HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Eye examinations for children
Whakamātau-ā-karu mō ngā tamariki
If your child's B4 School Check raises concerns about their vision, the nurse will offer to refer you to the Eye department at the public hospital. If you chose this option, you'll be sent an appointment for an eye examination.
Instead, you may choose to see a private optometrist or ophthalmologist. See these lists of optometrists who are happy to see children between 4 and 10 and children over 11. You may need to pay to see an optometrist unless you have a Community Services Card. You will need to pay to see an ophthalmologist. You'll need to make the appointment yourself.
If you want your child to see an optometrist because you have concerns yourself or their preschool or school has raised concerns, you can find one through the New Zealand Association of Optometrists. When you make an appointment, ask if the optometrist is happy to see young children.
There are several things to think about when planning and preparing for your child's eye examination.
Before the eye examination
When scheduling your child’s eye examination, choose a time when they're usually alert and happy.
It's important that you or another caregiver attends the eye examination with your child. This is so you can:
- tell the optometrist about any issues your child has mentioned or explain things you or a teacher has noticed
- ask any questions you have.
Your child will need to concentrate during the eye examination. If any other children are in the room, please make sure they do not distract them.
If you've received a vision screening form from your child's preschool or school, take it with you to the appointment.
If your child already has glasses or contact lenses, take them to the examination.
If you or your child hold a current Community Services Card or High Use Health Card, take the card to the appointment. This is because the examination cost, glasses and in some cases contact lenses may be fully or partly covered by a government subsidy. If you think you're eligible for the subsidy, make sure you go to an optometrist or ophthalmologist who is registered with Enable New Zealand.
During the eye examination
The optometrist will perform several tests to examine your child’s vision and eye health. These will include checking if they need glasses or if their glasses prescription needs changing.
Most eye examinations will take between 20 and 45 minutes. You may want to allow extra time after the appointment to choose glasses frames if they're needed.
Some children need special eye drops called cycloplegic drops. The drops take around 30 minutes to work and might sting slightly. The drops temporarily make the pupils larger. Your child may have blurred vision or be sensitive to light for a few hours after the test.
The optometrist will review the findings and give you a treatment plan for your child. This may include glasses, contact lenses, eye exercises, scheduling a review or a referral to an ophthalmologist.
Questions to ask before your appointment
- How long will the appointment be?
- How much experience does the optometrist have with children's vision?
- Is there an optometrist available with more experience in children’s vision?
- How much will the appointment cost?
- Approximately how much will glasses cost for a child?
- Could any further tests be needed and what would they cost?
- What do I need to bring to the appointment?
- What funding is available for the examination and glasses if they're needed?
- What are the available payment options and when do you expect payment?
Questions to ask during your appointment
- What conditions have you diagnosed my child with and what treatment options are available?
- What would happen if we did not treat my child’s eye condition?
- How does your recommended treatment help?
- How often should my child have an eye examination?
- Why are you recommending glasses for my child?
- What tasks should my child wear their glasses for and how often should they wear their glasses?
- How often is my child likely to need their glasses replacing?
- You've recommended a lens coating, tint or higher grade lens material. What are the benefits of this technology to my child?
- You've recommended a progressive or bifocal lens. Can you please explain why you recommend this?
- What warranties or guarantees do the frames and lenses have?
Written by Canterbury DHB ophthalmologists and optometrists. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIVIP-134077
