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. These visits help 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.
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Children may not always realize when they’re experiencing vision issues. Keep an eye out for these common signs:
If you notice any of these signs, our team can help uncover and address the underlying issue.
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.
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.
Alberta Health Care fully covers annual eye exams for children 5 and under. For children ages 6–19, Alberta Health Care provides partial coverage, and a small co-pay applies.
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:
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.
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:
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 management options, designed to slow its progression and protect their vision for the future.
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.
Here’s what to bring to your child’s appointment:
Schedule your child’s eye exam today, and let our team help them prepare for all the adventures ahead.
Book AppointmentWe serve patients of all ages from Wainwright, Viking, Provost, Lloydminster, Macklin, and the surrounding areas.
* Closed on Statutory Holidays
We serve patients of all ages from Kitscoty, Mannville, Elk Point, Dewberry, and the surrounding areas.
* Closed on Statutory Holidays
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