While our focus is of course on clinical care, we understand that your little one being comfortable and happy in our rooms is just as important.

As well as checking the health of the eyes and managing any refractive error for best clarity , your child's overall binocularity and visual skills are used in their learning. Assessing these are a key part of our assessments.

 Your child's eye movements, fixation, ability to shift focus, convergence ability, depth perception, colour vision, fusional reserves (indicating the ease with which the eyes may tire), sequencing of the eyes with reading and other aspects of their vision and visual skills are assessed as a standard.

If indicated and not already assessed by an occupational therapist, a visual perceptual analysis is made to look at how well your child interprets and works with what they see. This can provide valuable information on their learning particularly during the foundation phase of school. Again where working together with your child's OT or an educational psychologist, we may leave this aspect of the assessment to them.

A child's vision can be assessed from birth, and this is indicated if you or your child's Paediatrician notices any symptoms. While often managed in conjunction with an ophthalmologist at younger ages, visual difficulty can be ruled out in even very young children, without too much co-operation on their part being required. For the best clarity in the long term, any possible visual difficulties are better sorted out sooner rather than later so get in touch if you are at all unsure.

In our practice we recommend routine eye tests at age 3 (or earlier if symptoms are present).

In Grade R and every year during primary school (when print size decreases and visual demands increase annually).

 Every year in high school (if glasses or contact lenses are worn) or alternatively every 18 months to 2 years thereafter ( even if glasses or contact lenses are not needed).

See our adults visual assessments page for once they leave school.