Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/childrens-vision-health/5021736/
The authors thank the members of the Advisory Committee for the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness for their support in the development of this article.VIGNETTE:
Madison, a child enrolled in Head Start, did not pass a vision screening and received glasses after a follow-up eye exam. When she returned to her classroom with her new glasses, Madison walked into the room and looked around. A picture of a giraffe on the wall caught her attention. She walked to the picture, looked at the giraffe, turned to her teacher, and said, “I didn’t know giraffes had eyes!”
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This story reinforces our knowledge that children with vision disorders rarely know that the way they see their world differs from the way children with good vision experience it. Consequently, they miss out on learning opportunities all around them because of poor sight.
Research suggests that up to 1 in 20 preschool-aged children may have a vision problem that can lead to permanent vision loss if not detected and treated early �" preferably before age 5 years (Calonge, 2004). Head Start, Early Head Start, and early childhood program vision screeners are in a perfect position to help find these children, who can ...