Post on 28-Jul-2015
transcript
KidSight Vision Screening Program
The Facts: Kids & Vision• One out of 4 American children has an uncorrected vision problem
• More than 10 million children suffer from vision problems that may cause them to fail in school
• 80 percent of all learning during a child’s first 12 years is obtained through vision
• 48% of parents with children under 12 have never taken their child to an eye care professional
• Research indicates that among the 20 percent of school age children who have a learning disability in reading, 70 percent of them have some form of visual impairment, such as ocular motor, perception or binocular dysfunction which may be interfering with their reading skills.
*Statistics courtesy Vision Council of America; Journal of Behavior Optometry; The Journal of American Optometric Association
History of KidSight• 1994: Vision screening program was established as a pilot in the St. Louis area as a collaboration with St. Louis Children’s Hospital and local Lions clubs.
• 1998: Thanks to funding from an LCI Core 4 grant, the program expands throughout MO
• 2004: Program screens over 10,00 children since inception
• 2008: Program technology is upgraded from MTI camera to PlusOptix vision screener- providing immediate screening results to parents
• 2013: Program screens over 300,000 children since inception
What is Amblyopia?
• Commonly referred to as “lazy eye”
• Reduced vision because the eyes and brain are not working together properly
• Can be caused by misalignment of the eyes or because of a difference in visual quality between the eyes
Vision Screening Equipment
• PlusOptix vision screener provides an immediate pass/refer result
• Non-invasive screening takes only seconds- ideal for young children
• Increased portability for travel to and from daycares throughout Missouri
Scheduling Vision Screenings
• Screenings are conducted free of charge throughout all of Missouri
• Currently screening about 45,000 children annually, referring approx. 3,500
• Saving Sight vision screening technicians and Lion volunteers outreach to communities to identify daycares, preschools and other venues for screenings
Vision Screening Results
• Immediate results are available to parents and daycare staff
• Parents are encouraged to visit an eye care professional
• KidSight staff are available to help connect parents to care and answer any questions they might have about seeking out post-screening care
Volunteering With KidSight• Lions club volunteers play a key piece in connecting KidSight to local communities
• Visit www.saving-sight.org/lions to view volunteer opportunities
• At KidSight screenings, volunteers can help by:• Assisting with set up, paperwork, and ushering
children to and from the screening area• Encouraging parents to participate and/or sharing
information about the KidSight program at public screening events
• Finally, volunteers can help by collaborating with their local vision screening technician to identify new screening opportunities
New Initiatives
• Funding from Express Scripts to pilot a Healthy Vision Day initiative at daycares• Engaging daycare workers, directors and
families in the importance of early vision care
• Funding from Missouri Foundation for Health to improve follow up portion of program