Special Attention for Your Little One’s Special Eyes
Your child’s eyes are their window to the world, helping them explore, learn, and grow. Healthy vision plays a key role in their development, but young children often don’t recognize or communicate when something isn’t quite right.
At Prairie Vision, we’re here to support your child’s vision journey. With locations in Wainwright and Vermilion, our team creates a safe, welcoming space where children feel at ease during their eye exams.
Routine comprehensive eye exams are essential to catch potential vision problems early—helping your child thrive at school, at play, and in life. Let us help take care of your family and schedule your child’s eye exam today.
Signs Your Child May Have a Vision Problem
Children may not always realize when they’re experiencing vision issues. Keep an eye out for these common signs:
- Red, itchy, or watery eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- One eye turning in or out
- Squinting or excessive eye rubbing
- Excessive blinking
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Covering or closing one eye
- Holding objects very close to their face
- Avoiding books or screens
- Showing frustration during tasks
- Tilting their head frequently
If you notice any of these signs, our team can help uncover and address the underlying issue.
Fill Our Out Questionnaire
To help us understand your child’s unique vision needs, we ask parents to fill out a simple children’s vision questionnaire. This helps us learn more about potential vision concerns, behaviours, or symptoms that may need attention.
Click the link below to access our children’s vision questionnaire.
When Should Children Have Their Eyes Checked?
Children’s eyes go through an extraordinary amount of change as they grow. Because of this, the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) recommends that children have their eyes examined in relation to their major visual milestones.
During these routine eye exams, the optometrist will check your child’s eye health, evaluate their eyesight, assess their visual skills, and look for common childhood eye conditions. Annual children’s eye exams are covered by Alberta Health until they turn 19.
The CAO recommends your baby’s first eye exam between 6 and 9 months. During the first 6 months, your baby’s vision develops rapidly, starting with blurred light and dark patterns and progressing to colour vision, better eye coordination, and hand-eye control. It’s normal for their eyes to appear slightly misaligned during this time.
At this first exam, the optometrist will check that your baby’s:
- Eyes are healthy
- Eye muscles and alignment are developing properly
- Eyes are focusing together
The CAO recommends a second eye exam between ages 2 and 5, as these are crucial years for your child’s vision and development. During this time, children engage in activities like looking at books, drawing, and playing with puzzles, all of which help develop visual skills for reading and learning.
In this exam, the optometrist will check that your child’s eyes are healthy, their eye muscles and alignment are developing properly, and they focus together. This is also when conditions like strabismus and amblyopia can develop, so early detection is key.
Since 80% of learning is based on vision, children should have annual eye exams once they enter school. During these years, children greatly rely on their vision both in and outside school.
The visual skills they developed in early childhood all work together to help them learn and understand the information they process. Routine eye exams can help them succeed inside and outside the classroom.
Preparing for Your Child’s Eye Exam
Here’s what to bring to your child’s appointment:
- Alberta personal health care card
- Any current glasses or sunglasses
- A list of medications your child is taking
Common Vision Problems in Children
Vision issues can affect your child’s performance in school, sports, and daily life. Nearly 60% of children with reading difficulties have undiagnosed vision problems, which are sometimes mistaken for learning disabilities like ADHD or dyslexia.
During their exam, we’ll check for issues such as:
- Refractive errors (like myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism)
- Strabismus (crossed eyes)
- Amblyopia (lazy eye)
Early detection is key—conditions like strabismus and amblyopia don’t improve on their own but can often be managed successfully with timely treatment.
If your child has myopia, ask about our myopia control options, designed to slow its progression and protect their vision for the future.
Give Your Child the Gift of Healthy Vision
At Prairie Vision, we’re here to help your child see the world clearly and confidently. Regular eye exams are a crucial part of their overall health and development.
Schedule your child’s eye exam today, and let our team help them prepare for all the adventures ahead.
Explore Our Services
Protecting Your Vision
Your eyes are your windows to the world and should be nurtured regardless of your age or physical health. A comprehensive eye exam allows our team to detect, manage, and treat eye issues among children and adults.
From early detection of vision problems in children to managing age-related eye conditions in seniors, our experienced eye doctors provide personalized care for every patient.
Your eye health is our priority, and we are committed to delivering the care you need when you need it most. Trust Prairie Vision to be your partner in eye health for life!
Come Visit Our Locations
Wainwright
We serve clients of all ages from Wainwright, Viking, Vermilion, Provost, Lloydminster (Alberta), Macklin (Saskatchewan), and the surrounding areas.
- 2802 15th Ave, Unit 2
- Wainwright, AB T9W 0A4
- Phone: 587-606-0270
- Fax: 780-842-3443
- Email: [email protected]
Hours Of Operation
Vermilion
We serve clients of all ages from Wainwright, Viking, Vermilion, Provost, Lloydminster (Alberta), Macklin (Saskatchewan), and the surrounding areas.
- 5010 50 Street
- Vermilion, AB T9X 1M5
- Phone: 587-606-0394
- Fax: 780-853-6504
- Email: [email protected]
Hours Of Operation
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Prairie Vision Vermilion
- 5010 50 Street
- Vermilion, AB T9X 1M5
- Phone: 587-606-0394
- Fax: 780-853-6504
- Email: [email protected]
Prairie Vision Wainwright
- 2802 15th Ave, Unit 2
- Wainwright, AB T9W 0A4
- Phone: 587-606-0270
- Fax: 780-842-3443
- Email: [email protected]