Children & Young Adults

Paediatric Eyecare · From age 2.5

Children & young
adults.

We only get one pair of eyes. It is never too early to have your child's eyes tested — children with vision issues may face developmental challenges that, caught early, are entirely manageable.

Specialist training

College of Optometrists

From age

2.5 years onwards

Also offered

Visual stress assessment

(01) When to book

Some things to look for.

Make sure your child has a full eye examination if any of the following apply — and trust your instinct. If something feels off, it’s worth a visit.

Concerns or questions?

Carmel is a specialist in testing and identifying eye conditions in children from age 2.5 yrs .

Please contact the practice if you wish to discuss an eye examination for your child.

Please contact the practice if you wish to discuss an eye examination or follow up for your child.

We offer also specialist assessment for visual stress, which can impact many children.

Common symptoms

Any one of these can warrant a check — they're rarely a problem on their own, but worth investigating.

One eye turns in or out- this may be easier to spot when the child is tired
They rub their eyes a lot
They have watery eyes
They are clumsy or have poor hand and eye co-ordination
AYour child avoids reading, writing or drawing

They screw up their eyes or frown when they read or watch TV
They sit very close to the TV, or hold books or phones close to their face
They have behaviour or concentration problems at school
They don’t do as well at school as they should
They complain about blurred or double vision or they have unexplained headaches.

(02) What to expect

A visit, shaped around your child.

We understand you may be concerned about your child’s vision. We use age-appropriate tests and have the training to measure their vision gently and accurately.

01 A gentle welcome

Measure their vision with easily recognisable pictures or letters

02 Age-appropriate vision check

Measure the strength of their eyes (we often put drops in to get an accurate measurement in the younger years)

03 Prescription measurement

Measure their vision with easily recognisable pictures or letters

04 Squint & eye-health check

Measure for any sign of squint or lazy eye

05 A plain-English plan

Check the health of their eyes

(03) Common conditions

The conditions we most often see — and treat.

A short, plain explanation of each. Tap through for fuller guidance from the College of Optometrists.

Amblyopia

Lazy Eye

Lazy eye or amblyopia may be caused if a young child needs very strong glasses, has one eye that is significantly more short-sighted or long-sighted than the other, or has a squint (where the eyes are not looking in the same direction). This means that the sight in the affected eye or eyes does not develop properly.

Strabismus

Squint

A squint occurs when your eyes don’t point in the same direction. The most common type of squint is where one eye turns slightly inwards becoming lazy.

Strabismus

Short-sightedness

If you are short-sighted you have problems seeing things in the distance clearly, but can see things that are close. There are varying degrees of short-sightedness. Around a third of people in the UK are short-sighted. The condition usually starts during primary school years and tends to worsen until the eye has stopped growing. Myopia can also develop in very young children. Adults may also become short-sighted. You are more likely to become short sighted if your parents are also short sighted.

Hyperopia

Long-sightedness

Normally, light is focussed by the cornea and lens to form a sharp image on the retina. Long-sightedness occurs when the eyeball is slightly too short so that the focus point is behind the retina at the back of the eye. If you are long-sighted, you find it more difficult to see clearly objects that are close to you. For example, words on a page or your phone screen may seem blurred.

(04) Concerns or questions?

Talk to Carmel.

Alongside her commitment to the very highest standards in patient care, Carmel has over 30 years’ experience testing eyes. She loves the challenge of sorting out whatever eye problem, vision difficulty, or spectacle issue her patients have.