Keeping an eye on children’s sight:

Parents are being urged to watch their kids for signs of poor eyesight.

According to Specsavers’ Optometrist and Managing Director, Peter Larsen, more than 60% of children who are ‘problem learners’ have been found to suffer from undetected vision problems.

“Almost two thirds of children who struggle with learning have undiagnosed vision problems, meaning the solution could be a simple as a pair of glasses,” claims Larsen.

“Around 80% of everything a child learns is through their vision, so good eyesight is one of the most important tools for their learning and development.”

Mr Larsen said undetected vision problems were estimated to affect approximately one in four Australian children, while around one in six Australian children wear glasses or contact lenses to correct their sight.

“Even basic issues with their sight can have a profound impact on children but some conditions require swift intervention,” he said.

“For example, if a child has a squint, it can be treated relatively easily if caught early on but after the age of seven or eight, the likelihood of needing surgery increases dramatically.

“It is extremely important that a child’s eyesight is checked regularly. After eight is often too late because after this age it is much harder to correct any vision problems which may have developed.”

So what are signs of vision difficulties? Parents should be looking at for:

• Reading problems– Children who frequently skip lines or lose their place while reading books may have vision problems.
• Squinting– If a student is frequently squinting at the blackboard, they may be trying to compensate for their poor vision.
• Sitting too close to the television– Short-sighted children generally have clear vision at a close range and poor vision at a distance.
• Rubbing eyes and headaches– If your child rubs their eyes excessively or complains of headaches regularly, it may mean their eye muscles are fatigued from straining.
• Clumsiness -Children might have trouble realising how close or far away objects really are. Sometimes young children who do not walk well actually have problems with their vision.
• Behaviour - Some children who have vision problems appear to have a short attention span and may misbehave due to frustration.

Some common eye problems that can occur amongst young children include, long or short sightedness, astigmatism, which results in distorted vision, colour deficiencies and lazy eye.

Specsavers recommends children should have their eyes tested at least every two years from the age of three, and is urging parents to book an eye test to ensure nothing is impeding their child’s vision and consequently their ability to learn.