Children’s eye test

It’s easy for poor eyesight to go unnoticed in children, as they often don’t report it themselves. In fact, they probably don’t even realise anything is wrong.

That’s why it’s important to make sure you book them in for a routine eye test every year (or more often if advised by the opticians) and in the meantime, keep a look out for any of these signs, which might indicate your child needs an eye test:

• They’re getting too close to their favourite TV programme
  • If your child chooses to sit right next to the TV, it may not just be a sign that they completely engrossed in their favourite show, it might simply be that they can’t see the screen clearly when sitting on the sofa.
• They’re closing one eye when trying to focus
  • Have you ever noticed your child covers up or closes one eye when they’re trying to focus? This could be a sign that they have a lazy eye. The younger and sooner a lazy eye is detected, the more chance there is of correcting it.
• They’re struggling at school
  • If your child is falling behind at school, it could indicate that they’re having some difficulty with reading the board. Of course, there are many other possible explanations, but poor vision is one that can be easily ruled out with a sight test.
• They’re always rubbing their eyes
  • When our eyesight is poor, we naturally blink more to try to clear our vision. This can make our eyes watery, so we wipe them more often. If you notice our child doing this, then book them in for a sight test.

We understand that having an eye test might be a bit daunting for young children, but we do all we can to make sure they feel comfortable and we are able to adapt our tests to suit the child.

And don’t forget, eye tests are free (funded by the NHS) for any child under 16 years of age, or under 18 if in full-time education, so give us a call on 01227 760501 to book an appointment over the Easter holidays.