Children depend on their vision to discover the world, from recognizing faces to exploring their surroundings and excelling in school. Regular eye exams are crucial for monitoring your child’s healthy development, both at home and in the classroom.
From prescription changes and routine check-ups to more specialized services like myopia control, our team is dedicated to offering quality eye care for your child. We believe in preventive care as the foundation for long-term health.
Book your child’s eye exam today, and we’ll work together to put your child’s eye health first.
At Old South Optometry, we recommend eye exams for children starting at 6 months old. Early exams can help us detect any vision concerns before your child is aware of them.
Even if your little one can’t yet identify letters on an eye chart, regular check-ups help us check if their vision is developing properly. For children under 6 months, we can address specific concerns as needed.
What to Expect During Your Visit
During your visit, our team will focus on making your child’s eye exam as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. We tailor each exam based on their age and needs. Here’s what to expect:
Health history: We’ll discuss any medical conditions and family eye history,
Visual acuity: We’ll assess how sharp your child’s vision is. We use pictures for younger kids.
Eye coordination: We often check eye movement and alignment with 3D glasses.
Refraction: For younger kids, we use retinoscopy to check for refractive errors.
Eye health: We inspect the inside of the eye and check reflexes.
Final discussion: We’ll explain our findings and answer any questions.
Vision & Learning: How Eye Health Affects Your Child’s Success
Your child’s vision plays a crucial role in learning and development. If they struggle to see clearly, it can impact their ability to learn, play, and interact with others. Children who struggle with their vision can also experience difficulty focusing in school, frustration, or behavioural issues that might resemble ADHD.
If your child is easily distracted, avoids reading, or has trouble focusing, an eye exam can help uncover any vision-related causes. We’re here to help your child thrive academically and socially with the clear vision they need.
Managing Myopia Early
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common condition in which distant objects appear blurry. It often develops in childhood and can progress over time. Early detection through regular eye exams is crucial in creating a treatment plan that protects your child’s long-term vision health.
We offer myopia control treatments, such as specialty lenses and eye drops, designed to slow the progression of myopia. Proactive care can help keep your child’s vision on track for the future so they can continue to thrive in school and daily activities.
Amblyopia & Strabismus Therapy
Amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (crossed eyes) can affect your child’s vision and development, but both are treatable with the right care and timely intervention.
Our comprehensive approach includes in-office treatments and innovative home therapy tools to support and reinforce progress between visits.
These tools are designed to be engaging and effective, helping to strengthen eye muscles, improve visual coordination, and enhance overall visual function.
Eye patches are a common treatment for amblyopia. It works by covering the stronger eye, forcing the weaker eye to work harder, which can help improve vision in the affected eye. Eye patch therapy can be done at home for a few hours daily to help stimulate visual development.
Atropine eye drops temporarily blur the vision in your child’s stronger eye, encouraging the weaker eye to focus and develop. Atropine is often recommended as an alternative to eye patches and can help treat amblyopia, especially for kids between 3 and 12.
A Bangerter filter is a special lens applied to the stronger eye to reduce vision clarity, encouraging the weaker eye to work harder. A non-invasive method, a Bangerter filter can be worn during regular daily activities, helping to improve the coordination and function of both eyes.
A Brock String is a therapeutic tool used in vision therapy to help treat amblyopia and strabismus. It consists of a string with coloured beads your child focuses on while moving them back and forth. Training the eyes to work together can help improve eye alignment and depth perception.
AmblyoPlay is a fun, interactive digital vision therapy tool designed to improve your child’s vision. It combines therapeutic exercises with play, encouraging children to engage their weak eye in a fun, motivating way. AmblyoPlay can be used as a part of a home therapy routine.
Book Your Child’s Eye Exam Today
Schedule an eye exam with Old South Optometry today and keep your child’s eyesight on the right path for a bright, successful future. We’re here to help every step of the way!
OHIP doesn’t cover eye exams for all age groups or conditions. OHIP coverage applies as follows:
-Children aged 0–19 are eligible for one comprehensive eye exam every 12 months
-Adults aged 20–64 with specific conditions, like diabetes and glaucoma, are eligible for one comprehensive eye exam every 12 months
-Adults over the age of 65 are eligible for one comprehensive eye exam every 18 months, unless they have a specific condition, which would make them eligible for one comprehensive eye exam every 12 months. […]
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