Central Coast Optometrist Suggests School Kids Get An Eye Test In January

The summer holidays are coming to an end which means the first day of the school year is fast approaching. Getting your child ready for school can feel like a big job when you have to consider their uniform, stationery and a packed lunch. Among this excitement, many parents overlook one very important factor – their child’s eyes and vision, which is integral to their ability to learn. Here at Eyes By Design we suggest that school kids get an eye test at the beginning of every year. 

HOW YOU CAN ENSURE YOUR CHILD IS READY TO LEARN 

The reason that we suggest school kids get an eye test in January is because your child’s vision has a significant impact on their ability to learn. To put it simply,  80 to 85% of information is received through our eyes, and if your child has impaired vision this could become a potential barrier that might hinder their learning. 

If issues with their sight go undetected it could impact their academic performance, or worse, their confidence in the classroom. 

A child with learning-related vision problems can usually learn better by using glasses for close work and/or vision therapy. 

PRE-SCHOOL EYE SCREENING TESTS

Most children will accept their vision problems and adapt to their poor vision because they assume everyone else sees the world the way they do. This is why it is vitally important that school kids get an eye test. 

More than 411,000 children in Australia have a long-term eye disorder. Most of these are near or far sightedness. 

While pre-school eye screening tests are helpful, signs of vision problems are generally rather subtle and unfortunately over 90% of vision problems are not detected by a school or preschool screening test. 

A standard child’s eye examination often only detects the most obvious eye defects, such as how clearly a child can see letters from a distance.  This test doesn’t measure your child’s ability to see at near, reading or writing distance – the distance where most learning takes place. 

Most typical Optometrists and Ophthalmologists also test for ‘refractive error’ but that too does little more than the Snellen test mentioned above. Vision is a complex process and seeing clearly, as measured by a letter chart, is only part of the process.

WHERE BEHAVIOURAL OPTOMETRY DIFFERS 

A standard eye examination is not fit for purpose when it comes to testing your child’s vision for learning. An optometrist that is trained in Behavioural Optometry will be able to tell you if your child has problems with: 

• Focusing 
• Eye teaming
• Eye tracking
• Depth perception
• Understanding what your child actually can see 

Behavioural Optometrists identify and remedy the vision problems that are subtle yet serious before they impact your child’s ability to learn. So not only do we suggest that school kids get an eye test, but in addition, they should be getting tested by a Behavioural Optometrist who is well trained in the connection between vision and classroom learning. 

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN VISION AND ACHIEVEMENT 

Research and clinical studies reveal there is a strong link between academic achievement and visual abilities. 

Vision is essential to learning because this is your child’s dominant system for receiving information. Seeing is a mental process – it is about finding the position of objects in space and interpreting their shape, distance, and colour. It’s also about controlling the speed and direction of movement. Although these skills are thought to be inherited, they’re actually also learned, and they develop and change throughout life. 

Our best learning occurs when we use both eyes effectively together. So, when our eyes don’t work as a team, it can have a significant impact on information processing and therefore learning.

To do all the things required at school – solve maths problems, play ball sports, read, and understand information – your child needs clear and confident vision. Therefore, if you ensure that your school aged child gets an eye test at the beginning of every year, you are giving them the best possible chance of thriving academically. 

TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR LEARNING RELATED VISUAL PROBLEMS

There are many case studies documenting the success of Behavioural Optometric treatment for children with learning-related visual problems. 

Lenses and/or vision therapy teach people to process visual information more efficiently and help visual recall.  

In the studies referred to, after treatment, the children improved their ability to use their eyes more effectively and integrate vision with other senses.  As a result, they saw significant progress in school.

Adults with visually demanding jobs (such as athletes and pilots for example) can confirm the value of vision therapy to sharpen their perception skills to enhance their performance. 

Vision Therapy programmes can be tailored to individual needs and problems, and they can be practised at work and at home. Vision therapy and lenses can open a whole new world of achievement and success. 

HOW LENSES CAN MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN CLASSROOM LEARNING 

Glasses can be prescribed for many reasons, and correcting sight is just one reason. Correctly prescribed lenses are a powerful tool which can be prescribed for specific purposes such as reading, crafts, and computer use to improve function in these areas. 

They also help with poor or slow focus, eye imbalance and other visual problems. Glasses relieve stress on the eyes, improving comfort and performance.

WE RECOMMEND THAT SCHOOL KIDS GET AN EYE TEST 

As a parent, you don’t know what you don’t know, but when it comes to your child’s vision it’s well worth finding out. 

It doesn’t take much effort to book your child in for an eye test with an experienced Behavioural Optometrist. It will give you great insight into your child’s eye health and how prepared and ready they are for the wonderful learning journey they’re about to embark on. 

We’ve seen many school kids get an eye test over the years, and there is truly nothing more fulfilling than boosting your child’s self-confidence through the simple gift of sight. 

Classroom learning is a minefield for many children to navigate without the added stress of impaired vision. If you want to ensure your child is well-prepared for back to school, then you can book an appointment online here. 

By Dr Nick Altuneg