Manningtree mum urges parents to get their children's eyes tested as her son showed no obvious signs of anything wrong
A College of Optometrists study found 53% of children who don't wear glasses have never had a professional eye test
Last updated 5th Oct 2026
A Manningtree mum is encouraging other parents to get their children's eyes tested at an early age, as her son showed no obvious signs of an issue before a check.
At age three, Nicola's son, Marsden, appeared to be seeing well, with no obvious signs of a squint. So, there were no plans to take him for an eye test at his age.
By chance Marsden was able to be seen by an Optometrist after his older sister’s appointment and at just three years old his first eye test detected significant amblyopia (lazy eye).
Marsden is now undergoing occlusion therapy using an eye patch, which is leading to improvements in his vision and reducing his prescription.
Nicola is encouraging other parents to take their children for eye tests at a young age.
Research from the College of Optometrists found that 53% of children who don't wear glasses have never had a professional eye test, and that 30% of parents whose children don't wear glasses have no plans to book one.
Other findings showed: 47% of parents mistakenly believe school vision screening is the same as a full eye examination; 37% believe children need to be able to read before they can have an eye test; 28% don't know children's eye tests are free on the NHS; and that 71% of parents have noticed at least one potential warning sign of vision problems in their child.
Nicola said Marsden's sight has been improving:
"He has essentially a lazy eye. So one of his eyes is performing really well, whereas the other one wasn't at all. So when they covered his good eye, he was really struggling to see the letters.
"He didn't appear to be struggling at all. At 3 he wasn't reading yet. He would watch TV and things, but I never noticed him, kind of, with any visible struggles at all. So it was a real shock for us."
She said that Marsden does not like using the eye patch:
"It was a struggle. He didn't enjoy that and he would try and take it off, I think, because what it meant is that his good eye would be covered. So then the bad eye would have to start to work. But the bad eye was quite blurry for him. So he wanted his good eye to be able to see.
"He's a strong-willed child, so it was hard with the patching, but he is always happy when his progress has been made at those appointments. He's always really proud of himself that things are getting better."