By Linda Davis
Lake Travis Lions Club
It has been estimated that nearly 80 percent of the residents at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin would not be there today had they been tested for vision problems before the age of 4, according to Michelle Calhoun, a registered optician.
Calhoun is spearheading a statewide program of free screenings to every Texas reached. But until two years ago, such testing for babies and very small children was not possible.
Thanks to new technology and the dedication of volunteers from the Registered Opticians Association of Texas (ROATx) and the Lions Clubs of Texas, these children are now able to be tested for conditions that could lead to permanent blindness or other debilitating conditions of not treated. During the past year, ROATx volunteers have screened hundreds of children aged 6 months through 4 years. Out of these screenings, over 40 children have been referred to pediatric opthalmologists or optometrists for treatment.
These free screenings are being offered in our area on Saturday morning, August 21st, from 10am to Noon, thanks to the Austin Lake Travis Lions Club. They have paid for the expenses of bringing this technology to our area and are providing the personal assistance necessary to support this important screening event.
“It is estimated that one in every four children have a vision issue, and 50% of learning disabilities among children today can be attributed to vision problems”, said Sam Johnson, who serves as President of ROATx and on the Board of its Early Childhood Vision Screening program. “Our sole mission is to prevent childhood blindness by detecting problems while it is still possible to have a nearly 98 percent cure rate.” Previously, eye screenings given to young children required their involvement to determine their visual acuity. These screenings provided little or no input regarding eye disease or possible impairment. The new technology does not require any involvement from the child other than having their eyes open for a few seconds.
Without early intervention and treatment, these children — approximately five million in the U.S. alone — will suffer permanent VISION damage, uncorrectable with glasses or contact lenses. By providing laser vision testing and analysis with a Registered Optician to children, at this much earlier age, detection is much earlier and therefore, these children will have a real chance to correct their vision problem. Comparatively, the new laser technology is so much more beneficial to young children, specifically 6 months through 4 years of age, because it makes early detection possible.
Bring your children on Saturday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m.-noon, for the Early Childhood Vision Screening to be held at Rolly Pollies in Suite 450 in the Shops at the Galleria, near Newflower Market.
This is a totally free event, sponsored by the Austin Lake Travis Lions Club. For more information, please contact Linda Davis, 512-266-6606, or go to www.pediavision.com or www.roatx.org .
The Lake Travis Lions Club would like to thank Chick-Fil-A for providing Breakfast Minis coupons to those being screened.