Children's Eye Exams in Calgary

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends a first eye exam between 6 and 9 months of age, at least one exam between ages 2 and 5, and annual exams once children start school. Early exams are important because many childhood vision problems have no obvious symptoms, and early detection can support timely treatment and healthy visual development.

Alberta Health provides coverage toward annual eye examinations for children and youth under 19.At Primaris Vision, children under 8 have no additional examination fee. For children ages 8–18, a co-pay applies because provincial coverage does not fully cover the cost of our comprehensive children's eye examination.Many extended health benefit plans may cover this co-pay. Please ask our team when booking if you have questions about your coverage.

Eye See… Eye Learn is an Alberta program that helps kindergarten-aged children get the vision care they need.If a child in kindergarten requires prescription glasses following an eye examination, they may qualify for a free pair of glasses through a participating optometrist.Primaris Vision participates in the program. Ask our team about Eye See… Eye Learn when booking your child's examination.

Yes. Children often don't complain about vision problems because they assume everyone sees the way they do.Conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye), significant prescription differences between the eyes, and focusing or eye coordination difficulties may have no obvious symptoms. Left undetected, these issues can affect a child's reading, learning, and visual development.A comprehensive children's eye exam can identify vision concerns that may not be detected through school vision screenings or everyday observation.

We use age-appropriate techniques, including picture charts, shape matching, and objective measurements that assess how the eyes focus without requiring verbal responses.Much of a child's eye exam involves observing how their eyes respond to different targets and activities. This allows us to evaluate vision, eye coordination, and eye health—even in infants and toddlers who cannot yet read or speak.