YELLOW PAGES SiteBuilder(TM)
















Children's Vision Care

At Tarbutt Optometrists we are here to help with any concerns you have about your child's vision, please feel free to call us to make an appointment or for advice on their vision.

Why is vision so important?
Because 80% of children's learning is done visually. Reading, writing, white/blackboard work, computers - are all hard work if you cannot see clearly. It stands to reason that having clear comfortable vision is necessary for a child to learn successfully. So many of the day-to-day learning tasks at school require seeing quickly and using visual information.

Is it OK so long as the child can see the white/blackboard?
No - not necessarily. The white/blackboard may still look clear and sharp to a child who is having  problems with close vision tasks and the child that doesn't see the white/blackboard clearly may not even think to complain because the board has always looked that way. Unfortunately, a simple distance vision check for the white/blackboard does not detect a variety of other problems which affect reading and focus.

What about eye coordination skills?
Clear eyesight helps all learning tasks but for close vision work, and particularly reading, other visual skills are needed. Children must have a variety of scanning, focusing, and visual coordination skills for learning and for understanding print. If these skills have not developed well, learning is stressful and difficult.

Are learning difficulties and poor vision related?
Many children who have learning difficulties, especially with reading, in fact have focusing errors or poor eye muscle coordination, which creates stress or fatigue with close work. Children with these vision-related learning problems often excellent distance eyesight. Consequently, their near vision problems, which are more likely to affect learning, will often go undetected as standard school screening only tests the clarity of distance vision.

What can parents and caregivers do?
Parents, caregivers, and teachers should consider undetected visual problems as a contributing factor if learning is not keeping pace with other indicators of ability and intelligence. This is particularly so if symptoms of visual stress are present. A full and thorough eye examination with one of our optometrists is the most effective way of detecting and eliminating the possibility of visual problems. Susanne Bruder, one of the team of optometrists at Tarbutt Optometrists, specialises in children's vision.

What does their Optometrist examine?

  • Distance vision (visual acuity):
    Your child should be able to see well in the distance with both eyes.
  • Near vision:
    The ability to see close objects comfortably and clearly is important
    for both learning and play.
  • Changing focus (accommodation):
    Changing focus from distance to near and back again is a big part of classroom
    learning. Your child needs to be able to do this comfortably and quickly.
  • Aiming the eyes (fixation):
    Double vision or confused images can occur if the two eyes
    do not aim together. This can seriously affect learning and play.

Eye movement and coordination skills (saccades and tracking): In order to see well the eyes need to move together in a smooth and precise fashion. this is very important when following a moving object. The eyes also need to be able to jump immediately from one object to another, such as word-to-word or line-to-line in reading.

  • Peripheral vision:
    Peripheral vision is important so your child is aware of what is happening
    around them. This is important in classroom situations, in sport and in play.
  • Colour Vision:
    Good colour vision is not a vital function, but is important in some
    career choices. Boys are affected more often than girls.
  • Eye Health:
    A thorough external and internal examination of your child's eyes
    is necessary to identify any possible underlying eye health problems.
  • Eye Drops:
    Your optometrist may decide it is necessary to put drops in
    your child's eyes. These drops relax the focusing system and can
    allow a more reliable testing of any focusing problems. The drops
    also make the pupils larger than normal. The effect lasts only 3-4 hours.

 

If you child has more than one of the below symptoms we advise you call us for an appointment with one of our optometrists:

  • Headaches
  • Complains of not seeing clearly
  • Rubs eyes
  • Burning or itchy eyes
  • Shuts one eye when reading
  • Tilts their head at an angle to the book while reading
  • Holds a book very close
  • Moves the head sideways when reading
  • Omits small words when reading
  • Poor concentration
  • Copies incorrectly from the black/white board
  • Loses place when copying from other written material
  • Misaligns digits in columns of numbers
  • Avoid close work
  • Becomes tired after close work
  • Blinks excessively when doing near vision work, but not otherwise
  • Reverses letters or numbers
  • Writes up or down hill, with irregular letter or word spacing
  • A history of eye problems in the family, especially in brothers or sisters
Contact Details

Tarbutt Optometrists
33 Duke Street
PO Box 152
Cambridge 3450

T: 07 827 6597
F: 07 827 6598
E: enquiries@tarbutt.co.nz

Tarbutt Optometrists are located at 33 Duke St (West) in the blue two storey building next door to the fire station.

Please click here for a map

YODEL WEB SiteBuilder