Children’s Vision

We endeavour to make our childrens visual examinations as happy and friendly as possible.

Because children learn mostly with their eyes there is a clear link between a child’s ability to see well and his or her ability to learn and succeed in school.  Reading, writing, blackboard work, computers, playtime and sports are all hard work if you cannot see clearly.  Many everyday tasks for children involve seeing quickly and interpretting visual information which means it is essential that they see well.

Good vision depends on good eye health and overall good simultaneous eye function. Good vision includes seeing well at a distance and also close up and involves visual skills such as using and moving the eyes together, focusing the eyes properly and changing focus appropriately.

If your child has a NZ community services card and they are under 16 years old the may receive a free comprehensive eye test as well as if needed spectacles up to the valiu of $237.00.

 Does your child have a vision problem? What to look out for:

Parents and teachers can look out for the following signs that a child may have a vision problem.

• Dislike and avoidance of close work
• Sitting at table with an awkward posture
• Turning or tilting the head to one side
• Closing one eye while reading
• Taking an unusually long time to complete reading comprehension tasks
• Moving closer to a book, desk or computer screen while reading
• Excessive blinking or rubbing of eyes
• Losing place while reading; skipping or re-reading lines or words
• Complaints of headache, dizziness and nausea
• Needing to sit close to the TV or board at school to see clearly
• Lack of confidence in group sports and activities

We try to make our childrens visual examination fun and non threatening.

Children who have a Community Services Card can receive a free eye examination and spectacles up to the value of $237 every year.

Our childrens visual examination includes:

• Refraction at both distance and near.
• Eye health
• Visual skills including eye focussing, coordination as well as movement and tracking.
• Colour vision assessment
• Stereopsis (depth perception)
• Digital retinal photography and visual field screening