Published: July 30, 2008 10:54 am         

Focusing on a childhood problem

‘Lazy eye’ can be corrected if detected early

DANVILLE — A new law effective this school year will require new kindergarteners or children enrolling in a school for the first time to have a comprehensive eye examination.

Although school districts have held vision screenings for years, Illinois optometrists say many vision problems aren’t detected through the old examinations.

The new law, SB0641, passed by the Illinois General Assembly in October, requires an in-depth eye exam that screens for amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye.”

The screening must be filed with the district by Oct. 15, however, Danville District 118 school officials say that because the law was enacted so late last year, families won’t face a penalty for now.

“We will distribute the information at registration and throughout the year and be looking forward to full implementation in the following school year,” said District 118 Special Education Director Steve Runyon, who also works with the district’s nursing staff.

“Registration will not be prevented because of not having the vision test. Parents will be able to register their children this year just as in previous years. We will work throughout the year to make sure the information is disseminated to all families.”

Dr. David Imes, an optometrist at Gailey Eye Clinic, said the new law will hopefully help detect serious problems so they can be corrected before it’s too late.

“It is important to diagnose amblyopia early on because by the age of eight, the visual system has been completed and isn’t very susceptible to change.

“If diagnosed by the age of five, patients can expect to recover most of their vision. After this, the percentage of what they can regain goes down,” Imes said.

He added that only about 5 percent of childhood vision problems are detected through typical examinations.

Coordinating eye movements during reading, comfortably adjusting focus from near to far and vice versa or determining color deficiencies weren’t tested, he said.

Amblyopia results from one or both eyes having blurred vision. If the condition isn’t corrected, the visual pathways to the brain won’t develop properly.

Most often, the condition is treatable with glasses or contacts. In more serious cases, surgery could be required to realign crossed eyes to raise a droopy eyelid.

An eye with “lazy eye” is treated by strengthening it by using eye drops or a patch on the eye without amblyopia and using near-vision tasks with the weaker eye.

Parents should have their children’s eyes examined annually, he said.

Some statistical sources claim that half of students identified as problem learners actually have undetected vision problems, he said.

Children will then hesitate to tell their parents something is wrong. Instead, they’ll squint, get closer to the board, or avoid reading altogether because they get a headache, he added.

“Parents are amazed … that the large letters are the best they can see,” he said of the eye exams with kids.

“They didn’t know they had that much of a problem.”

BE ON THE LOOKOUT

A new state law requries all new kindergarteners or children entering a school for the first time to file a comprehensive eye exam report with the school. Here are some visual symptoms that may indicate undiagnosed vision problems:

-- Eyes that turn in or out

-- Eyes that do not work well together

-- Difficulty with depth perception

-- Complaints of a headache in the forehead after close-up tasks

-- Complaints of blurred, double or moving print

-- Difficulty reading material that is not black on white

-- Compaints of not being able to see the board after reading or vice versa

-- Having red or watery eyes when reading

-- Covering an eye to read

-- Tilting the head or holding material too close while reading

-- Complaining of difficulty copying from the board

-- Avoiding reading or other close-up tasks

-- Omitting, turning around or confusing words when reading

-- Often losing place while reading or using a finger to follow along when reading

-- Taking frequent breaks during homework

-- Having a short attention span

-- Haivng difficulty with eye-hand coordination

-- Appearing lazy or unmotivated at school

-- Squinting or rubbing eyes while reading