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