Why do my children need their eyes tested? They have an eye test at school dont they?
Not all schools do eye tests now! Even those that do them only perform a very basic vision test. They do not check the health of the eyes or how well the eyes work as a pair. Children grow very fast and their eyes can change quite a lot in 6 months so regular tests are needed. This is especially important if there is a family history of eye problems such as short sightedness. A full eye examination will test the following: Distance vision Near vision Colour Vision Binocular Vision (How well the eyes work together as a pair) Eye movements Health of the eyes Even if a child can see well in the distance they may have problems with close tasks. Any problem with reading can have a serious impact on a childs ability to learn and uncorrected vision problems can even affect their behaviour. Children do not always know that they cannot see properly as they have nothing to compare their vision to. We often see children who have poor vision in one eye but had no idea that this wasnt normal! A laz
