Eye Care for Kids
Eye exams made for growing eyes.
Vision shapes how children learn. Our pediatric exams go beyond a school chart — we assess eye health, focusing, tracking, and the visual skills that quietly drive reading, writing, and play. Starting as young as six months.
Duration
30 – 45 min
OHIP
Covered, 19 and under
First exam
From 6 months
Performed by
Licensed optometrists
The Distinction
Not a school screening
A school vision screening checks whether your child can read letters on a wall chart from across the room. That’s it. It’s useful for flagging obvious distance-vision problems, and it misses almost everything else.
A comprehensive pediatric eye exam is a full medical assessment by a licensed Ontario optometrist. We assess focusing, tracking, and binocular teaming — the visual skills children actually use to read and pay attention — along with depth perception, colour vision, and the overall health of their eyes.
Many learning-related vision problems pass a screening and fail an exam. That’s why the Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends a first exam at 6 months, another before starting school, and annually through the school years — even when vision looks fine.
Scope
What a pediatric exam covers
Three parts: measuring how your child sees, screening for the conditions that matter most in childhood, and catching early signs that inform everything that comes next.
What we measure
- Prescription — measurable even in pre-readers
- How the two eyes team up — alignment, tracking, focusing flexibility
- Visual acuity at distance and near
- Depth perception and colour vision
What we screen for
- Amblyopia (lazy eye) — most treatable before age seven
- Strabismus (eye turn) and binocular vision dysfunction
- Myopia progression and risk factors
- Learning-related vision problems that can look like reading or attention issues
- Structural and ocular health conditions
What we sometimes catch early
- Congenital eye conditions
- Inherited eye-disease risk flagged by family history
- Children who would benefit from a vision therapy assessment
- Systemic conditions that first show up in the eyes
How We Work With Kids
Designed around the child
Every tool and every step is chosen so the visit is accurate — and so your child leaves calm.
Age-appropriate testing
Picture charts, matching games, and objective tools that don’t rely on a child being able to read or respond verbally.
Retinal photography
Wide-field imaging of the back of the eye so changes can be tracked visit after visit, as vision develops.
Reading and learning skills
We assess focusing, tracking, and binocular teaming — the visual skills that quietly shape how a child reads, writes, and pays attention.
Cadence
When to book, at every age
The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends this schedule as a baseline. We adjust for prescription, family history, and any concerns raised at home or school.
First exam
6 – 12 months
CAO-recommended first visit. We check eye alignment, tracking, structural eye health, and focusing reflexes — all without needing the child to respond.
Before kindergarten
3 – 5 years
Acuity, alignment, focusing, depth perception, and colour vision are all assessed before school begins, so reading-ready eyes start school ready.
School years
6 – 18 years
Annual exams covering prescription, focusing and tracking for reading, myopia progression, and a screening for whether a vision therapy assessment would help.
Signs to Watch For
When to book sooner, not later
Children rarely tell you their vision is off — they assume everyone sees the way they do. Watch for these instead:
- Squinting, covering one eye, or tilting the head to see
- Sitting very close to screens or holding books unusually close
- Complaints of headaches, tired eyes, or double vision
- Avoiding reading — or losing place and skipping words or lines
- Frequent eye-rubbing or persistent eye redness
- An eye that appears to turn in, out, up, or down
- A teacher or coach flagging attention, reading, or coordination concerns
OHIP Coverage
Your child’s eye exam is free
OHIP covers one comprehensive eye exam every 12 months for every child 19 and under with a valid OHIP card — no cost to parents. Additional visits in the same year are covered when a medical eye condition is flagged and needs follow-up.
CAO recommends a first exam at 6 months, another before school, and annually through the school years.
Related Care
Where a pediatric exam often leads
A thorough exam sometimes uncovers a vision issue that benefits from specialized care. These are the programs we most often point families toward.
Myopia Control
For children whose prescription is climbing. Treatments that slow progression, not just stronger glasses each year.
Learn moreOrtho-K Lenses
Overnight lenses that reshape the cornea so children can see clearly all day without glasses or daytime contacts.
Learn moreVision Therapy
A personalized program for children with eye-teaming, tracking, or learning-related vision problems that a standard prescription can’t fix.
Learn moreWhat Families Say
From our patients
Before You Come In
What to bring
A little preparation makes the visit smoother for everyone.
- OHIP card (exams for ages 19 and under are fully covered)
- Any existing glasses or contact lenses
- Previous eye exam report, if your child has had one elsewhere
- A list of concerns from parents, caregivers, or teachers
- A favourite quiet toy or book for infants and toddlers
- Name and contact of your child’s family doctor or pediatrician, if relevant
Questions
Frequently asked
Ready?
Book your child’s exam
Our Markham clinic sees children by appointment. Most visits take 30 to 45 minutes, and OHIP covers every child 19 and under.
Book an Exam