Special Feature
Encouraging
kids to see
an ECP
By Denis Langlois
In most instances, children learn
by seeing.
Vision experts say as much as 80
per cent of what a person learns
in the first 12 years of life comes
through visual information,
such as words on a blackboard,
cues from adults and images on
computer screens.
Yet one in four school-aged
children has an undetected vision
issue, according to the Canadian
Association of Optometrists, which
can make visual learning much
more difficult.
The CAO says about 88 per cent
of Canadian adults who have a
visual impairment report that
their educational experiences
were directly impacted by their
sight, which has in turn impacted
educational attainment, career
choices and employment.
22 Optical Prism | July 2019
But how can ECPs entice more
children to come into their offices
for a vision test? And why are these
types of screenings so important
for kids? Q: Recent studies indicate that
61 per cent of parents mistakenly
believe they’d know if their child
had a vision issue. Why is this a
concern?
These are some of the questions we
have put to Dr. Kirsten North, the
association’s policy consultant. A: Children experience much
of the world visually and that
is especially true at school.
Poor vision can delay a child’s
development and make learning
and co-ordination for physical
activities difficult.
Q: First off, how often should
children see an ECP and how were
these guidelines developed?
A: In 2011, the Canadian
Association of Optometrists
published evidence-based
guidelines on the frequency of eye
examinations for Canadians. These
guidelines recommend that a child
has their first eye examination
between the ages of six to nine
months, at least one more
examination between the ages of
two to five years and an annual
exam through the school years (six
to 19 years).
Children rarely complain of a
vision problem because they
assume everyone sees the way
they do. Without any obvious signs
or symptoms, especially if the
problem is only in one eye, parents
often assume a child’s vision is
fine.
A comprehensive eye and vision
examination with an optometrist is
the best way to determine whether
a child has a vision issue.