KIDS EYE TEST AND EYE CARE FOR CHILDREN
Argus Opticians is a family practice and all of our staff have young children of their own, so we know how important it is that kids are made to feel immediately at ease, in what can sometimes be an intimidating environment for them. This is the reason why we view kids as our most important patients. Our children’s testing equipment is specialised to help make the test as fun as possible for them.
The test itself involves checking your child’s visual performance, eye muscle function, colour vision, stereoscopic (3D) vision and their eye health. For younger children this will often involve the instillation of eye drops to assist us in getting the most accurate results, and again we have a wealth of experience in making this as pleasant an experience as possible.
When the test is finished we will take time to relate our findings to the child and parent before handing them over to our dispensing team to give guidance when choosing glasses if they have been deemed necessary.
Our range of children’s frames have been specially chosen with an emphasis on quality, durability and functionality rather than on having lots of “branded” children’s frames, which we sometimes find lacking in some of the attributes we desire. However we do carry some designer brand kids frames such as Ray-Ban, Police, Pull and Bear and William Morris. We also cater for children who may require more specialised fitting such as infants and children with Down’s syndrome.
Why Should You Have Your Child’s Eyes Examined?
It is estimated that 5-10% of preschool children and 25% of school going children have visual problems. It is extremely important that any such problems are identified and managed early as, if left undetected they could impair your child’s visual, social and educational development.
How old does my child have to be before they can have their eyes examined?
Your child will normally have been tested at infancy by the paediatrician, but at Argus Opticians Donegal Town and Bundoran we recommend they should attend for a preschool assessment at around 3 years of age, earlier if there is a family history of eyesight problems, or if you have any concerns about their eyes. They should then attend every twelve months while they are in full time education.
Why should I take my child to Argus Opticians when they have their eyes screened at school?
School vision screenings are very rudimentary and brief exams, designed to detect gross visual problems in children who can then be referred for treatment. Argus Opticians eye exam is more comprehensive and can detect very early problems with eyesight as well as checking the health of the eye and eye muscle function.
What are the signs that your child may have poor vision?
You should see an optometrist if your child exhibits symptoms or complains of any of the following:
Poor hand/eye co-ordination- Bumps into things
- White pupil in photographs
- Headaches
- Sore eyes
- Excessive rubbing / blinking
- Squinting or head tilting
- Blurred vision
- Eye turning in/out
- Reading too close
- Sitting too close to TV/ board at school