Children's Eyecare

"1 in 5 children has an undetected eye problem"

It costs nothing to be reassured about the health of your children’s eyes. 

Eye tests are FREE for all children under 16, and for 16-18 year olds in full time education.  We strongly recommend all children start to have regular checkups ideally before the age of three.  

Did you know?

• Children’s eyes continue to develop until the age of eight.  
• Problems can start at an early age and poor vision can quickly affect behaviour as well as learning ability at school.
• If detected early enough, common childhood conditions can be easily and permanently corrected.
• Untreated eye conditions such as a squint (strabismus) or lazy eye (amblyopia) can lead to other serious problems which may result in a permanent reduction in vision.
• 70% of schools do NOT assess vision
• Children with poor vision may not complain of any problems as they assume that what they can see is normal
• Children can be tested as early as 6 months old

In most cases, your child’s test will reveal that he or she has excellent vision.  But for those children who do need a little help with their sight, we have a wide range of stylish and fun children’s frames. And the great news is that most of them come complete with standard lenses for FREE with an NHS voucher!  Other children’s frames start from as little as £20!

Testing children’s eyes

Our optometrist Ray uses a range of techniques, including singing and the use of interactive toys, which really do help to reassure and engage children during the test.  The practice has also invested in specialist resources to make it easier and more fun for children to have their sight tested.  

These techniques and resources include:

• Pictures and symbols instead of the standard letter chart.
• Picture and letter matching.
• A test which enables the spectacle prescription to be found without the need for your child to make “better or worse” decisions if they are too young to do so.

Our children’s corner with books, colouring and toys will help even the most nervous child (and their parents) feel relaxed and welcome. It also keeps siblings happy while the eye test is taking place.  At the end, your child will be rewarded with stickers for a job well done!

Common signs that indicate a child may have difficulty with vision

There are many signs that can help you decide whether or not your child may have an eye-related problem. 

These include:

Pre-schoolers

• Frequent eye-rubbing
• Poor eye-hand-body co-ordination
• Often bumps into objects
• Excessive tearing of eyes
• Avoids puzzles and colouring
• Red eyes or lids

School-age children

• Frequent eye rubbing and headaches
• Poor handwriting
• Holds books close to face
• Avoids detailed work like colouring

We are here to help.  If you have any concerns at all about your child’s eye sight, please do pop in and have a chat with us.

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