21 Dec Improving the vision of the iPad generation….
Optometry Queensland/ Northern Territory (OQNT), the peak body for optometry, has recently established an early vision screening initiative launched throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The Smart Eye Start initiative aims to encourage parents to take their children to have a full eye examination with an optometrist prior to Prep.
As the Prep year delivers the foundations to children’s education, visiting a local optometrist early in the schooling year will ensure their best chance at reaching their full potential.
The Smart Eye Start website provides helpful links and information for parents. Featuring tips on maintaining good eye health and your local optometrists’ details.
Approximately 1 in 5 Australian children suffer from an undetected vision problem. Early intervention can mean identifying serious vision problems and rectifying them before it starts to affect a child’s learning.
“It is not only a question of whether a child needs glasses – it is also about qualified optometrists screening for serious visual developmental and health problems with specialised ophthalmic equipment within the optometry practice” optometrist and OQNT Board Director, Chair of the Public Health Committee David Bradley explains.
Children’s vision is important for their educational, physical and social development. Especially as children learn more from vision than all other senses combined.
OQNT are calling for all parents to get involved and book their children in to see an optometrist early in the school year. “We want children to have a Smart Eye Start to their schooling” states Cathryn Baker, CEO OQNT.
“As the peak body of the optometry profession, we recommend that all children have a full eye examination with an optometrist before starting Prep.”
“Hundreds of kindies, pre-schools, pre-preps and schools have already signed on and are supporting the initiative, with more signing on each day” she said.
OQNT are providing parents, schools and kindies with local optometrist information to aid their involvement. This data is readily available on the Smart Eye Start website at
http://www.optometryqldnt.org.au/smart-eye-start
