Eye examinations for children

Lesley Cree Opticians in Radcliffe on Trent provide advice on eye examinations for children

All children should have an eye examination before starting school, preferably at age 3 years, or earlier if you think they have a problem or there is a family history of eye trouble. Poor vision can hinder a child’s development as up to 90 percent of what a child learns comes from what they see.

All children’s eye examinations are FREE under the NHS.

TODDLERS (age 1 to 3); The Cardiff card test is used specifically for testing the vision of toddlers, it works on the principle of preferential looking whereby a toddler will choose to look towards a target rather than a plain stimulus and an assessment of the vision in each eye can be made.

PRE SCHOOL (age 3 to 5); A variety of methods to test the child’s vision can be used including looking at pictures and matching letter shapes – A child does not need to know their alphabet to have an eye examination.

Sometimes eye drops will be used to get a more accurate assessment of children’s vision.

Children can be fitted with CONTACT LENSES from around 12 years of age.

Children’s SUNGLASSES are recommended to protect the eyes from harmful UV radiation in the same way you would protect the skin with sun-screen. A useful website describing most eye conditions is www.lookafteryoureyes.org which is run by the College of Optometrists.