Four year old failed vision test??

nickyhutch

Never? I beg to differ. Our Trust has. Whilst I realise that of course not all trusts have taken up the recommendation, I work in one that has. I worked alongside the orthoptist, and was involved in developing the new system. The hearing test has been done separately by a qualified audiologist as long as I've been there, and for many years before. Trusts local to us also work this way.

Never say never.

RosaBernicia

this is probably petty but I'm actually quite shocked that they stated she had 'failed' the test - it seems unnecessarily harsh when they could have just said the 'further assessment needed'. I've never been told I've 'failed' an eye test as an adult (and I can't read the top letter of the chart) so it seems a rotten thing to do for a child!

Rosa xx

pigpen

nickyhutch wrote: »

Never? I beg to differ. Our Trust has. Whilst I realise that of course not all trusts have taken up the recommendation, I work in one that has. I worked alongside the orthoptist, and was involved in developing the new system. The hearing test has been done separately by a qualified audiologist as long as I've been there, and for many years before. Trusts local to us also work this way.

Never say never.

I will definitely say never as far as the trust here is concerned.. I have 8 children gone through schools here and not once have they had a proper audiologist or orthoptist conduct procedures, unless you have had a referral from a GP or through the school nurse.

Mind you, our trust appears to be run by a group of untrained babboons so the fact they are slack in providing basic levels of care would not shock me and only highlight my justification in feeling they are all idiots!

trufflebuggy

I am another awful mother who failed to realise her DS was having problems seeing...... largely because he's long sighted so it was only seeing small writing that he was having problems with.... and as he doesn't like to read struggles with it (apart from the sight issue!!!), we didn't pick up on it at all fortunately his very good teacher did!!!

On top that just to give him a double whammy we got his hearing checked out and it's not good.... on the poor side all around but very poor at low frequencies..... never realised, he always hears when chocolate is on offer!!! LOL.

What I am trying to say is sometimes as parents we just don't see what's right in front of us (no pun intended). I guess we should just be thankful that these checks are done regularly throughout their schooling and for on the ball teachers.

pigpen

trufflebuggy wrote: »

What I am trying to say is sometimes as parents we just don't see what's right in front of us (no pun intended). I guess we should just be thankful that these checks are done regularly throughout their schooling and for on the ball teachers.

Actually KIDS did some research a few years ago and it was discovered 99% of parents of children with problems.. including vision and hearing and speech.. it was the parents who highlighted it and took the first steps to getting their children the help they needed.

And the 'checks' here are offered at school entry and year so hardly regularly.

Children should be going for annual eye tests along with 6 monthly dentist trips (in an ideal world!) and this should be sufficient. Many parents do not feel having vision checked is as important as dental checks but it is, it affects their life hugely if they are unable to see 100%.

I have 3 wearing specs (ALL picked up at routine optician visits.. age 7 is about the age many children need specs) another 3 with glue ear.. which I picked p and asked for audiology referrals (1 had just 'passed' the so-called test at school yet had 80% hearing loss in one ear and 20% in the other, just 3 weeks later!!) Mind you, our local authority is so good they didn't pick up DD4's cerebral palsy until she was 6.5!!

Savvy_Sue

trufflebuggy wrote: »

What I am trying to say is sometimes as parents we just don't see what's right in front of us (no pun intended). I guess we should just be thankful that these checks are done regularly throughout their schooling and for on the ball teachers.

And of course, often we don't see it because our children adapt, and we adapt - we all have strategies to enable us to cope in situations which are a bit difficult!

I'll put my hand up with the rest of the Bad Mothers, I was taking the boys to the optician from a young age, but DS2 was told when he was a teenager that he could do with glasses for distance, and he said he didn't want them. We didn't push it, the optician just made it clear he shouldn't start driving without them, so when he was 17 I marched him back and we got his glasses.

