Sheridan-Gardiner Test
The Sheridan Gardiner Test is a test of
visual acuity designed to meet the needs of children too young to be able
to take a Snellen
Chart Test.
(Young children may not be able to take a Snellen Chart Test if they
are not sufficiently familiar with the letters of the alphabet to be able
to reliably identify them correctly, however well they can see and distinguish
them.)
A Sheridan Gardiner Test consists of a set of cards, each marked with a single letter of specific size - there being a range of sizes of letters in the set. Cards are shown one-at-a-time to the child who is located a specific distance away (usually 6 metres in Europe).
Unlike the Snellen Test, in which the person is expected to identify the letter verbally, the child is provided with an identification card showing a set of letters including the one shown to him or her on the card (6 metres away). The child is asked to identify the single letter on the card by pointing to the same letter on the identification card in front of him or her - hence he or she does not need to know and be able to say the names of the letters of the alphabet.
The Sheridan Gardiner Test is generally deemed suitable for children aged 2 to 7 years.
More about Ophthalmology:
This section includes short definitions
of many diseases, disorders, and conditions of the eyes and visual system.
For definitions of other terms in this category, choose from the list
to the left (but note that this is not a complete/exhaustive list).
Other related pages include
- A diagram of the eye
- Definitions and descriptions of the parts of the eye
- A concise description of the human retina
- Definitions of parts of the retina
- Diseases and disorders of the human eye and the human visual system
For further information see also our pages of books about ophthalmology.