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Save a Life: The Importance of Childhood Vision Screening.
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In 2003, KU HealthPartners received a grant from the National
Eye Institute to perform vision screenings for children in different
settings to determine the background rate for vision problems
among young children and to test a new automated piece of equipment
used to measure refractive problems, the SureSight. I was asked
by KUHP to advise the group and informed them that a background
rate of 25 to 33% would be normal as was measured in an earlier
study at The Ohio State University School of Optometry, the Vision
in Infants and Preschoolers Study (VIP Study). Our results were
that 38% failed the vision test, but I commented that the SureSight
itself was the likely cause for the higher failed rate. |
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Those results lead
to a second NEI grant being awarded to KUHP in 2004 to help nurses,
and school nurses in particular, identify vision problems in children.
Several other optometrists and myself served as consultants to
KUHP with the final result being a web site dedicated solely to
this topic where school nurses may receive continuing education
credits. The web site is http://www.continuinged.ku.edu/kumc/vision/.
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| SEE
TO LEARN; SEE TO PLAY |
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The SEE TO LEARN program, which was founded
in Kansas by an optometrist, is another resource. This program
provides for a pro bono evaluation by participating optometrists
or ophthalmologists for any 36 to 47 month old child and is currently
available in about 18 states. Over 20,000 children have gone through
this program. The web site is www.seetolearn.com.
A sister program, SEE TO PLAY, received an NEI grant last year
to provide eye emergency kits to every high school in the state
of Kansas. Dr. Julie Toon of Wichita is the lead on this project.
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| Teachers
Believe Clear Vision as Important as Nutrition to Academic Success |
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The following Article is from the August
26th Contact Lenses Today® newsletter, edited by
Dr. Carla Mack and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum.
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A new survey reveals 93% of teachers believe poor
vision impacts a student’s academic performance and 74%
of those surveyed have personally observed children falling
behind in school due to vision problems. The survey involved
509 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and was conducted
by Russel Research on behalf of Give the Gift of Sight foundation.
The teachers surveyed estimated that two in five of their students
suffer from vision problems, more than one-third of which they
say have not been treated. Other findings include:
• 82% of teachers believe poor vision hinders academic
motivation
• 70% believe poor vision negatively affects self-confidence
• 64% believe it affects a child’s ability to
enjoy sports and games
• 40% believe poor vision affects a student’s
ability to develop social skills.
The teachers surveyed also believe eye care should be provided
for underprivileged children, with 88% saying that exams should
be offered free of charge for students who can’t afford
them, 87% believe these children should receive free vision
screenings and 80% think they should receive free prescription
eyeglasses. For more information, visit http://www.givethegiftofsight.org.
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