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Vision Screening for Children

Child screening 9 16 2023.JPG

1-in-3 young children have poor but correctable vision - often just needing eyeglasses.   Vision problems undetected by the age of 7 can become permanent.

Screening is for early detection of the following eye disorders but not a tool for diagnosis:  

Hyperopia (farsightedness)

Myopia (nearsightedness)

Astigmatism (blurred vision)

Anisometropia (unequal refractive power)

Aniscoria (unequal pupil size

Strabismus (eye misalignment)

Meida opacities (e.g. cataracts or corneal scars)

Amblyopia (lazy eye)

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FREE

When

Children's vision screenings are held monthly on the third Saturday of the month 

9:30 until 11:30

Where

Aurora Public Library - West Branch

233 S Constitution, Aurora

Contact us if you are interested in scheduling a group of children to be tested

Children's vision screenings are great additions to events such as a health fairs or civic events.  Also available for locations such as daycare centers and churches.

Children's Vision Health Facts 

  • Vision and education professionals widely agree that 80% of a child’s learning comes through their vision. 

  • According to the National Institutes of Health in 2015, 174,000 children aged 3 to 5 years in the United States were visually impaired. 

  • Almost 121,000 of these cases (69%) arose from simple uncorrected refractive error – the need for glasses.

  • 8% of children younger than 18 years in the United States have a diagnosed eye and vision condition.

  • The World Health Organization states that the single largest cause for vision impairment is the need for glasses.

  • Lions KidSight USA children’s vision screenings detects these risk factors with an 80% sensitivity and a 95% accuracy rate

  • 43,000 (25%) from bilateral amblyopia. 5% of children have risk factors for the development of unilateral (one eye) amblyopia.

  • The #1 cause of preventable vision loss in the USA is amblyopia. Lions KidSight USA vision screenings are fast, touchless and free.

Signs of possible eye problems in children

A child may not tell you that he or she has a vision problem because they may think the way they see is the way everyone sees.

What do your child's eyes look like?

Eyes don't line up; one eye appears crossed or looks out

Eyelids are red-rimmed, crusted or swollen

Eyes are watery or red (inflamed)

How does your child act?

Rubs eyes a lot

Closes or covers one eye

Tilts head or thrusts head forward

Has trouble reading or doing other close-up work, or holds objects close to eyes to see

Blinks more than usual or seems cranky when doing close-up work.

Things are blurry or hard to see.

Squints eyes or frowns

What does your child say?

My eyes are itchy," "my eyes are burning," "my eyes feel scratchy," or "I can't see very well"

After doing close-up work, your child says, "I feel dizzy," "I have a headache," or "I feel sick/ nauseous," "Everything looks blurry," or "I see double"

Remember, a child may still have an eye problem even if he or she does not complain or has not shown any unusual signs.

Source: preventblindness.org

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