When Sydney mum, Fiona, sent her daughter to kindergarten for an eye test provided through the StEPS program*, she didn’t imagine how profound the results would be. Mia was diagnosed with amblyopia - a condition also known as 'lazy eye'.

Mia had been unsettled at kindergarten in the months preceding the eye test, but Fiona says she never imagined it was because of problems with Mia’s eyesight.

“Mia seemed unusually sensitive and she found it difficult to interact with the other kids, so we decided to hold her back at kindergarten to develop her confidence and social skills, rather than sending her to school,” Fiona, who lives in Sydney’s northern beaches, said.

“It didn’t cross my mind that there could have been something wrong with Mia’s eyesight.”

During her eye test, Mia was found to have limited vision in her right eye. She was referred to ophthalmologist Dr James Smith, who prescribed glasses and a patch for Mia’s left eye so that she could begin to strengthen her weaker right eye.

“When Mia first came to see me, her vision in her right eye was so limited, she was legally blind. Mia wouldn’t have been able to read the biggest letter on an eye chart,” said Dr Smith.

“It’s fortunate that Fiona took Mia in to kindergarten for the eye test. Children rarely complain about eye problems and often poor eyesight goes undetected,” he said.

Mia is now six years old and has been wearing glasses for a year. Her eyesight is improving and Fiona feels incredibly lucky Mia’s eye condition was detected before it was too late to address the damage.

“As soon as Mia began to wear glasses her confidence levels increased and her interaction with the other kids at kindy improved dramatically. Her whole world changed. She’s now at school, happy, and taking great interest in learning,” said Fiona.

“I advise other parents to get their children’s eyes tested. I think eye tests should be mandatory for all pre-schoolers,” she said.
* The StEPS (Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening) program is an initiative of NSW Health and offers all 4-year-old children free vision screening.