October is Children's Vision Month!

Every October, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Optometrists (NLAO) joins optometrists across Canada to raise awareness about the importance of children’s eye health.

Vision plays a vital role in a child’s development. From learning and reading to playing and exploring the world... eye health is so important. Yet many parents are surprised to learn that 1 in 4 school-aged children has a vision problem, and children often don’t realize there’s an issue because they assume everyone sees the same way they do.

Why do eye exams matter?

Children rely on their vision for nearly everything they do, and clear vision supports confidence, coordination, and classroom success. But not all eye or vision problems are obvious.

Optometrists can detect and treat a wide range of issues during a routine eye exam, including:

• Nearsightedness and farsightedness

• Eye coordination and tracking difficulties

• Lazy eye (amblyopia)

• Focusing and depth perception issues

• Eye health conditions that may develop silently

Early detection makes treatment easier and more effective.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s recommended that children receive their first comprehensive eye exam before age 3, again before starting school, and regularly throughout their school years.

Eye health is more than 20/20.

Good vision isn’t just about sharp eyesight, it’s about how the eyes and brain work together. Even if a child can “see the letters on the chart,” they may still have visual processing issues that affect reading, writing, and focus.

Further, a comprehensive eye exam looks far beyond how well your child can see letters on a chart. Optometrists assess the overall health of the eyes: examining the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels for early signs of medical conditions.

In some cases, eye exams can help detect systemic health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or autoimmune disorders, often before symptoms appear elsewhere in the body.

That’s why regular eye exams are an essential part of preventive healthcare. They also contribute to your child’s long-term health and well-being.

Optometrists assess these deeper aspects of vision and can create personalized treatment plans to support a child’s full visual development.

This Children’s Vision Month, the NLAO encourages parents and caregivers to make eye exams part of every child’s health routine. Eye examinations are painless, quick, and can make a lifelong difference in a child’s learning and confidence.

Your local optometrist is here to help ensure every child in Newfoundland and Labrador can see, and live, to their full potential.

📍 Find an optometrist near you: https://www.nleyedoctors.com/find-an-eye-doctor