Incorporating a children’s eye test into your back-to-school routine
As the summer holidays wind down, it’s time to start thinking ahead for the upcoming school year. Many parents understand the importance of getting their children ready for a successful academic year and take great strides in preparing them academically, but one crucial step that often goes overlooked is a children’s eye test. Vision issues can make learning difficult for children, so ensuring your kids have regular eye exams is essential, as they allow us to assess their eyes thoroughly.
As your child progresses through school, they will face more and more visual demands. From the size of the text they read to the amount of time they spend staring at screens, their eyes work overtime. As a proactive parent, it’s natural to help them in any way you can, and one way you can do this is by lightening the load on their eyes with a back-to-school eye test for children.
Why good vision is so important for children
The ability to see clearly is imperative for a child’s overall development. It’s not just about having 20/20 vision but also about understanding and responding to what they are seeing. This can not only aid in a child’s learning but also their social life and physical activities outside of school. Just imagine being on a football pitch and not being able to properly process the ball’s movement – that would be a serious downer! By ensuring that a child’s vision is up to par, you are setting them up for academic and social success.
Why is an eye test for children so crucial to their learning?
It’s clear that there’s a distinct link between good vision and effective learning. But did you know that 80% of a child’s learning is done visually? This is the best example showing how much they depend on their eyes for learning. By taking the initiative and ensuring your child attends regular eye exams, our optometrists can get a complete picture of your child’s eye health and vision – something which school screenings don’t cover. We can spot any abnormalities or eye conditions that may be present and identify if they have a prescription and need vision correction so we can provide the best possible children’s eyecare.
Spotting eye conditions in a child’s eyes
A common eye condition increasingly developing in children is myopia (short-sightedness). This is when they can’t see objects clearly in the distance and can be attributed to excessive screen use. As fun and convenient as smartphones, tablets and computer screens are, they are a leading cause of rising myopia, especially in children. Luckily, our optometrists have a wealth of experience and are able to identify problems like this during a children’s eye test and can prescribe glasses or contact lenses to correct it.
However, it’s important to note that myopia can worsen over time, leading to more serious eye conditions down the road, like glaucoma or retinal detachments. But don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of information here about the revolutionary management methods we are accredited to provide to slow down myopia progression in children.
Scheduling a children’s eye test
At our opticians in Kenton and Baker Street, we take children’s eye health seriously – but we also know how important it is to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. That’s why our fully comprehensive eye exams are designed specifically to suit your child’s abilities, with computerised test charts allowing us to use everything from pictures to shapes and letters to numbers.
Plus, all children under 16 and those 19 and under in full-time education can receive NHS eye tests free of charge. So, whether your little one is just starting their schooling or is already a well-established student, you can relax knowing they’ll receive the best eyecare.
Entrust children’s eyecare to us
Whatever the outcome of the eye exam is, we are here to make sure that your child’s future is bright, and their vision needs are taken care of. If glasses are needed, our extensive range of frames will ensure they get a pair that not only looks good but also fits comfortably. With our soft nose pads and adjustable hinges, each frame we stock will last them well into the new school year and beyond.
Alternatively, if we and you as parents feel they are ready to wear contact lenses, we’ll go through the consultation process to find the best option for them and will take as much as needed to teach them how to insert and remove them confidently to set them up for success in wearing them.
Most importantly, this experience should be enjoyable for your child – when it comes to an important stage in their childhood development, quality eyecare can give them the confidence they need to succeed. Book your child an eye exam today to ensure their future is clear and bright!