How would you know if your child had a vision problem?
Children are not always able to communicate if they cannot see colours properly or if one eye is weaker than the other. Or even if they find it difficult to read due to their vision. Some of these problems can have an adverse effect on their schooling and even their choice of profession later in life. The good news is that all of these problems can be picked up through a routine sight test and then managed effectively by the Optician. Your child will be screened for binocular vision problems, colour vision defects, reading problems, eye turns, lazy eyes and many more. We are able to see children from any age so you should bring them just before they start nursery or earlier if you have any concerns.
We are able to check the sight of a child from 2½ years of age, some times even younger.
How do we do this?
We use pictures if your child is able to recognise/ speak.
If your child does not know words yet, we use letter matching, this is very effective for most children.
If your child is unable to do this we are able to use a special light from an instrument called a retinoscope to check the power of the eye.
We check they are using both eyes effectively using a number of tests, including a 3D test.
The NHS recommends children to have a routine eye examination every year. This becomes even more important if there is short sightedness in the family, or a squint/eye turn in the immediate and extended family.
If your child requires glasses, we have a large range to choose from. The NHS funds a complete pair of glasses for all children under 16 from a selected range. The NHS will also fund a complete pair of glasses should your child loose or break their glasses.
The Optometrist will check to make sure the frames fit well. Ideally, we advise you allow your child to be happy with the design/colour of their new glasses. This will make them more likely to wear the glasses. Of course, this will depend on an appropriately fitting frame but we try to keep your child happy!
