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Hearing and vision checks for pre-school childrenDisclaimer: This fact sheet is for educational use only. Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child. Key points to remember
 Back to TopWhat hearing checks are needed for young children?Your child's hearing is screened as part of the B4 School Check. This is usually done by vision and hearing technicians.The results of this screening will be sent to you in the mail or will come home with your child. The information you receive explains the results of the screening and how you can have your child further assessed if needed. If your child doesn't have their hearing screened at four, it's important they have this screening done in their first year at school. This screening picks up most hearing problems. If your child missed their screening, contact your child's school
to make sure the vision hearing technician screens your child on their
next visit. Back to TopWill my child have their hearing checked again when they are older?After your child has their hearing checked at four or five they
will NOT have their hearing checked again at school, so if you are
concerned about your child's hearing, it's important that you visit your
family doctor. Your doctor may refer your child to the hospital for an
assessment by a hearing specialist (audiologist). See:
If your child does have a hearing problem, finding out early is good for their learning and development. Back to TopWhat vision checks are needed for young children?Your child will be screened for lazy-eye (amblyopia) as part of the B4 School Check. This is usually done by vision and hearing technicians.Children who have their vision screened as part of the B4 School Check either ‘pass' the screen or are ‘referred' for a full assessment. The results of this screening will be sent to you in the mail or will come home with your child. The results will explain how you can have your child further assessed if needed. Back to TopWhat if my child passes their vision screening? If your child passed the vision screen, see the Ministry of Health leaflet Keeping an eye on your child's vision.The leaflet is also available in Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Hindi, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. Back to TopWhat if my child is referred for a full assessment? The leaflet is also available in Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Hindi, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. Back to TopWhat if my child doesn't have their vision screened at four?If your child doesn't have their vision screened for lazy-eye (amblyopia) at four, it's important they have this screening done in their first year at school.If
your child missed their screening, contact your child's school to make
sure the vision hearing technician screens your child on their next
visit.
This screening does NOT detect all vision problems. Back to TopWhat if I have quesions about my child's vision screening? If you have questions about your child's vision screening, call the
Ministry of Health's free 24-hour health advice service, Healthline
(0800 611 116) or talk to the vision hearing technician who screened
your child, an optometrist, ophthalmologist or your family doctor.You can also see Frequently Asked Questions about vision screening of four and five year olds (Ministry of Health), at right. Back to TopWhere to go for more informationRelated fact sheets Hearing and vision checks for babiesHearing and vision checks for older children Ears: Ear infections - brief version Using language socially - an important skill
Other websites HealthEd www.healthed.govt.nz HealthEd is a catalogue of health resources from the Ministry of Health. The resources in the hearing section inlude: advice on newborn hearing screening; glue ear and earache in young children; and hearing assessments in the Well Child programme of free health checks. NSU (National Screening Unit) www.nsu.govt.nz
Plunket www.plunket.org.nz
Plunket is New Zealand's leading provider of Well Child and family health services. Plunket programmes aim to support families with young children. To find out about the services Plunket offers, check What we offer on the Plunket website. For your nearest Plunket office, check Plunket in your area on the Plunket website, or look under Plunket in your phone book. Plunket also offers a specialist early childhood health telephone help service. It is available to all families, whanau and caregivers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call PlunketLine free on 0800 933 9220800 933 922. Telephone advice - Healthline and PlunketLine
Back to TopYour notesEndorsement
This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 19/08/2011
CopyrightFact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation. © The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2012
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