Children’s vision; their sight for life
80% of what your child learns is through his/her eyesight.
If a child has a problem with his/her eyesight and it goes undetected, it can lead to behavioural and learning problems. Visual problems can lead to children failing to reach their full potential in sport, school and at play.
If your child has eyesight problem, early detection is the key...5 to 10% of children under the age of 4 have problems with their eyes, this rises to 25% of children of school going age.
Your child may be screened in school in senior infants for eyesight problems but there are two problems with this; firstly, it may be too late for some children to manage an already existing vision problem and secondly, the school screening is not designed to pick up some of the more serious vision defects which can remain hidden unless the child is examined by a qualified eyecare professional. Your local Optometrist is qualified to carry out a complete eye examination which can detect all problems with children’s eyesight and to manage them appropriately.
It is also worth remembering that even if your child passes the school screening, they will not be checked again until they are in 5th class...however, as a child grows up, so too does their vision change and having a child’s eyes checked regularly throughout the time they are going to school is really important, especially if there is a family history of eye problems.
When children start school they fine tune the visual skills they developed as babies and toddlers. If there is a problem with those visual skills or the child’s vision, the child may try to compensate to manage the problem themselves;
Watch for your signs that your child may have an eyesight problem;
· Problems seeing at distance (TV, blackboard, cinema, sport)
· Eye turning in or out
· Complaining of headaches
· Reluctance to read or losing their place when reading
· Tilting the head or covering one eye when carrying out activities which require visual concentration
· Inability to concentrate at close activities
· Eye rubbing or excessive blinking
If you suspect your child has a problem which may be linked to his or her vision, bring them to your local optometrist who will carry out a detailed examination. Should your optometrist detect a problem, s/he will give you expert advice on what course of action is required to help manage your child’s visual problem. This may mean special eye exercises to strengthen weak eye muscles or wearing a patch to stimulate better vision in one eye when it is weaker than the other eye, or simply wearing glasses.
If your child does need to have a vision problem managed, be positive and supportive. Encourage your child to do as s/he has been advised to do by the optometrist or eye care professional. Ensure they follow the management programme which has been prescribed for them. If a child does not follow what they have been told to do, the treatment is less likely to be successful.
If your child has to get glasses, the optometrist or a dispensing optician is trained to fit your child with the frame best suited to the lenses which they need and to fit their face.
Make sure the frame is;
· A good fit
· Comfortable and light
· The correct shape so your child is not looking over the top of the frame; shallow rectangular shapes are not advisable; oval or tear drop shape is the best shape.
· Chose impact resistant lenses which will not break if the glasses are dropped
· Keep the lenses thin and light
· Always have an up to date spare pair
· Keep the spectacles in a hard case with a special cloth to keep the lenses clean
· Get the frame tightened and adjusted regularly at your local opticians to ensure they continue to fit properly
Remember; talk to your local optometrist. The eye care professional qualified to handle all your family’s eye care needs throughout life.
Check the website to find the Optometrist closest to you.