What to Expect From a Toddler Eye Exam

Uncorrected vision problems in children can interfere with learning and development, so it’s important to ensure your kid visits the optometrist regularly. Here’s why regular eye exams for children are important, and what you can expect from this appointment.

For school-aged children, visiting the optometrist is extremely important. This is because comprehensive eye exams will allow your family eye doctor to uncover any vision problems, detect any eye diseases early on, and help preserve the long-term health of your child’s eyes. 

Visiting your optometrist is critical, because: 

• Most often, children don’t realize they have a vision problem 
• Poor vision can affect your child’s performance in school 
• The frequent use of digital devices today puts your child at a higher risk of developing vision conditions 
• Eye exams allow for prompt management of any serious eye condition or vision impairment 

In addition to detecting any vision conditions, your family optometrist can also use the eye exam as an opportunity to check for other general health issues, such as diabetes or autoimmune disorders. This makes the annual checkup with your eye doctor important for both your child’s visual and overall health. 

Our Calgary Family Optometrists Offer Eye Exams for Children, Adults, and Seniors 

At Blink Eyewear, our team of highly qualified and friendly family optometrists offer a range of vision services for children, adults, and seniors, including eye exams, cataract assessment and management, emergency eye care, and more. 

Want to know how we can meet the vision needs of your entire family? 

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Visiting Your Family Optometrist for a Toddler Eye Exam 

Just like every other part of your little one’s body, their eyes need to be assessed early and regularly to ensure proper development and check for any potential eye problems, such as refractive errors, amblyopia, or strabismus. 

While the eye exam may vary slightly from optometrist to optometrist, it is designed to check for the same basic abilities and potential vision issues. Here’s what to expect: 

1. Discussion of Ocular History: Your eye doctor will ask if you have noticed anything out of the ordinary about your child’s vision (e.g. frequent squinting, or drooping eyelids), as well as your family history of eye disease. If there are hereditary eye conditions, your eye doctor will recommend that your child gets regular eye exams so that an eye can be kept on their vision and potential problems found before they become serious. (4 Kid’s Vision Problems to Watch Out For >)
2. Vision Assessment: Toddlers are too young to use a standard eye chart, so your optometrist will use a special chart with pictures, or even toys, to assess their vision. For these tests, it’s important that your child remains alert and pays attention to ensure the most accurate results. (How to Prepare Your Child For Their First Eye Exam >)
3. Pupil Examination: Your family eye doctor will check your child’s pupils, which should be round and should respond in the same way to light, widening when it’s dim and shrinking when it’s bright.
4. External inspection of the eye: Your eye doctor will also check your child’s eyelids, eyelid lining, iris, cornea, and more, to ensure your little one’s eyes are in peak condition. Your eye doctor might also be on the lookout for any excessive tears or discharge, which could point to allergies or an infection.
5. Ocular Motility Exam: This test is done to make sure that your child’s eyes move properly together. This is often used to test for amblyopia (lazy eye). If this is found, treatment options include an eye patch, special eyeglasses, or surgery.

Call Us Today

To find out more about what to expect during a children’s eye exam, and how our optometrists can help protect your whole family’s vision and eye health, contact us at our Crowfoot (403-547-5417), West Springs (403-242-0999) or Creekside (403-516-2292) branches.