WHY is vision screening important? The first few years of a child's life are critical in the development of good vision. Many common vision-robbing conditions such as amblyopia, "lazy eye" (which develops when a vision problem prevents the brain from using both eyes together) and astigmatism (inability to focus clearly) can be effectively treated if detected during a child's formative years.
KIDSIGHT, a Lions Club community service, is a simple, non-invasive and cost-free vision screening test performed on pre-school children. It requires no medication or preparation; best of all - it's PAINLESS. Screening does require parental consent and it's as simple as taking a child's picture.
As you can imagine, young children have no way of knowing whether or not they are seeing clearly; parents and teachers often have no clue that there is a problem. In fact, I hear this comment often as I make follow-up calls.
FCLC currently performs this valuable service at 45 pre-schools in the Fort Collins area; this includes 18 Head Start sites. In 2010-11 school year, we screened approx. 1300 children and had a referral rate of over 11%.
Those of us who participate in KIDSIGHT screening sessions are always rewarded by the smiling faces that greet us and the thought that we may very well be changing a youngster's life. It takes just one "thank you" letter or one phone call from a grateful parent to make each team member rededicate themselves to this life-changing program.