Ideal Optical

Children’s Eye Exams in Mississauga

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Healthy Eyes for Life Require an Early Start

Regular eye exams are an essential component of maintaining your child’s ocular health and vision. Many vision and health conditions develop with minor symptoms and may go unnoticed in a child. Certain childhood eye conditions can also lead to long-term consequences if they are not diagnosed and treated early.

At Ideal Optical, our optometrists believe in building a strong relationship with our littlest patients. We know a visit to the eye doctor can be an intimidating experience for a child. Our goal is to make the appointment as comfortable and fun as possible while providing high-quality eye care.

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Why Are Eye Exams Important for Children?

To give your child the best start at developing strong and healthy eyes, the Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends following the following exam schedule for children based on their age and visual milestones.

Your baby’s eyes develop rapidly during their first 6 months, so it is recommended that children undergo their first eye exam between 6 and 9 months.

Your child acquires eye movement control and hand-eye coordination skills at this age. An eye exam can help uncover common childhood conditions that appear at this stage, like strabismus and amblyopia.

Children should undergo their next eye exam shortly before entering school, between 2 and 5.

These ages are critical developmental years where your child will continue to improve their hand-eye coordination and gain depth perception. An eye exam can help discover potential vision problems or eye diseases that require treatment and management before your child enters school.

Once children enter school, they will require annual eye exams to monitor their eyes for vision changes that could impact their ability to learn. Your child will heavily rely on their eyes during these years, from school to play to extracurricular activities.

Children depend on several important visual skills to help them learn and interact with the world around them. If any of these skills are impaired, your child’s learning and development may be detrimentally impacted.

Undiagnosed and uncorrected vision problems can lead to physical and mental impairments. Children may experience frequent headaches, fatigue, or have difficulty staying focused in school or struggle to keep up with their peers.

Myopia & Children

Refractive errors are one of the most common vision problems children experience. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the inability to see distant objects clearly. This refractive error generally first develops in school-aged children and can progress as their eyes continue to grow, up to the age of 20.

There are some risks associated with high-myopia, so doctors are very interested in myopia control. At Ideal Optical, we can recommend various myopia control methods, ranging from environmental to daily habits to eyeglasses.

Symptoms of Childhood Vision Problems

Even if your child’s eyes seem healthy and their eyesight is stable, they should undergo routine eye exams to check for potential vision problems. But it may not always be obvious when your child has a vision problem. You can watch for the following signs that may indicate that your child has a visual problem:

  • An eye turning in or out
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Squinting, rubbing, or covering one or both eyes
  • Excessive blinking
  • Red, itchy, or watery eyes
  • Unable to concentrate
  • Irritability or short attention span
  • Holding objects too close
  • Sitting too close to the TV
  • Avoiding books or close work
  • Headaches

Start Your Child on a
Visual Journey

Allow us to help foster a respect for ocular health in your child — book their eye appointment today!

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Where to Find Us

We are in the Mississauga Marketplace in the South East corner of Hurontario and Eglinton Avenue. Parking is free, and wheelchair accessible spots are available. Visit us today!

Our Address

#3A-4559 Hurontario Street
Mississauga, ON L4Z 3L9

Contact Information

Our Hours

Monday
10:30 AM — 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM — 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM — 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM — 5:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM — 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM — 4:00 PM
Sunday
CLOSED

Our Eye Care Services

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