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VISION FACTS | WARNING SIGNS | CHILDREN'S VISION LAW
Vision Examination Compared to Vision Screening
While vision screenings are able to spot some vision deficiencies, many escape unnoticed. In fact, the standard screening chart detects only 5% of a child’s vision problem – it tells only that a child can read letters 20 feet away. Most school districts do not test visual skills necessary to see at near distance (reading and writing distance) – where most of the learning takes place.
A student who cannot see will often not focus on the book, the blackboard or the computer. Being unable to complete their schoolwork may be labeled a "behavior disorder", or even a "learning related disorder" due to inability to "behave" in the classroom. Many of Nebraska’s schoolchildren are faced with overwhelming social and emotional challenges that can impact on their ability to learn. VISION IS ONE PART OF THE EQUATION THAT CAN MOST LIKELY BE CONTROLLED. Preventive measures include proper detection through a complete eye examination.
The demands of the classroom involve far more skills than routine screenings can identify. An eye examination from an eye care professional will evaluate the following visual skills that are imperative for learning in the classroom:
- Visual Acuity: The ability to focus at a distance and then to close-up without difficulty.
- Sustained Focus: The ability to maintain steady focus for a long time at close distance.
- Eye Teaming Skills: The ability of both eyes to aim at the same target, at the same level.
- Eye Movement Skills: The ability to "track" objects or views without discomfort or difficulty.
- Eye Hand Coordination: The ability to reach for, touch and work with objects without difficulty.
- Visual Perception: Interpreting correctly what is visually "received" as well as being able to react to what is seen; this also includes the ability to judge distances.
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