Eye testing for kids

Last week i had my eyes tested and i was reading a sign that kids should have their eyes tested before they turn 3...and then again before starting school

Has anyone had their little ones tested?

How do they test them on a 3 yr old

oohh great question!! i would like to know too!

ohhhhhhhhh noooooooooooo!!

i didjt know you had too- far out- there is no way mstr 2 would still stillfor that!

They put special glasses on the kids and get them to point at different things on a book. I remember they had to point at the wings on a fly. Where they pointed showed if there was any vision problems as the wings would be elsewhere on the picture.

DD1 was tested by the school screening nurses in kindergarten and again in Yr1 cause there was a prob. She needed to see a paediatric opthalmologist after that and was prescribed glasses. The nurse advised us NOT to take a child to just an optometrist but go to the more qualified paediatric opthalmologist to get her eyes fully checked.

I have never heard that you should have their eyes tested by 3, as a teacher iw ill suggest an eye check for learning probs to rule it out as a casue but never just for the sake of it.

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We advise that children should have their first eye examination at around three years old. Learning difficulties can sometimes be caused by uncorrected vision problems, so the earlier they can be detected, the better the chance of correcting them.

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Taken from Specsavers website

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Book an eye exam for your child
A child's first eye exam should occur by age three. These early years are an important period where even common childhood disease, such as chickenpox, can disrupt development and may cause sight problems.

An eye exam and the tests conducted will vary depending on the age of your child.

For zero to two years
While vision testing for this age bracket may seem brief, this basic examination is rich in information and can ensure the fundamentals for a lifetime of good vision are in place. As a guide, a typical eye examination may include:

• Testing light reaction to ensure the nervous system and brain processes information correctly
• Testing long-sightedness to confirm whether your child's levels are within normal limits and that typical progression and development should occur
• Basic testing to ensure your child's eyes are aligned properly, this is important to rule out a lazy or turned eye
• Basic testing to ascertain the general health of the eyes by using an ophthalmoscope (a bright light) to look inside the eyes.

For two to four years
The testing techniques used in this age group will vary quite dramatically according to the development of the child. It is critical that a child's eyes are tested before they begin schooling. As a guide, a typical eye examination may include:

• Testing colour vision; it is important to identify potential issues as a child learns to name colours in this age group. Colour vision deficiencies are usually inherited and while little can be done to improve problems, early advice from an optometrists will alert parents to limitations a child may face
• Testing for depth perception is also important for this age group as children are learning to walk and relate to the world around them. Poor depth perception may be related to a turned or lazy eye. Lazy or turned eyes can be improved, with patching and eye exercises. It is critical to detect and treat this as early as possible, because the best results are obtained with training programs for children under 7 years
• Testing the impact of allergies on vision and comfort of the eyes
• Testing motor co-ordination skills, near and long vision and general health of the eyes

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Taken from Essential baby article

We have astigmatism and short sightedness in our family and I was speaking with the optometrist the other day who said for the astigmatism it should be about 2 - 3 and for the shortsightedness just before school.

Not sure how they do the test and it was too long ago for me to remember :p