Vision Screening Event Planned

Salina Sunflower Lions Club will do pre-school vision screenings for children age 3 to school age during the Mayor’s Christmas Party, Sunday, December 10 from 2:00 PM until 4:30 at Tony’s Pizza Event Center.

Sunflower Lions Club in conjunction with the Kansas Lions Sight Foundation is providing this service to detect subnormal vision or risk factors that threaten visual development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Association for Pediatric Opthalmology these screenings need to be completed at a time when treatment can be initiated to yield the highest benefit. At this time that is preferably pre-school (by the age of three) or at least before the child starts their first day of school. In children younger than three years of age, few professionals can reliably determine acuity using a vision chart. The preferred screening is instrument based automated vision screening technology. Vision disability is the single most prevalent disabling condition in children. An undiagnosed or untreated vision disorder is significantly better predictors of academic success than is race or socioeconomic status. This can clearly leave a child behind in the classroom and life.

Screening will be administered by nursing students from Salina Technical College

with help from Salina Sunflowers Lions Club members. Actual screening takes less than a minute and is accomplished using hand held devices. Children are given a “Pass” or “Refer” with the expectation that parents will take them to an optometrist for diagnosis and treatment.

Visit the Sunflower Lions club table in the Mayor’s Christmas Party, fill out the form and take your child to the screening area.