Last year, we were fortunate enough to be featured in the Summer Edition of Geelong + Surf Coast Living Magazine. Read what we had to say here…

20/20 vision isn’t everything.

It’s well known that 80% of what your child learns is through their vision. It’s a key tool required to read, learn and comprehend. However, good vision doesn’t just mean good sight. It demands both visual acuity as well as coordination between the two eyes to see the world.

As many as one in four children have an undiagnosed vision problem – and this number is higher in children with learning difficulties and behavioural problems. If left untreated, these can manifest as learning difficulties, developmental delays and can affect your child’s ability to thrive at school and reach their full potential.

As a mother of three children, Nicky Kiparissis understands the real concerns of parents. Her passion arose one Thursday afternoon, over twenty-five years ago. “I was asked to assess a six-year-old boy who was about to be expelled from his school. His behaviour couldn’t be tolerated anymore, and his grandmother was in tears as she didn’t know what to do or where else to go. This child had 20/20 vision but was slightly long-sighted.”

“Following what the university had taught me: there was no urgent need to prescribe glasses to her grandchild. Seeing the struggle of this child and his grandmother’s heartbreak, we discussed the idea of glasses for behavioural purposes.”

“This child blossomed. He became an A+ student and never looked back. His grandmother’s belief in him and how we were able to change his life still gives me goosebumps today.”

These cases unfortunately are not rare. Since opening Kiddies Eye Care in 2014, the team have seen a number of children who are unable to excel at school, who are averse to reading, get headaches or are frustrated doing work.

“In order for our eyes to be able to interpret the world, they need to examine, distinguish, identify and interpret what we see,” writes Geelong-based optometrist, Lucy Bailey.

“When our vision system is not functioning optimally, it affects our ability to process what we see which can result in significant performance loss. A holistic eye examination with our behavioural optometrists can detect even the less obvious symptoms but at times, life-altering ocular issues.”

“Developing a child’s vision is equipping them with the tools they require to thrive in the classroom.”

Lucky for our little kids, the team also have an amazing range of child-friendly glasses frames available for any child who requires, for reading or full-time use.

“We are all really proud of the range that we have. There’s so much colour on our shelves and fun options to choose from, all of our big mummy and daddy patients wish they had the same choices too! No child leaves the practice without finding a pair of glasses that they love. They are always so excited to get their glasses back.”

No child is too young to get their eyes tested, and it very well could be the most important exam they ever have. It just might change their perspective and outlook on life.