September can be a hectic time, especially if you’re a parent of a school age child. Getting back to a routine and business as usual can be chaotic. There are so many things to plan for when sending kids back to school, that we hate to add one more thing to your list. But, seeing how important we think this item is to add… we’re going to any ways! Has your children had a routine children’s eye exam lately? If the answer is no, it’s time to make that appointment with your optometrist. There are so many ways to help and encourage your child to be successful at school! Making sure your child has a comprehensive children’s eye exam is the first important step!
A Routine Children’s Eye Exam Can Help Your Child Succeed!
As parent’s we want the best for our children. We play an important role in encouraging and helping our children be successful little individuals. Part of our role, to help facilitate a child’s success, is to acknowledge that we are responsible for the health of our children. Making sure that our children both see well, and have healthy eyes is very important to a child’s development. This is because vision is an important part of learning, developing, and growing as an individual. If a child has an eye problem that goes unchecked, there can be many consequences. Some consequences can be permanent damage to their visual system, while others may manifest in the form of learning problems.
The Relationship Between Learning And Vision
In an educational setting, experts say that up to 80% of learning material is presented to children visually. So because there is such a close relationship between learning and eyesight, it’s important that your child’s visual system is functioning at it’s best! A child who may be having a hard time seeing at school, may not necessarily know that they are not seeing clearly. This is because they probably don’t have a benchmark as to what “normal” vision looks like. They also may not know how to relay what they are experiencing visually to an adult. Because of this, learning-related visual problems can present as behavioural problems or learning disabilities. If your child is struggling in school, it’s important to make sure that their eyesight is not a playing a factor in this. Having routine exams will ensure that your child is seeing well and has healthy eyes!
Children’s Eye Exam Are Important Even If Your Child’s Eyes Seem Fine
Why would a child need an eye exam if everything seems fine? Well, the saying “if it’s not broke, why fix it” isn’t something that should ever apply to eyes and vision, especially with children.We’ve already talked about how children are sometimes not able to identify that they aren’t seeing clearly. But, what if you had your child’s vision checked a while ago. What if, at that time, everything was fine? We’ll that may have been true last year, but shouldn’t be an indicator as to how things are this year. Children change and grow so quickly. Their eyes are also changing and growing with them. We’ve had children go from not needing eyeglasses at all one year, to needing to wear glasses full time the next. The eyes can even have their own growth spurts, so it’s important to have them checked regularly. Even if your child’s vision is perfect, a routine eye exam can uncover more than just a need for glasses. Additionally, eye exams can help diagnose other diseases like diabetes, tumours and even cancer.
Insurance Coverage For A Children’s Eye Exam
Alberta Health Care acknowledges the importance of a children’s eye exam. Children up to and including 18 years of age, are annually covered for a children’s eye exam. Along with a routine children’s eye exam, Alberta health care also covers other appointments for vision problems, eye infections, and eye injuries as well! For more information or questions regarding Alberta Health Care insurance, please contact our office for more information.
Book A Children’s Eye Exam For Your Child
The last few weeks before back to school are a perfect time to get your children in to have a child’s eye exam. If you would like to book and appointment with one of our optometrists, you can call our office at (403)255-2826 or easily book an appointment online!
Article written by: Trina Vanaalst