Excessive blinking
Eye rubbing
Lack of interest in books, TV, or other close-up activities
Sitting too close to the TV or board at school
Omitting or confusing words while reading

Regular eye exams are also important for revealing vision problems. At Dr. David Oliphant Optometry, our goal is to build a strong relationship with our littlest patients by creating a safe, inviting environment that fosters comfort and trust.Call us today to schedule an appointment for your child, and let us teach them how to achieve happy, healthy eyes for life.

How Often Do Children Need Eye Exams?

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that children have eye exams in coordination with their major visual milestones. During every eye exam, we check your child’s overall eye health, measure their visual acuity, and test their visual skills to ensure they’re developing as expected.

We also look for signs of common childhood vision problems that may need treatment.

Infants & Toddlers

Children should have their first eye exam between 6 and 9 months. Babies aren’t born with perfect eyesight. Their eyes start to develop within the first few months of birth, and they slowly learn how to use their eyes as they gain muscle control and start developing hand-eye coordination.

Strabismus (crossed eyes) or amblyopia (lazy eye) can also start developing at this age—2 conditions that are easier to treat when caught early.

Preschool Children

Children between 2 and 5 years old should have at least one eye exam before they start school. These years are incredibly formative for your child since their overall development is closely tied to their eyes.

An eye exam before your child starts school will ensure their eyes are developing properly and that they have no undiagnosed vision problems that will impact their learning.

School-Age Children

Once your child is in school, they should have an eye exam every year until they turn 19. As your child progresses through their grades, they rely more and more on their eyes as their work becomes more visually demanding.

Annual eye exams allow your child’s optometrist to detect and diagnose common refractive errors that need corrective eyewear and diagnose potential eye conditions that require treatment.

Come Visit Us

Our practice is located on the corner of Grand Avenue East and Woodland Avenue. We have a large parking lot off Woodland Avenue with accessible parking and entrance.