Children's Vision Screening
Only an eye doctor can diagnose and treat a vision problem, but screenings help find children who need a full eye exam. Prevent Blindness America's children's vision screenings are an accurate, cost-effective way to find vision problems in children.
Young children with vision problems often do not know that the way they see the world is not the way everyone sees it. Yet vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers. They also affect one in four school children. Without early detection and treatment, children's vision problems can lead to:
- Permanent vision loss
- Learning difficulties
Prevent Blindness Tri-State, as an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, has programs that train and certify staff and volunteer teams throughout the Tri-State area to conduct screenings that find vision problems in preschool children.
Our screening procedures are recommended by many of the nation's leading children's eye care professionals and researchers.
First, a screener checks the child's eyes for signs of problems. Trained screeners note watering eyes and swollen or crusted lids. Screeners also watch how the child acts, since that may show signs of a problem. Rubbing of the eyes or tilting of the head may indicate the child has trouble seeing. Screeners consider what teachers and parents say about the child's behavior.
Prevent Blindness Tri-State utilizes different methods to conduct vision screenings. Our trained staff uses the SureSight Vision Screener, which shows refraction. Refraction is the procedure by which focusing error is assessed. Problems with visual acuity (sharpness of vision) that result from refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia are indicated by refraction. The whole process takes under two minutes. Our professional screeners do a wonderful job of making the children feel comfortable and welcome.
SureSight Vision Screener
Our volunteer team consists of Head Start staff, private day care staff, civic organizations, visiting nurses, health departments and other designated groups that are trained and certified to conduct stereopsis and visual acuity screening.
Certified screeners check the child's distance vision (distance visual acuity). The screeners use the recommended charts to conduct the check. Children with problems seeing things at a distance may have trouble seeing the blackboard at school or performing well at sports.
Screeners will also test children to see whether the eyes are straight and how well their eyes work together. This test is important because children whose eyes do not work well together are at risk for lazy eye (amblyopia). Lazy eye can cause lifelong vision loss in the affected eye.
If it is found early enough, however, lazy eye can be treated. In general, the earlier lazy eye is found, the greater the chance of preventing permanent vision loss.
A screening is not diagnostic, but it is an early indicator of a problem. If we detect that there may be a problem, we recommend that the child receives a full eye exam by a medical professional. For children that do not have health insurance to cover this exam, Prevent Blindness administers the Sight for Students program which provides a free examination and glasses, if necessary, for qualified families.
Results of the vision screening are used to assess whether a child needs to see an eye doctor. Children who need a full eye exam are referred to an eye doctor of the parent's choice. Families in financial need are directed to local agencies. They may also qualify for the VSP Sight for Students® program.