Children's eye health

Our aim

All children to have a full sight test before they start school, between the ages of three and four.

Our call to action

We are calling on national health and care service providers to:

  • update all guidance across the UK to signpost parents/carers to their local optician’s practice as their first port of call for eye health services and advice
  • include advice in the personal child health records (the ‘red book’) about how and why parents/carers should take their child for regular sight tests (every one-two years) from the age of three to four years
  • use and promote campaign assets to their audiences, with the core message of the importance that all children have a full sight test before they start school

We are asking all optometrists, dispensing opticians, contact lens opticians and other optical professionals who work with children to: 

  • support and promote this campaign within their place of work
  • refresh their skills around working with children, if needed

One in five parents

Don't know that school vision screening are not the same as full sight tests

One in five of parents

Don’t consider children’s sight tests as very important health checks

One in 10 parents

Feel it’s only necessary to take children for sight tests if issues are flagged

Guidance for Professional Practice

Eye health report

The College of Optometrists, Association of British Dispensing Opticians and the OSA partner in new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of children’s eye tests and better signposting for parents to children’s eye care professionals on the High Street.

In the news

New research shows that only 30% of kids always wear sunglasses on sunny days and more than a third of parents believe a hat or cap offers the same protection as sunglasses.

Latest campaign

ABDO, Boots Opticians, the College and Specsavers have all come together to deliver a public awareness campaign on the importance of children receiving a full sight test before they start school, around three to four years old.

Clinical file

Clinical files: Is a 6-year-old child too young for contact lenses?

More on examining children

The College’s Guidance for Professional Practice section on assessing and managing children with myopia.

This hands-on workshop will consider the main facial differences between adults and children and how this should be reflected in the choice of frame that is dispensed.

This session explores the potential resultant effect of a poor fitting frame and the relationship between the frame parameters and facial measurements.

The NICER study has led to the creation of a new digital health app, which helps predict the likelihood of myopia.

For the very last issue of Optometry in Practice, Professor Jonathan Jackson MCOptom reflects on the past two decades of the journal and its contribution to our learning.

This paper provides a practical overview of the causes and impact of cerebral visual impairment (CVI), how it is diagnosed and telltale signs and symptoms.

We have responded to the Home Office call for evidence on mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse.

The College’s Clinical Editor, Jane Veys MCOptom, on embracing the advantages of both digital and analogue

A lack of experience can put some optometrists off examining young children’s eyes. Anna Scott asks: how can they feel empowered and confident?

In each issue, Acuity poses a topical question to a panel of members.