Vision Screenings - See What Your Child May Be Missing:
Vision screening programs are intended to help identify children with eye or vision problems that threaten sight or impair their ability to develop and learn normally. However, vision screenings are a limited process and cannot be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem, but rather to indicate a potential need for further evaluation.

• Many vision screenings test for visual acuity only. Use of the Snellen chart (eye chart for distance) alone only identifies five percent of the vision problems in children in according to the American Foundation for Vision Awareness. A child may be able to see letters 20 feet away but that does not tell whether his eyes are able to work together to read materials 12 inches away, or if there is an eye health problem or vision perception problem.
• A vision screening can give a parent a false sense of security. When a child reports that he is seeing 20/20, parents often assume that no further testing is needed and fail to ever take the child for a comprehensive eye examination.
• Most screening facilities lack equipment to screen young children. Vision screening using traditional methods by non-eyecare professionals is extremely difficult for children less than 4 years of age.
• Amblyopia (poor eyesight in one eye, sometimes known as "lazy eye") is often missed if the eyes are aligned although it is usually picked up if a child's eyes are crossed.
• Fewer than 50% of the children identified as needing professional eye and vision care ever receive that care, and of those who do, the average time between the screening and the examination is 18 months.

Vision Examinations - More than Meets the Eye:
Comprehensive vision examinations can only be conducted by an eye care professional with the specialized training needed to make a definitive diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Often, specialized equipment and procedures, which are not available as part of a vision screening program, are needed to adequately evaluate a child's eyes and vision status.

Below are essential elements of a comprehensive eye examination used to insure that learning is maximized through good vision.

• Visual acuity is measured at several distances so that the student can comfortably and efficiently read, work on the computer or see the board.
• The refractive state of the visual system, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism is determined.
• Focusing or accommodation is an important skill that is tested. The eyes must be ably to focus on the object at which they are aimed and easily shift focus from one object to another. This allows the child to move attention from a book or paper to the chalkboard and back. Sustained focus affects the ability to read or write for longer periods of time.
• The doctor evaluates visual alignment and ocular motility, which means the muscles aiming each eye converge so that both eyes are aimed at the same object, refining depth perception.
• Binocular fusion (eye teaming) skills are assessed. These skills are critical to coordinate and align the eyes precisely so the brain can fuse the pictures it receives from each eye into a single image.
• Eye tracking skills are tested to determine if the child can track across a page accurately and efficiently while reading, and can copy material quickly and easily from the chalkboard or another piece of paper.
• Testing of color vision prior to school age is conducted since a large part of the early educational process involves the use of color identification and discrimination.
• Ocular health is determined by examining the external and internal structures of the eye.

Please contact Cockrell Eyecare Center with questions regarding the difference between an eye health and vision exam vs. a vision screening. If your child has recently had a vision screening it would be our pleasure to review the results with you. Contact us in Stillwater at 405-372-1715 or Pawnee at 918-762-2573 or visit our website at www.cockrelleyecare.com.