School vision screenings can miss important issues.
Schools sometimes offer screenings to help identify students with vision problems, but the examinations do not always detect every issue. The screenings are brief and limited checks designed to pick up obvious and straightforward problems.
School vision screenings can miss up to 75 per cent of students with vision problems.
Tola Touch from Eyecare Plus said screenings are valuable, but they are not the same as a comprehensive examination conducted by an optometrist.
The most common test carried out in schools assesses focus and clarity, but vision is far more complex than that.
“Parents need to know that eye exams should be part of a normal back-to-school routine,” Tola said.
“Especially if parents have never had any eye issues themselves, they might not think about taking their children for testing.”
Australian researchers have found around 30 per cent of school-aged children have a vision disorder.
These can range from myopia (short-sightedness) to astigmatism. Left untreated, refractive errors like these can cause amblyopia, better known as “lazy eye”.
Vision problems can also mimic learning disorders such as ADHD, leading to potential misdiagnosis. According to a 2016 study of 75,171 children in the United States, children with vision problems were twice as likely as other children to be diagnosed with ADHD.
“I think it’s important to note that kids might not understand or be able to tell a parent they do not see well,” Tola said.
“They do not know anything different. That is all they have ever seen. Their whole life may be blurry. They do not realise there could be a difference, so getting a complete review from an optometrist experienced with children is essential.”
Optometrists at Eyecare Plus assess the overall health and function of the eyes, which is far more thorough than a basic screening.
According to a 2019 report, fewer than 15 per cent of preschool children had received an eye examination.
So, how often should your child be tested?
Eyecare Plus recommends children aged three to five receive a thorough in-person eye examination from an optometrist to ensure healthy eye development and no evidence of disease. From six to 18 years of age, it recommends children receive an eye examination every year as part of the back-to-school routine.
Tola Touch added parents should also schedule an appointment with their child’s optometrist if they notice their child squinting, rubbing their eyes frequently, moving closer to or further away from objects to see clearly, or experiencing headaches that may be caused by eye strain.
“It’s just good to check,” he said. “Because even if you do not find anything, at least you have peace of mind.”
