Contact Us

Phone
+61 3 9563 1006

Email
info@visionok.com.au

Address
54 Koornang Rd Carnegie 3163

Online Enquiry

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  1. Signs of Vision Problems*
  • Holds the page very close (< 20cm) when reading Avoids small print
  • Gives up easily’ when reading Rubs eyes when looking
  • Difficulty copying from the board Complains of sore eyes
  • Complains of headaches Complains of blurry vision when reading
  • Complains of blurry vision when looking at the board Becomes slower with increasing reading
  • Makes mistakes when reading smaller words (as/is/it etc.) Loses place often
  • Skips lines and words frequently Uses finger to keep place
  • Comprehension declines as reading continues Inattentive/daydreams
  • Double vision Covers one eye when reading
  • Squints when reading Complains of words moving on page
  • Signs of Visual Processing Difficulty
  • Slow to develop reading fluency Difficulty reading aloud
  • Reverses letters/words/numbers Messy handwriting/writes up or down hill
  • Confuses words with similar beginnings or letters Poor reading comprehension
  • Poor spelling Slow to copy from board to book
  • Doesn’t recognise the same word on a page Written work does not match verbal ability.
  • Poor reading comprehension Slow to complete written work
  • Trouble with shape related maths concepts Poor recall of visual material
  • Fails to visualise (can’t describe what has been read) Misaligns digits in a column of numbers

*References: Tips for Keeping Children’s Eyes Healthy – Prof Frank Martin, The Royal Australasian College of Ophthalmologists. https://ranzco.edu/media-and-advocacy/blog/tips-for-keeping-children-s-eyes-healthy
The American Academy of Ophthalmology - https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/children-eye-screening

Kids eye examinations at Vision on Koornang.

Clare Campitelli loves to look after the eyes of children.

School aged children

Clare sets aside 45 minutes when she assesses the eyes of a school aged child for the first time. This is because it takes time to look properly in this age group. Of course she looks to see that the eyes have 20/20 vision and are healthy as we do with everyone. When learning however, the children need to have accurate and efficient eye tracking, pointing and focus. They need to be able to sustain looking without getting tired. They need to be able to cope with stark contrast and harsh lighting that is found in books and on screens. Clare essentially does a fitness assessment for the eyes. She's looking to see that the eyes are fit and ready to allow learning.   

Possible outcomes from there....

  1. reassurance and advice - all is fine
  2. glasses
  3. contact lenses
  4. further assessment of vision processing skills and abilities
  5. vision therapy
  6. referral if there is an area of concern that requires another opinion

Babies & Preschoolers

This age group has a visual system that is constantly developing. Examinations for little ones are quicker as we do not expect a high level of visual skill in preschoolers. It is very important to be sure that both eyes are developing well over this time. Lazy or turned eyes that go undetected in children are much harder to fix if found later. Again these children do not complain when they have a vision problem, it is up to the parents to watch their child for any signs and to come in for routine tests as well. We recommend that each child be examined once before the age of 2, and again at around 3.5 years. A check at age 5 around the start of school is very important and reviews at year 1,3 & 5 are timed well as this is when the school work becomes more difficult and the demands on eyes and vision increase.

Prescribing glasses for preschoolers is not commonly done unless there is a significant vision problem. If necessary we have a terrific range of glasses including the very robust nano vista for this age group.