It is so important to get your child’s eyes tested to ensure that any issues are picked up and managed as soon as possible. Although severe vision problems in children are rare at such a young age, it is important for eye problems to be identified as early as possible because they can significantly affect a child’s development and education.

Children may not realise that there is a problem with their vision, so any underlying issue could go months, or even years without being detected if your child isn’t attending regular eye examinations. Children under the age of 16 are entitled to free eye examinations on the NHS, where the health of the eye is checked. In young children it is essential to make sure that the eyes are working as a pair because up until age 7 we have the ‘critical period’ which is the period where we need to correct any difference in prescription between the two eyes or patch a child with a squint, so that the child can have equal vision.

During the eye exam the optometrist will check the movement of the eyes by moving lights or toys around the room to see if the child’s eye follows it. From around 6 years old a child will be introduced to the snellen chart where they will need to read letters from the chart. At school age, a child will be tested for colour deficiency. Having your child’s eyes tested as early as possible is essential as their childhood years are the most crucial period to make changes and improve their quality of development and education.