Start the school year off strongly by ensuring your kids are as prepared as possible to succeed in school. Schedule a back to school eye exam at our clinic in Edmonton. The beginning of a new school year involves a good deal of preparation, such as ensuring that your kids have all the pencils, paper and glue sticks they’re going to need to excel in their learning. But make sure you haven’t left out another important item on your child’s back-to-school checklist—an eye exam. Why children need their vision examined 80% of learning in school depends on your child’s ability to visually process information, and 1 in 4 children have a vision problem that’s significant enough to hinder their academic performance. The problem frequently manifests itself in difficulties with reading or paying attention. All too often children experiencing difficulties of this kind are diagnosed with a learning disability before vision problems have been ruled out. Before jumping to any conclusions, verify your child’s visual health. To make sure that your child isn’t disadvantaged in the classroom, bring them to an optometrist for an eye exam at the start of the school year. Your optometrist will determine if your child requires vision correction and if so, what glasses or contact lens prescription they need. They’ll also check for ocular health problems, such as infections and allergies. How often children need eye exams Your child’s vision should be examined on at least a yearly basis. Often, children’s visual health will change over the course of 12 months. They might start to require vision correction, or if they already have glasses or contacts, they may need their prescription adjusted. These regular visits also allow your optometrist to detect slight changes in your child’s vision that indicate an eye condition. As with all medical conditions, the sooner an eye condition is recognized, the more effectively it can be treated. What the experience is like for children Unlike, say, dentist appointments, there’s not a lot of discomfort involved in eye exams. In fact, your kid will probably be fascinated by all the cool contraptions the optometrist uses and might even be eager to return. On top of that, eye exams typically take no more than 20 minutes. How eye exams are covered Thanks to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan, children 18 years and under are fully covered for one complete eye exam, one partial exam and one diagnostic procedure per year. Take advantage of this policy, which allows you to properly attend to your child’s visual health.
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The Optometrists’ Clinic is the perfect place to bring your child for their back-to-school appointment with an eye doctor. Our experienced and dedicated team is always ready to serve you. Book an eye exam with an optometrist at one of our Edmonton clinics today!