dd (4 1/2) has just been called up for her routine 4 year visual screening (she actually has a minor flaw but they don't know this yet). We couldn't make the original appointment and while I was on the phone rearranging it I asked if we could do one for ds too . He is 8 (tomorrow!) and missed all the routine screenings from age 3 onwards as we were living abroad. We know from his old OT that he has a visual tracking problem and wanted to try to get him into the system (we are already awaiting a new OT assessment) for treatment . However I was told he was too old 
as they only deal with under 8's . I did point out that he wasn't 8 yet but no , as by the time of the appointment he will be 8, she couldn't(or perhaps wouldn't) do anything other than suggest we went to an optician. Actually both visited an optician about 2 years ago but they don't test for these sort of problems anyway.
Does anyone else have a child considered too old to access such NHS child services and where do you go instead ? Can an optician refer onto the NHS for treatment ? I may ask whoever does dd's testing anyway but would that be a Health Visitor or a specialist.
I'm rather confused and more than a little annoyed.