Eye See…Eye Learn™ for Kids in Kindergarten at Crestwood School
For parents with children currently enrolled in Kindergarten at Crestwood School in Edmonton, this blog post is specifically tailored to you.
Ensuring your child enjoys clear and comfortable vision is essential to enhancing their chances for success in school and their overall well-being in various aspects of life. However, it's pretty common for children to remain unaware of potential vision issues because they may not fully comprehend what they should be able to see. Consequently, many children never vocalize concerns about their vision to their parents.
This blog post aims to highlight the importance of early vision assessments and the Eye See...Eye Learn™ program and how it can positively impact your child's academic journey and overall development.
The Importance of Good Vision for Learning in School
As children start their educational journey, their visual health plays a fundamental role in their ability to absorb information, engage in classroom activities, and achieve academic success. Undiagnosed vision problems can hinder a child's learning experience, leading to difficulties in reading, writing, and comprehending lessons. Poor vision can even affect their social interactions and self-esteem.
Does My Child Actually Need an Eye Exam?
Many Crestwood School parents ask us if their kids really need to be seen by an optometrist because they haven't noticed any problems. Some of the excuses might be that they see fine, they don't complain, their eyes are healthy, or they're too young. So, here are the five most common vision problems we see, along with their prevalence.
The 5 most common vision problems eye doctors see in children include:
Refractive Errors: Refractive errors, such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. Nearsightedness makes distant objects appear blurry, while farsightedness can make close-up objects unclear. Astigmatism can cause distorted or blurry vision at all distances. The American Optometric Association found that up to 1 in 4 kids (25%) already wears or will require eyeglasses by the time they enter Kindergarten.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): Amblyopia occurs when one eye has significantly better visual acuity than the other. The brain begins to favour the stronger eye, leading to reduced vision in the weaker eye. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent permanent vision loss. Amblyopia affects up to 1 in 20 kids (5%).
Strabismus (Crossed Eyes): Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes, where one eye may turn inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards. This condition can lead to double vision and may affect depth perception. Early intervention, often with glasses, eye patches or corrective surgery, is essential to align the eyes. Strabismus affects up to 1 in 25 kids (4%). Check our our blog post on whether its bad to cross your eyes.
Convergence Insufficiency: Convergence insufficiency is a vision disorder where the eyes struggle to work together when focusing on nearby objects. This can lead to eye strain, headaches, and difficulty with reading and other close-up tasks. Convergence insufficiency is believed to affect about 1 in 20 kids (5%).
Colour Vision Deficiency: Some children may have difficulty distinguishing between certain colours, a condition known as colour vision deficiency or colour blindness. Red-green colour blindness is the most common form, affecting more boys than girls. Colour vision deficiency affects about 1 in 12 boys (8%) and 1 in 200 girls (0.5%).
As you can see, vision problems are more common than you might think.
What is the Eye See...Eye Learn™
The Eye See...Eye Learn™ program was initially launched in 2003 in the Elk Island Public Schools district but has since grown to cover the entire province of Alberta. In addition, many other jurisdictions across Canada and the USA now have similar programs because of the success.
The program aims to ensure that every child starting school receives an eye exam by an optometrist who can adequately diagnose and screen your child's eyes for those common problems.
If your child were enrolled in Kindergarten at Crestwood School, you would have received an Eye See...Eye Learn® information package in the fall. This package contained important information about the importance of eye health and vision exams.
It also outlines that all children (ages 0-18) in Alberta are covered for an annual eye health exam once a year between July 1st and June 30th. In addition, children are covered by Alberta Health Care for all eye infections.
Helio Optometry: A Proud Supporting Partner of the Eye See…Eye Learn™ Program.
Helio Optometry is excited to stand alongside the Alberta Association of Optometrists in championing the Eye See…Eye Learn® program. Because our optometrists understand and believe in the critical role vision plays in a child's development and learning process.
No paperwork is required. Just contact us, or book your kids eye exam online.
When you bring your Crestwood School kindergartener to Helio Optometry for an eye exam as part of the Eye See…Eye Learn™ program, our optometrists will thoroughly assess various aspects of their visual health, including:
Visual Acuity: We measure your child's ability to see objects clearly at various distances.
Crossed Eyes or Lazy Eyes: We check for eye alignment issues that could affect vision and depth perception.
Visual Prescriptions: We determine if your child needs corrective lenses for conditions like farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism.
Colour Vision: We evaluate colour perception to ensure your child can distinguish between colours accurately.
Binocular Vision: We assess how well both eyes work together to provide a single, unified image.
Eye Health: We examine the overall health of your child's eyes, looking for any signs of disease or injury.
Check out this blog post to learn more about how our eye doctors check you kids vision.
What if My Child Needs Glasses?
One of the benefits of the Eye See…Eye Learn™ Program is that all children who require a pair of eyeglasses in Kindergarten will receive one free pair of glasses through the Alberta Association of Optometrists and its partners. With a vast selection of styles and colours to choose from, we're sure to find something they'll love to wear.
The free pair of eyeglasses includes a kid's Eye See...Eye Learn frame, non-glare anti-reflective lenses, case, cloth, and cleaner. There are also no prescription limits.
Our staff will handle all the paperwork and get your child set up with their new eyeglasses.
Alberta Health Care Coverage for Children's Eye Health
In Alberta, children aged 0-18 are fortunate to have comprehensive eye care coverage under Alberta Health Care. This coverage includes annual eye exams to monitor your child's visual health and detect any issues early on. In addition to regular check-ups, children are covered for all eye health concerns and emergency visits, ensuring their eyes are always in good hands.
If your child is currently attending Crestwood School, then keep an eye out for the Eye See…Eye Learn package or contact us to book your child in for their kindergarten eye exam. With Helio Optometry as a proud supporting partner, we are committed to providing comprehensive eye exams and eyeglasses if necessary, helping children in Kindergarten start their academic journey with clarity and confidence.
Did Your Child Get An Eye Exam in Kindergarten?
Leave us a comment below if you had your child’s eye examined in kindergarten and if they required glasses, contact lenses or vision therapy.
And thank you to all the kindergarten teachers, like those at Crestwood School in Edmonton that help us get the word out about the importance of eye health and vision exams.
