Children's
vision
It
is vitally important to have the vision of your child checked.
Eye problems in children can develop quickly, and, if left
unattended, can lead to serious decrease in vision, chich
can be irrepairable. Early detection of visual problems greatly
increases the chances of successful treatment.
Do
Many Children have Vision Problems?
Yes.
Recent university studies show:
- 30%
of all children have some form of visual problem
- 40%
of all children with "learning delays" have a
visual problem
- 2
- 5 % of all children have a serious conditions called Lazy
Eye.
At
what age can I have my child's vision checked?
Children
can be checked at any age. They do not have to know numbers
or letters to read the chart. As a broad rule:
From
birth onward: Optometrists can perform a number of tests
that do not require any response from the infant. Your Optometrist
will check
- That
the eyes are healthy and developing normally
- To
rule out shortsightedness, longsightedness, or astigmatism
- That
the eyes are working together
- To
rule out a turned eye
- To
rule out a lazy eye
From
age 3 to primary school: Optometrists can accurately
determine the vision that a child attains. It does not matter
if your child doesn't know any letters or numbers. Your Optometrist
will check
- The
level of vision that a child attains
- To
rule out a turned eye
- To
rule out a lazy eye
- The
co-ordination of the eyes
- The
level of fine discrmination using both eyes (stereopsis)
- That
the eyes are healthy and developing normally
-
To rule out shortsightedness, longsightedness, or astigmatism
- That
the eyes are working together
From
primary school onward, Optometrists can very accurately measure
the level of vision, and focussing ability of the eyes.
I
think my child is making up symptoms because other kids at
school have glasses, and they're the 'in thing.'
This
is a lot more common than you might think! Your Optometrist
has a number of tests that can be used to check vision, and
can easily tell if the symptoms are genuine, and if there
is cause for concern. It is impossible to 'fake' through an
eye exam.
What
symptoms should I look for in my child?
If
you are a parent or teacher, some particular symptoms to look
for include:
- One
eye aims in a slightly different direction to the other
- Your
child squints or closes one eye
- Difficulty
seeing things you can see
- A
head tilt or turn
- Clumsiness
or poor hand/eye co-ordination
- Holding
books unusually close
- Excessive
blinking or watery eyes
- Inability
or reluctance to read for periods of time
- Rubbing
eyes alot
- Skipping
lines or words when reading
- Learning
difficulties
Parents
often find it difficult to detect a specific symptom, so if
you have ANY concern, please ensure your child has an eye
examination.
What
happens at an eye test?
It
is a simple thing to have an eye test, and your Optometrist
will be able to tell you immediately if there is cause for
concern. In some cases, children with problems can be treated
with eye exercises rather than glasses. Your Optometrist will
give you a full explanation about your child's problem which
will include:
- The
nature of the problem (eg shortsightedness, longsightedness,
astigmatism, lazy eye).
- What
treatment options are available (eg. exercises, glasses)
- How
long treatment will be needed
- What
the expected outcome will be
- The
expectation of your child's vision in the long term
Related
links:
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This
article was compiled by Mr. Russel Lazarus
B.Optom (Hons) Grad Cert (UNSW)
Russel
is an Optometrist in private practice in Sydney, Australia.
His areas of special interest are children's vision,
learning difficulties, and childrens school performance.
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