Comprehensive eye exams with an optometrist are the only way to tell if your child’s eye are developing properly. Many eye health problems can be treated if they are caught early. For example, a lazy eye can be completely corrected if it is detected and treated early.

Eye exams also make sure your child is able to learn. Children who cannot see the board, focus on a picture or follow words in a book may struggle to achieve their full learning potential. Vision problems can also impact their hand-eye coordination for physical activities and even impact their social development. Almost three-quarters of Ontario’s parents are unaware that vision problems can cause speech difficulties, nearly two-third are unaware that they can lead to developmental delays and half of parents do not realize that a vision problem may be the cause of short attention spans in children.

Undetected and untreated vision problems often cause reading difficulties, and can cause the same signs and symptoms that are commonly attributed to issues such as ADHD, dyslexia and speech problems.