Reception eye tests

[JollyJellyCat]

This might be a silly question and it's certainly a very specific one . . . My child has poor vision due to a genetic condition and is under the local eye hospital. School are well aware of his issues.

I can't see much point in him doing the Reception eye test. They would presumably identify his limited visual acuity and refer him to the hospital that we are already under.

But will he miss out on any potential LEA support or anything else I haven't thought of if I withdraw him from the testing?

My dd still got tested at school even though she had glasses. I didn't see the harm in it.

I'm not sure why you'd withdraw him. What's the disadvantage to him just having the test?

They don't directly refer, just send you a letter which you can ignore.

Ah OK thank you.

Maybe will just go with it then.

Does feel like a waste of everyone's time though- he can't see the first letter on the chart with his weaker eye and he can behave badly when he can't do the tests (we see the opthalmology department monthly).

Can you maybe just send a note explaining and they can decide whether to do it or not? I’m sure they won’t want to do anything unnecessarily if it’s going to cause him to become disruptive.

I wouldn't bother with the eye test in your situation

My oldest child was already under paedatric audiology and ENT with glue ear and moderate hearing loss (tested the week before school screening). Her school screening was.... a pass.

My younger child had the eye screening and again passed, a few months before a external eye test found she needed glasses with a significant prescription.

So I don't see the point in withdrawing them but for anyone else reading, please take any results of inschool screenings with a pinch of salt.

Update, I contacted the health team that runs the screening to say we were happy to go ahead but that ds is already under consultant care for his vision . Got a slightly snippy reply saying no point wasting our time or theirs on the screening (!) so he's been withdrawn.