“When a child doesn’t complain, it is often
taken for granted that everything is normal.
The reality is that every child needs to have an
eye exam every year.”
"A child sometimes doesn't know any
different. They see what they see and
expect that to be normal,” says Moe
Benaim, senior category manager, optical, at Loblaw Companies Limited.
“When a child doesn’t complain, it is
often taken for granted that everything
is normal. The reality is that every
child needs to have an eye exam
every year.”
HELPING KIDS SEE
By Denis Langlois
ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN IN CANADIAN ELEMENTARY AND
HIGH SCHOOLS HAS SOME SORT OF PROBLEM WITH THEIR
A vision problem can dramatically
affect a child’s success in both the
classroom — experts say as much as
80 per cent of a child’s learning is based
on vision — and in the gymnasium,
sports field and playground — vision
problems can impact a child’s handeye co-ordination and social
development.
“A single pair of eyeglasses could
mean the difference between a child
thriving at school or falling behind,”
says Benaim. “If they cannot see the
board or focus on a picture or follow
along in a book, they may struggle in
school and stop short of achieving
their full potential.”
VISION, ACCORDING TO RECENT STUDIES. HOWEVER, MANY The Loblaw Optical team decided this
TIMES, CHANGES IN VISION CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT
YOUNGER CHILDREN EVEN NOTICING.
past September to expand its popular
Kids See Free program. The initiative
has two main objectives.
The first is to raise awareness about the
importance of regular eye examinations
for children. The Ontario Association of
Optometrists recommends compre-
10 EYE FOCUS | December Digital 2015