Download Eye Exams - Unite For Sight

<Insert Your Name>
Community Fellow, <Insert University>
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Vision problems affect
nearly 13.5 million
children in the U.S.
Students, especially
young ones, may not
know that what they
are experiencing is a
vision problem
Leads to frustration
and worsening
academic performance
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Teachers are in a
unique position to
notice a child with a
vision problem
◦ See children for
many hours a day
◦ See children in an
academic setting
where visual acuity is
required
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Discovering vision problems early on in a
child’s life is an important part of helping him
or her do well in school.
 Avoid frustration
 Make reading easier
 Make learning more enjoyable
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In the case of some vision conditions
(covered later), early detection and treatment
is the only way to prevent loss of sight in the
afflicted eye
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The following may be indicative of a child
experiencing a vision problem:
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Eyes turning inward or
outward
Squinting
Headaches
Worsening academic
performance
Blurred or double vision
Losing place while
reading
Avoiding close work
Holding reading material
closer than normal
Rubbing eyes
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Eyes tiring while reading
or doing other
schoolwork
Turning or tilting head to
use one eye only
Making frequent
reversals while reading
or writing
Using finger to maintain
place while reading
Consistently performing
below potential
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If you notice a child
struggling with any of
these symptoms, he or she
may be experiencing a
vision problem
The next step is to make
sure that child has an eye
exam by an eye doctor
Vision screenings
(insignificant)
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Performed by nonspecialist health staff
Provide baseline VA
Do not test for eye
disorders, cannot
provide diagnostic
information
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Eye Exams
Performed by
optometrists or
ophthalmologists
Thorough
Can detect many
vision problems
and/or eye disorders
and diagnose them
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Test only distance visual acuity.
Fail to detect children who have reading
problems, hyperopia, or astigmatism.
Vision screenings are subjective
◦ A research study found that two school nurses
matched on their vision screening results for
only 86.4% of the students.
Ore, L., Tamir, A., Stein, N., and Cohen-Dar, M. “Reliability of Vision Screening Tests for School Children.”
Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 41.3 (2009): 250-259.
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A study in New York City schools found
that 41% of children who passed a
distance visual acuity test still needed to
be examined by an eye doctor for other
reasons.
Screening solely for reduced visual acuity
may miss up to 40% with potential vision
problems.
Bodack, M., Chung, I., and Krumholtz, I. “An Analysis of Vision Screening Data from New York City Public
Schools.” Journal of the American Optometric Association. 81.9 (2010); 476-484.
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Do not assume that children with
eyeglasses have recently had an eye
exam.
A research study found that 49% of eyeglasswearing children failed a visual assessment.
28% of non-eyeglass-wearing children failed
the visual assessment.
“Children Unable to Perform Screening Tests in Vision in Preschoolers Study: Proportion with Ocular Conditions
and Impact on Measures of Test Accuracy.” Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 48 (2007):83-87.
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A research study was conducted in California high schools
among students who were identified by their teachers as “poor
readers”.
17% of the students had deficient visual acuity (20/40 or worse
in one eye)
80% of the children were inadequate or weak in at least one of
the following visual skills: binocular fusion ranges at near,
accomodative facility, and convergence near point.
80% of the students passed the visual acuity testing, but only
20% had adequate visual skills.
Grisham, D., Powers, M., and Riles, P. “Visual skills of poor readers in high school.” Journal of the American
Optometric Association. 78.10 (2007); 542-549.
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Children under the age
of 18 are eligible for free
eye exams
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Nearsightedness (myopia)
◦ Most common visual problem
among students
◦ A type of refractive error
◦ Close objects are clear
◦ Far-away objects are blurry
◦ Students may squint to see
blackboard or presentation
materials
◦ Can be corrected with corrective
lenses such as glasses or contact
lenses
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Farsightedness (hyperopia)
◦ Also a common visual problem
among students
◦ A type of refractive error
◦ Close objects are blurry
◦ Far-away objects are clear
◦ Students may squint while reading
or hold reading material farther
away from face than normal
◦ Can be corrected with corrective
lenses such as glasses
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Astigmatism
◦ Often co-occurs with
nearsightedness or farsightedness
◦ A type of refractive error caused
by an abnormally shaped cornea
◦ Can be corrected with corrective
lenses such as glasses or contact
lenses
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Strabismus
◦ Issue with eye muscles
◦ Student’s eyes appear to be
focusing on two different points
◦ Often co-occurs with amblyopia
◦ Glasses or eye muscle exercises
can treat strabismus. Sometimes
surgery is needed.
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Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)
◦ One eye is stronger than the other
◦ Student may show signs of
strabismus, but the two do not
always co-occur
◦ Over time, the brain may begin to
disregard signals from the weaker
eye
◦ If it is not detected early,
amblyopia can lead to a permanent
loss of sight in the weaker eye
◦ This disorder is only detectable
through an eye exam from an
optometrist or ophthalmologist
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Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
◦ Common in schoolchildren
◦ The conjunctiva (lining on eyelid
and part of eyeball) become
infected and inflamed
◦ Highly contagious
◦ Prescription eye drops can treat
bacterial forms
◦ Viral forms clear up on their own
and cannot be treated, but
sometimes eye drops are needed
to relieve inflammation.
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