The Eye See…Eye Learn® is a program that provides kindergarten students with a comprehensive eye health exam from a Doctor of Optometry, which is covered by Alberta Health. If required, kindergarten students also receive a free pair of eyeglasses.The program is available to all kindergarten students in Alberta, and those students are eligible from the September they begin kindergarten to Grade One. Free glasses are provided to kindergarten students who received a prescription from a Doctor of Optometry.

In Alberta, 25 per cent of children begin grade one with an undiagnosed vision or eye health problem, which can interfere with their ability to learn during their first critical years in school. The Eye See…Eye Learn® program was developed by the Alberta Association of Optometrists to help children reach their full potential.

Through Eye See…Eye Learn®, Doctors of Optometry detect, diagnose and treat eye health problems in children as they enter the school system. Alberta Health Care already covers the cost of comprehensive eye exams for all children in the province. This program takes that one step further by providing free eyeglasses to kindergarten students who need a prescription.

Vision care is vital at all ages. Children are recommended to have their first eye exam at 6 months of age! Children do not need to be able to read to have a comprehensive vision check. When they are infants, the exam is a health check and vision check. Yearly eye exams are recommended for all school age children. Alberta Health Care covers the cost of eye exams for all children 18 and younger.

80% of learning is visual, so an undiagnosed vision problem can have significant consequences to a child’s performance in school. We can’t rely on a child’s ability to “tell us” when they have a vision problem – the way they see is normal for them. Similarly, we can’t rely on our own observations of the child’s visual behaviour to decide whether or not a vision problem exists. A comprehensive eye exam from an optometrist is the best way to ensure your child’s eyes are healthy and functioning normally.