Kidszone

Expertise in fitting children’s glasses

Jean has carried out additional training with our local NHS authority in fitting glasses to children and babies. As such, Eglinton Eyecare is one of the Opticians practices recommended by Altnagelvin Hospital to provide glasses for your child once they have their eyes examined there. All you need to do is simply bring along the yellow voucher(s) which the hospital Optician will give you for your child’s glasses and we’ll help guide you in the best choice of frames and lenses for your child’s needs. You can be reassured that we’ll use our expertise make all the adjustments necessary to ensure that your child’s glasses fit as well and as comfortably as possible.

We specialise in children’s eyecare

Our practice owner, Jean, has an additional qualification in Schoolvision. Jean is one of only a few Optometrists in N Ireland with this qualification, Our Schoolvision assessments involve carrying out reading-specific tests to help children with dyslexia or reading difficulties.

Children are our priority

You’ll find our entire team very child-friendly when you visit our practice. We love to make a fuss of your children when they come to see us, and help make their and your visit to the opticians as memorable as possible for all the right reasons. We appreciate that having an eye exam and choosing/wearing glasses may be a worrying time for both children and parents, and we are here to make the journey as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

Let us know your child’s needs

We have a very flexible approach to ensure that your child’s visit to us is as stress-free as possible. If you feel that your child would benefit from a visit to the practice at a quieter time of the day this can be arranged. We can also arrange for your child to visit us in advance of their eye exam to meet the team, to see the room where they will have their eyes tested and maybe even to see and have a play with our glasses. This can sometimes alleviate the anxieties of parents and children alike. We really want to make your child feel comfortable, so please let us know if there is anything we can do to make a difference.

A great selection of children’s glasses

We have a lovely selection of glasses for children to choose from, should your child need glasses. With over 20 years of experience, Jean personally selects an exceptional selection of glasses for your child to choose from. If we don’t have the glasses in stock that you/your child are looking for, we’ll do our very best to source the perfect pair for your child.

My First Glasses Gallery

When your child chooses their first pair of glasses at Eglinton Eyecare, we like to make a fuss. We’ll offer your child a special ‘My First Glasses’ card with a photo of them in their first glasses, a nice memento for them to share with family/friends and to keep. We also like to celebrate their first glasses by adding their photo to our wall of fame, a gallery of children in their first glasses. They are then welcome to pop in and see themselves on our ‘wall of fame’ at any time.

A yearly eye exam for all children

As children’s eyes are continually developing, we recommend that every child should have an eye test at least once/year. As everyone is different however, our Optometrist will give you their recommendation for your child’s next eye exam date depending on their individual visual needs. The NHS covers the cost of a basic eye exam for all children under-16 and under-19 if they are still in full-time education. If your child is due/overdue their eye exam, contact us or give us a ring on 7181 4991 and we’ll arrange an appointment at a time which is convenient to you. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Education

At Eglinton Eyecare one of our most important values is Education. We love going to our local schools and community groups to help your children understand how to best look after their eyes. Eg, Lin & Ton, our Teddy bear mascots, are always keen to come along on our trips to meet all the children too. Your children will find our talks and presentations are always interactive, fun and presented in a friendly and easy-to-understand way.

Why not give us a shout if you’d like us to come along for a session to help teach your class a little more about looking after their eyes, help alleviate the fear that children may have of getting their eyes tested and to teach them a little more about how their eyes work.
Our presentations/workshops can be prepared for children from nursery age right up to secondary education. Contact us and we’ll get a date in the dairy. We look forward to seeing you soon!