Eatontown Memorial Student is 10,000th Child to Benefit from Free Vision Screening by the Eatontown Lions Club
The Eatontown Lions Club began its sixth year of vision screening with a bang. As result of partnering with the Eatontown and Ocean Township School Districts the Lions club provided the 10,000th child with a free vision screening.
In recognition as the 10,000th student, eight-grader Ashton Vassor, was given a citation and gift card from the Lions Club. Working in conjunction with school nurses, vision screenings have been done annually by the Eatontown Lions in September and October for students in Pre-K through 8th grade.
“We really appreciate your help as well as the support of the Lions. Your work and partnership with us make a difference. The vision screening process as well as the resources the Lions provide to our students if a vision problem is discovered help our students to be in a better position to learn and succeed. Thank you.” said Scott T. McCue, Superintendent Eatontown Public Schools
More than 12 million school-age children in the United States have some form of vision problem. Many vision problems run the risk of becoming permanent if not corrected by the time the eye reaches full maturity. Vision also plays an important role in education. According to educational experts, 80 percent of learning is visual.
“Early screening leads to early detection, which helps ensure that children get the follow-up care they need,” said Club President Linda Butler. “We want to make sure that correctible vision problems don’t stand in the way of our children learning and seeing the world clearly.”
For information about future screenings or to learn more about the Eatontown Lions Club and its service projects, contact Lion Ken East,
Vision Screening is part of a nationwide initiative called Lions KidSight USA, a national coalition that brings together Lions programs that screen children from 6 months on. KidSight USA was developed by Lions in the U.S. to protect the eye health of America’s children in their early years. Lions in the U.S. currently screen more than 500,000 children per year. Learn more about Lions KidSight USA at KidSightUSA.org.
The screener can detect:
Myopia (nearsightedness)
Hyperopia (farsightedness)
Astigmatism (blurred vision)
Anisometropia (unequal refractive power)
Strabismus (eye misalignment)
Anisocoria (unequal pupil size).
It generates referral reports without needing subjects to read an eye chart, or say what they see. Problems can be detected in preschool children as young as three years old. These conditions were identified in 11% of the children, whose parents received referral reports.
It is important to diagnose eye problems at an early age because often the conditions can be corrected then. After age seven, it is more likely the problem can be treated but not corrected.
