Raring2go! Rochdale

Raring2go! 17 Poor eyesight can have a significant effect on children’s ability to learn and on their behaviour. Children may not be aware of, or may not be able to explain their vision issues or difficulties. At the same time it is possible that a parent, carer or teacher may also not notice any problems. Many childhood eye conditions, such as lazy eye and squinting, can be treated effectively if they are picked up early. This is because the eye and the visual system are actively developing throughout the school years. The sooner vision problems are detected, the better the potential outcome will be. So time is of the essence for if vision problems are identified and treated, the difference this can make will potentially last their entire lifetime. So, start having eye tests before it is too late. By the age of eight, the eye development of a child is nearly complete and after this age there may be less chance of intervention which could make an improvement. It is especially important to get your child’s eyes tested if there is a family history of glasses at a young age, a history of eye prob- lems or if your child had a complicated birth or was born prematurely. Today it is possible to check your child’s sight, 3D and colour vision as well as making sure that the inside of the eyes are nice and healthy. A sight for sore eyes! As the new autumn school term begins, it is estimated that up to 1 million children will return to school this year with an undiagnosed vision problem. Over 90% of children visit a dentist regularly whilst only 53% have ever had an eye test Sight tests are free for all children under the age of 16 or under 19 if they are in full time education. Help towards the cost of glasses, should your child need them, is also available on the NHS for all children. Signs of children’s sight problems include: difficulty concentrating, behavioural prob- lems, headaches, sitting very close to the television and rubbing their eye a lot. DID YOU KNOW