As an optometrist, one of the most rewarding parts of my work is helping parents realise that we no longer have to just sit back and watch a child’s prescription get stronger and stronger every year. By taking a proactive, clinical approach early on, we can actively slow down the progression of short-sightedness and make a massive difference in their adult eye health. If you are looking for dedicated myopia management in Adelaide for your child, we designed our structured program to give you clear answers, honest advice, and a personalised treatment pathway from day one.

Myopia Management in Adelaide: Our Structured Child Care Pathway

At Adelaide City Optometrist, we treat short-sightedness as a health progression to manage, not just a prescription to update. Our clinical program is designed to slow how rapidly your child’s myopia develops, monitor their eye growth with precision, and safeguard their vision as they grow.

What is Myopia, and Why Do We Need to Manage It?

Myopia, or short-sightedness, occurs when a child’s eye grows slightly too long from front to back. This elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects look blurry while close-up vision remains clear.

Because higher levels of adult myopia are clinically linked to a greater lifetime risk of serious eye conditions, our priority is to step in while their eyes are still developing. If you have already noticed common signs of myopia in children at home, a formal assessment is the best way to see where things stand.

Diagram showing how myopia causes light to focus in front of the retina. Myopia management
Myopia occurs when the eye grows too long, causing distant objects to appear blurry.

Our Structured 5-Step Myopia Pathway

I believe parents should never have to guess about their child’s treatment or progress. The program for myopia management in Adelaide City Optometrist is built around a clear, 5-step pathway so you always know what we are tracking and what to expect next. We partner with Kingswood Eye Centre to precisely measure and track your child’s axial eye length, giving us objective data that we share with you in a written report at every key milestone.

Infographic map titled Your Child's Myopia Care Journey showing the 5-step clinical pathway for myopia management in Adelaide, from initial consult to annual review.
Our structured 5-step clinical roadmap to protect and slow down your child's myopia progression.

Step 1: Initial Comprehensive Consult

We conduct a full vision assessment, check their general ocular health, evaluate lifestyle risk factors, and measure baseline axial length through Kingswood Eye Centre.

Step 2: Cycloplegic Refraction & Custom Treatment Plan

I perform a precise refraction test using dilating drops to find their true prescription. From there, I formulate a detailed Initial Myopia Management Report mapping out their tailored, custom treatment plan. Depending on your child’s lifestyle and rate of progression, I may recommend:

  • Myopia Control Spectacles: Specialised lenses like Hoya MiYOSMART that look like normal glasses but use peripheral defocus technology to slow down eye growth.
  • Myopia Control Contact Lenses: Soft daily lenses, such as MiSight Daily or ACUVUE Abiliti, which are fantastic for active kids and sports.
  • Orthokeratology (Ortho-K): Custom overnight contact lenses that gently reshape the surface of the eye while they sleep, giving them completely clear vision during the day without glasses.
  • Low-Dose Atropine Eye Drops (0.05%): A simple nightly drop shown in major clinical trials to be highly effective, which I often prescribe on its own or alongside specialised glasses.

Step 3: Treatment-Specific Follow-Up

To ensure safety, comfort, and a perfect fit, we follow the strict International Myopia Institute (IMI) Guidelines for our initial check-ins:

  • Ortho-K: Checked at 1 Day and 4–7 Days.
  • Soft Contact Lenses: Checked at 1 Month.
  • Atropine & Glasses: Checked between 1 to 3 Months.

Step 4: 6-Monthly Review

A routine check-in for all treatments to test refraction, monitor vision changes, review lifestyle habits, and ensure they are comfortable and compliant.

Step 5: 12-Monthly Review

Our comprehensive annual review where we repeat our testing and measure their axial length against our baseline to see exactly how well the treatment is working.

Let's Talk About Fees & Costs

I know that managing a long-term eye condition comes with financial planning for your family, which is why I believe in complete transparency from the very start:

  • Initial Comprehensive Consultation: $90 (eligible for a Medicare rebate, leaving you with just a small out-of-pocket gap).

  • Follow-Up Consultation (To begin treatment): $45 (also eligible for a Medicare rebate and a small gap).

  • Ongoing Recall Reviews: Scheduled at 6, 12, and 24 months.

Note: The costs for therapeutic products (such as our clinical contact lenses or custom atropine formulations) are quoted based on the specific option we choose together during your consultation. For an idea of product pricing, you can view our comprehensive myopia treatment cost guide, or contact us at 08 8224 0819 to get a quote.

Ready to Protect Your Child's Vision?

If myopia runs in your family, or you notice your child squinting to see the distance, early intervention is key. Booking an assessment for myopia management in Adelaide City Optometrist is the first step to protecting their long-term eye health. Let's work together to give them the clearest possible future
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Frequent Asked Questions

At what age should my child start myopia management?

As soon as progression is noticed. Myopia that begins early tends to progress more, so early assessment gives the greatest opportunity to slow it. There is no minimum age to have your child's eyes checked.

Do I need a referral to see an optometrist for myopia?

No. Patients do not require a GP referral for a myopia assessment at Adelaide City Optometrist. You can book directly.

How is myopia management different from just getting stronger glasses each year?

Standard single-vision glasses correct blurry vision but do nothing to slow the eye growing longer. Myopia management uses treatments proven to slow that growth, aiming for a lower final prescription and a reduced lifetime risk of eye disease.

What happens if my child's short-sightedness is left untreated?

It tends to keep progressing, and higher myopia raises the lifetime risk of serious conditions such as retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma and earlier cataracts. Slowing it during childhood lowers that long-term risk.

Is myopia management covered by Medicare or private health?

The eye examination attracts a Medicare rebate, so you pay only a small gap. All treatments such as glasses, contact lenses, Ortho-K and atropine are separate, and private health optical extras may help with the cost.

Can adults have myopia management, or is it just for children?

Myopia management works best in childhood while the eyes are still growing, but we're happy to assess and advise adult patients at our clinic too.