I thought he'd only wear them when he had to, and as he doesn't often drive (ie not at all since he passed his test!) but actually he took to them like a duck to water, and now I wonder if I should have made him get them sooner!

But he wasn't complaining or struggling, so what do I know?

I don't know how often they do 'routine' checks in school, but I am very happy with the children's audiology service here (and where we moved from). Because there's a lot of deafness in my family, we've had 'proper' checks throughout their childhood, DS3 has just been signed off with an 'all clear' now he's nearly 18. Although there's never been an issue, and the family deafness is mostly adult onset, they've never quibbled about me having them checked.

squibbs25

pigpen wrote: »

I have 3 wearing specs (ALL picked up at routine optician visits.. age 7 is about the age many children need specs) another 3 with glue ear.. which I picked p and asked for audiology referrals (1 had just 'passed' the so-called test at school yet had 80% hearing loss in one ear and 20% in the other, just 3 weeks later!!) Mind you, our local authority is so good they didn't pick up DD4's cerebral palsy until she was 6.5!!

My dd suffered with glue ear, she is asthmatic and sufferes with allergies, when she was younger and her allergies were uncontrolled she suffered with cold like symptoms constantly and where her nose was all blocked up in turn the fluid built up in her ears.
She could fail an ear test one day and the a few days later as soon as the fluid had drained she could pass.
Luckily with the medication she takes everything is under control.

I think she was about 3 and a half when we noticed she was having hearing problems and was finally discharged from the hospital when she was 6.

fernliebee

Just to say I had to have glasses from age 5, and when my mum took me to the optician they said they were amazed at how well I managed to cope with my bad shortsightedness and astigmatism in both eyes. I also had a squint that was off the scale (ie immeasurable) yet you could not visually see the eye turning as my eyes were fighting to control it hence head aches and double vision. As a little girl I just thought it was normal to be able to see 2 of things sometimes

What I am trying to say is that kids are so adaptable, and will just get on with things. There is no reason why you should have noticed so don't feel guilty. She may not have to wear glasses, or she may be longsighted which could be easier to miss in small children as they generally aren't reading/ writing much yet and we make them sit far away from TV etc.

lauren_1

fernliebee wrote: »

Just to say I had to have glasses from age 5, and when my mum took me to the optician they said they were amazed at how well I managed to cope with my bad shortsightedness and astigmatism in both eyes. I also had a squint that was off the scale (ie immeasurable) yet you could not visually see the eye turning as my eyes were fighting to control it hence head aches and double vision. As a little girl I just thought it was normal to be able to see 2 of things sometimes

What I am trying to say is that kids are so adaptable, and will just get on with things. There is no reason why you should have noticed so don't feel guilty. She may not have to wear glasses, or she may be longsighted which could be easier to miss in small children as they generally aren't reading/ writing much yet and we make them sit far away from TV etc.

Hahaha I was exactly the same, im +15 in both eyes with astimatism, my parents only realised something was wrong when i kept running to the telly to watch playhouse....and carried on in to it repeatedly. I could regognise a milky way wrapper a mile away yet couldnt figure out distance or depth perception.

dumpy

!!!!!! wrote: »

Don't feel guilty, I managed to hide my severe short-sightedness from my parents until the age of 8. it only came to light when the kid that I sat next to in school was off sick. I used to copy what he wrote from the blackboard. When he went sick I was totally stuffed - could hardly see the board let alone read the words!

Are you me!!! I too copied off the person next to me and as he was dyslexic, I was constantly told off about my spelling. Parents had no idea although both are very shortsighted. You just adapt to what you can see.

I managed to pass a school assessment by memorising the letters on the board when I was stood near the board waiting for my go (this was the 70s and the test was a card hung from the wall). Glasses were horrible then (do you want these in pink, blue clear or tortioise shell?) and I didn't want to wear them.

Finally went to an optician when 10, where I couldn't memorise the letters and was found to be severly short sighted. Couldn't believe the difference in being able to see.

Take her for a proper test and see what happens.