Eye care for children with special needs

Just as children should visit the pediatrician and the dentist they should also see a licensed eye care specialist to screen for vision problems.

The Welcare Eye Center team performs vision examinations to detect children with distance or near vision errors, alongside with examining those children already wearing glasses for any possible refractive changes It is a known fact that children with learning disabilities are more prone to eye problems needing more regular screenings.

"50% of a child's learning occurs visually and when you work with children with learning disabilities this is an extra problem that needs to be addressed," says Dr. Haki E. Abraheem, General Manager at Al Ihsan Medical Center. "We are delighted that the Welcare Eye Center are volunteering their services as otherwise we would not be able to fund private care," she added.

The screening program began in November with the team examining over 100 children.

The program will rotate so that each child is examined regularly every 6 months to monitor any changes.

Children with special needs have a higher incidence of visual defects and it is essential that they receive regular testing and screening for visual problems.

According to Dr. Gurdeep Singh, Specialist Paediatric Ophthalmologist at Welcare Eye Center, "The most common problems that we encountered were squints, which can lead to lazy eye, wobbly or flickering eyes and nasolacrimal duct obstructions, all of which had previously not been detected. Early detection allows for a more effective treatment and can make a difference to a child's development."

The screening program is an ongoing initiative and strives to maintain the visual health of the children attending these centers.