Children's eyecareMore than one in 10 children, in every classroom, are estimated to have an undiagnosed vision problem that is impacting their learning and development*
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Common Misconceptions Around Children's Vision
MYTH 1
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"Glasses might make my child's vision worse or give them a lazy eye" Wearing glasses does not make your eyes ‘weak,’ or ‘dependent’ on glasses. In most cases, glasses will actually help to relieve strain on the eyes and to relax the eye muscles.
Wearing glasses as prescribed can help our sight to develop normally and achieve its full potential. Recent evidence has shown that under correction of certain types of prescription can in fact accelerate a deterioration. You should always encourage your child to wear their glasses as instructed by our optometrist |
MYTH 2
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"I don't need to arrange a sight test for my child because their school/nursery will take care of it" Some children do receive vision screening in school - this is usually done around the age of five. The primary aim is to find those children with reduced vision or binocular vision problems, so they can be referred to a local optometrist or hospital eye service for further investigation, and treatment if necessary.
Unfortunately, the reality is that provision of these services is very patchy in the UK, and in many areas children receive no vision screening at all. A sight test is a much more comprehensive check than vision screening, because it includes a check to see whether glasses or contact lenses are necessary, and an examination of ocular health. Everyone should have a sight test every two years, or more often if our optometrist recommends it, and all children are entitled to NHS-funded sight tests up to the age of 16 |
MYTH 3
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"My husband and I don't wear glasses, so my child will not need them either" The need to wear glasses can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
The nature of genetics is complex and there are many genes that have been identified as being associated with visual problems. Family history, ethnic background, environment (living indoors, in cities) and carrying out near tasks, such as screen use, have all been linked to the development of short-sightedness. As such, it is difficult to pinpoint an exact cause or reason that a child might need to wear glasses, even if the parents do not. |
MYTH 4
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"I need to wait until my child can read before they can have their sight tested" Children don’t need to be able to read words, or even letters, in order to be able to have a sight test. We can use other methods, such as pictures, to check how well your child can see.
As part of a sight test, we also check that a child’s eyes are healthy, and whether they need spectacles or contact lenses to help them see. Many eye problems can be treated more effectively if picked up early, so we recommend that all children visit us for a sight test around the age of three. |
MYTH 5
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"It is not safe for children to wear contact lenses" The real issue is not how old a child might be, but how responsible and motivated they are to wear them. A lot of children make very good contact lens patients and contact lenses can be a great option for boosting self-esteem.
Contact lenses are particularly convenient for playing sports as the wearer gets better ‘all round’ vision that is unrestricted by frames, and there is less risk of an accident or damaging a pair of glasses. We can advise parents on the most suitable types of contact lens, and also how to handle and look after contact lenses appropriately. |
* Education Endowment Foundation's Preparing for Literacy report, June 2018