Amblyopia is reduced vision, when the brain favours one eye over the other, usually due to uneven focussing or when the eyes are misaligned. Lazy eye responds well to treatment before the age of 7, after this time the brain cells have stopped developing and can not be stimulated to improve poor vision, and the lazy eye becomes permanently impaired.

Myopia (short sight) and Hyperopia (long sight) Those with short sight will have problems seeing distant objects, making blackboard- or whiteboard- work difficult. Excessive long sight in a child will cause near vision problems and may result in cross eyes.

Binocular Vision

Eyes which work together well give good depth judgment, important for such diverse tasks as writing, catching a ball, pouring water into a container, stepping off the curb, judging oncoming traffic, and driving. A lack of binocular vision can cause eye strain, headaches and a reluctance for close work.

Colour Vision About 8% of males and 1% of females are colour deficient, with red/green problems being the most common. Usually hereditary, colour vision problems can not be cured but those affected can be taught to adapt, as many learning materials are colour coded.

How do we screen vision? It’s fun! You do not have to read the alphabet to have an eye test! Young children can match or name shapes or letters on distance and near charts. Binocular vision is assessed using following and fixating tasks with toys and lights, and 3-D charts. Colour Vision is measured using patterns of coloured dots in recognizable shapes or pictures.

Vision Screening at ESF Hillside Kindergarten, from Fri 26th Jan 2024