Pediatric Comprehensive Eye Examinations

First comprehensive eye examinations are recommended at 6 months of age, where the optometrist is evaluating your baby for any signs of ocular health issues (like retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, blocked tear ducts), checking for binocular vision (strabismus / eye turns), and are looking for refractive error (prescription) that is outside of normal ranges for their age (farsightedness, astigmatism, or nearsightedness).

We have many ways to check the health and vision of a 6 month old, even though they cannot talk!

Things we will check on your 6 month old:

  • Their ability to fixate and follow a light or a target
  • Their eye posture or alignment and muscle balance
  • If their pupils respond equally to light
  • The refractive status (prescription) in their eyes
  • The internal and external ocular health of their eyes


The baby can stay in their carseat, can sit in your lap, or lay in your arms, but they do have to be awake for the exam.

Comprehensive eye examinations are partially* covered by Alberta Health care yearly for patients between the ages of 0 and 18. We recommend that all children have their eyes examined yearly, even if they do not report any vision or eye health concerns.

Many times parents are surprised when their child would benefit from corrective prescription glasses, because they had never heard of any vision concerns from their child. Remember, children usually don’t know what “normal vision” is and cannot always verbalize issues they may be having. Learning is 80% visual, so it is important for your child to have a comfortable, healthy, and efficient visual system for all aspects of development and learning.

If your child hasn’t had their first eye examination, please schedule them now! We promise it will be fun… filled with visual games, special “glasses”, and lots of pictures!

*exams are covered in majority by AHC, and we are able to direct bill most insurance companies for the balance

Things we will check for your preschool-aged child (age 3-5):

  • Depth perception
  • Colour vision
  • Eye posture or alignment and muscle balance
  • Basic eye focusing and eye teaming skills
  • Pupil response
  • Distance and near visual acuity with pictures or matching
  • Refractive status
  • Internal and external ocular health

The Eye See Eye Learn program through the Alberta Association of Optometrists ensures that kids in Kindergarten have access to a free pair of glasses, if they require them. It is critical to ensure your child has the adequate visual skills prior to entering into school, which will give them the best potential for learning and development.

Things we will check for your school-aged child (age 6-18):

  • Depth perception
  • Colour vision
  • Eye posture or alignment and muscle balance
  • Eye focusing and eye teaming skills
  • Pupil response
  • Visual acuity with letters and / or reading text
  • Refractive status
  • Internal and external ocular health

Questions to ask your child before coming in for an eye exam:

  • Do you ever feel that you have fuzzy or blurry vision?
  • Do you ever feel that your eyes are straining or hurting to see things?
  • Do you get headaches or lose focus when reading or playing on tablets / computer / handheld devices?
  • Do you see words moving or swimming around when reading?
  • Do you ever see double vision?
  • Does your child avoid near tasks?

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