During the COVID-19 pandemic, CHEO will be performing telehealth visits. An important part of an eye examination is measuring vision — how well your child can see on an eye chart.
Before your telehealth appointment please check and record your child’s vision in their right eye and their left eye.
General instructions
- Practice first. For younger children, stand close to your child and practice using both eyes together before trying to measure the vision with one eye at a time. Make sure they understand the “game” before you start.
- If they have glasses, please ensure they are wearing them during the test.
- Be positive. Do not give your child any hints, but encourage them to do their best. Don’t let them give up early.
- No peeking! Make sure your child’s eye is completely covered with a patch or the palm of your hand. Watch out for peeking.
- To accurately check vision, you will be required to test vision from exactly 10 feet away fromyour child’s eyes. You can measure 10 feet (3 metres) using any of the following:
- tape measure
- “Measure” app on iOS or Android
- lay 11 printer pages (8.5” x 11”) end to end
Watch the video
Vision test options
| Paper chart method (no device required) |
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Children 6 years or older (or for children that know their letters)
- Print out the Snellen vision chart and instructions.
- Follow printed instructions
- Record how reliable you think the vision test was.
Children younger than 6 years (or if they do not know their letters)
Set up:
- Print out vision chart.
- Confirm that the distance between lines is 2.5 inches (guide on sheet)
- Fold chart so letters are on outside, and secure with a paper clip.
- Print corresponding matching card from http://www.abcd-vision.org/Images/ABCD-Home-match-HOTV.pdf
- Watch video guide https://vimeo.com/398735742 for reference
- Place chair at the end of the room & measure 10 feet (3 metres) from the back of the chair.
- Give your child the matching guide (if needed) and practice the test.
Testing:
- If your child wears glasses, put them on.
- Cover child’s left eye with palm (or if you have a patch, patch your child’s left eye)
- Stand 10 feet (3 metres) away and randomly spin the chart and point to the first letter under the black line (20/40).
- Child can point to the matching letter or state the letter out loud.
- If they can identify this letter, move to the next smallest letter. If they cannot read it, go up a line.
- Record the smallest size of letters your child can read more than half of the time. Record how reliable you think the vision test was.
- Repeat the test for the other eye.
- Record how reliable you think the vision test was.
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| Google/Android device |
For children who do not know their letters:
- From the Google Play store, download the app called “Tumbling E Chart” by Fonlow
- Choose a testing distance of 10 feet (3 metres).
- Choose Notation of “Fraction” (or Snellen) visual acuity
- For this test, the child will point to the direction that the E is “pointing
For children who know their letters:
- From the Google Play store, download the app called “Snellen Chart” by Fonlow
- Choose a testing distance of 10 feet (3 metres).
- Choose Notation of “Fraction” (or Snellen) visual acuity
To check vision:
- If your child wears glasses, put them on
- Cover child’s left eye with palm (or if you have a patch, patch your child’s left eye)
- Stand 10 feet (3 metres) away
- As the child answers correctly, swipe down to the next smallest line. If they cannot read it, go up a line
- Record the smallest size of your child can read more than half of the time (20/___). Record how reliable you think the vision test was.
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| Apple iOS device - iPhone / iPad |
- Download the “Kay iSight app download instructions”.
- These instructions will prompt you to download the Kay iSight Test Professional app from the App Store. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Kay has made the app FREE for 6 months.
- Once you are in the app:
- In Settings under Measurements System, choose “Imperial”
- Under Visual Acuity Display, choose “Snellen”
- To test your child’s vision, choose “Sight Charts”
- Choose “Kay Picture” for children who do not know their letters
- Choose “Kay Letter” for children who know their letters
- Select Distant Tests “10 feet” (3 metres)
- Click ‘Help & Support’ & familiarize yourself with the Sight Charts Guide on how to use the app.
- Select “Begin Test”
- Click the box on the bottom left.
- Select the pictures/letters that have a rectangle drawn around them. (This is only available for smaller pictures / letters – you may have to decrease size before selecting this).
- Follow the Kay instructions to complete the test.
- Save your results and report them back to your orthoptist or ophthalmologist.
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What to record
After the test is complete record the following information and have it ready for your telehealth appointment.
- Which method was used? Snellen (letters), pictures, HOTV, or Tumbling E
- Was it done while wearing glasses? Yes or No
- What was the vision of the right eye and of the left eye? (Eg 20/20 -2 right eye, and 20/30 left)
- How would you rate the reliability of your test from 1 (low) to 5(high)?
