What is KidSight Colorado?
KidSight Colorado is a free vision screening program where Lions Club volunteers throughout Colorado conduct vision screening sessions at preschools, kindergartens and other early childhood centers. Screenings are also conducted at health fairs and other public events throughout the state.
The program is designed for children ages two through six, but the technology can be used to screen children as young as one.
How Much Does This Cost?
The screening is free, thanks to the support and volunteer efforts of the Lions of Colorado. Funding is also provided by individuals, corporations and grants.
How is Vision Screening Done?
It is as simple as having your child’s picture taken. Local Lions Club volunteers use a Welch Allyn SureSight, a state of the art vision screening device, which is 85-90 percent accurate in detecting vision problems. It only takes moments per child, requires no preparation or medication and is totally painless. Parental consent is required prior to the screening.
The KidSight screening program detects these vision problems in children:
Myopia (Nearsightedness) - This is when the eyes focus incorrectly, making distant objects appear blurred. It can be treated with glasses, and typically is not amblyogenic as long as both eyes have similar degrees of myopia.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness) - This is the difficulty seeing objects that are near. Small levels of far-sightedness are normal for young children, but high levels can cause problems. Left untreated, hyperopia can contribute to crossing of the eyes or poor vision in each eye. This condition can be corrected with glasses.
Astigmatism - This is a condition in which the cornea (the clear covering of the front of the eye) has an abnormal curve, causing out-of-focus vision. Typically, an eye with astigmatism is not perfectly round but is slightly oblong, creating astigmatism. Astigmatism is not amblyogenic unless it is asymmetric or of a large degree.
Strabismus - Strabismus is when the eyes are not directed to an object simultaneously. Sometimes the eyes deviate inward, and other times the eyes deviate outward. Vertical Deviations can also occur, but are quite rare.
Anisometropia - This is the condition in which the two eyes have unequal refractive power–they are in different states of myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness). Anisometropia can adversely affect the development of binocular vision in infants and children if there is a large difference in clarity between the two eyes. The brain will often suppress the vision of the blurrier eye in a condition called Amblyopia, or lazy eye.