Sep 30, 2026

Research update: A new vision test could help identify vision problems earlier in toddlers

Diagnosing vision problems in very young children can be challenging. Many of the most accurate vision tests require children to identify letters or match shapes — tasks that are difficult for toddlers who are still developing their language and cognitive skills. As a result, eye conditions that can lead to permanent vision loss may be harder to detect during the earliest years of life, when timely intervention can have the greatest impact.

In 2020, Fighting Blindness Canada awarded funding to Dr. Susan Leat and her team at the University of Waterloo to develop a new vision test designed specifically for children between one and three years of age. The goal was to create a simple, accurate and inexpensive test that could help clinicians assess vision in children who are too young for conventional eye charts.

Since then, the project has reached an important milestone.

The team’s recent publication describes the development and evaluation of the Waterloo Differential Acuity Test (WatDAT), a new test that measures visual acuity using images that are appropriate for very young children. In the study, the researchers demonstrated that the test can successfully assess vision in children as young as 18 months of age and performs well compared with existing methods used for older children.

Importantly, the researchers found that more toddlers were able to complete the WatDAT than traditional recognition-based vision tests. Improving the ability to accurately measure vision at this age could help clinicians identify vision problems earlier and monitor children who are at risk of developing serious eye conditions.

Although additional work is needed before the test becomes widely available in clinical practice, the publication represents an important step toward providing eye care professionals with better tools for assessing vision during early childhood. The research team is continuing to refine and evaluate the test with the goal of supporting broader clinical adoption in the future.

Fighting Blindness Canada is proud to support research that advances earlier diagnosis and improved care for people living with blinding eye diseases. This project was funded through Fighting Blindness Canada’s research program, with support from the Dorrie Morrow Fund, administered by the Canadian Optometric Education Trust Fund (COETF), and the generosity of our donors. Their collective support has helped advance research with the potential to improve vision care for young children and families for years to come.