Does My Child Need An Eye Test?
Most children won't tell you their vision is blurry.
They don't know any different.
There’s a moment a lot of parents describe after their child gets their first pair of glasses. They put them on, look around, and say something like “I didn’t know trees had leaves on them.”
It’s funny and heartbreaking in equal measure. The child wasn’t struggling. They weren’t complaining. They just assumed everyone saw the world that way.
This is the most important thing to understand about children’s vision: kids don’t know what they’re missing. They have no reference point for clear sight, so they don’t flag it. They adapt. And in the meantime, they might be straining to read, losing their place on the page, getting headaches after school, or being quietly written off as a slow learner – when the real issue is sitting right in front of their face.
So when should they get tested?
Before school, ideally. We recommend a first eye exam around four to six years old – kindergarten age. Before the reading and writing demands of primary school begin.
The early school years place a huge amount of pressure on a child’s visual system. Tracking words across a page, copying from the board, shifting focus between near and far. These require eyes that are working well and working together. If they’re not, the child doesn’t necessarily struggle to see. They struggle to concentrate, to learn and to keep up.
A quick eye exam before school starts gives you peace of mind and a baseline to work from.
At VeyeP it’s bulk billed under Medicare, no cost, no reason to put it off.
What should I watch for?
Children rarely say “my vision is blurry.” Instead, look for the indirect signs:
- Squinting, or closing one eye to focus
- Sitting very close to the TV or holding books right up to their face
- Losing their place when reading
- Headaches or tired eyes after school
- Avoiding reading or drawing
- Rubbing their eyes a lot
- Difficulty with sport or catching a ball
- A visible turn or squint in one eye
Any of these is worth investigating. None of them are definitive on their own, but an eye test will quickly tell you whether vision is a factor.
What's the exam actually like?
The exam is relaxed, for most kids. They don’t need to be able to read, we use pictures, shapes and simple matching tasks that work at any age. Parents can stay in the room throughout.
We check how clearly they can see at different distances, how their eyes work together, colour vision, depth perception and the overall health of their eyes. The whole thing takes around 30 to 45 minutes.
Our team at VeyeP has been seeing Balmain families for nearly 20 years. Getting children comfortable is something we’ve had a lot of practice with.
And after that?
Every two years as a routine check, assuming nothing concerning comes up sooner. Vision can shift quickly during childhood, particularly during growth spurts. So staying on top of regular testing means any changes are caught early.
If glasses are needed, we’ll talk you through the options. If everything looks fine, you leave knowing that vision isn’t the obstacle.
Either way, it’s definitely worth knowing.
You can book a children’s eye exam online or call us on (02) 9555 2770.
We’re on Darling Street, Balmain.