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Kids' Vision Update

by Tara Rosenzweig

Vision problems in children and teenagers remain a huge concern and may contribute to poor school performance, behavior problems, delinquency, and even incarceration, according to new research by Joel N. Zaba, MA, OD, and sponsored by the Essilor Vision Foundation.

Zaba, a practicing optometrist and researcher who also specializes in learning-related vision problems, states that "the failure to detect and treat vision disorders in children affects, among other things, such issues as childhood development, learning performance, self-esteem, social-emotional behavior, academic achievement, high school drop-out rates, and juvenile delinquency… the failure to detect and treat children's vision disorders affects the rates of adult criminality, literacy, and labor productivity."

EXAMS ARE STILL LACKING

Vision problems are prevalent in 25 percent of all school-children in the U.S., according to expert estimates. But many of those problems go undetected.

Part of the problem is that when schools conduct vision screenings, they usually test only distance vision. However, many classroom activities, such as reading, writing, and computer work, involve near vision.

Among the findings in Zaba's latest research:

■ Only 10 percent of children ages nine to 15 years old who need eyeglasses actually have them.

■ Forty percent to 67 percent of children identified with vision problems during vision screenings do not receive the follow-up eye exams that are recommended.

Why are parents and guardians not getting their children's vision checked by a professional? Zaba's report found three primary reasons:

■ Financial barriers such as lack of vision insurance.

■ Logistical problems, such as a lack of time or transportation.

■ The belief that vision care is not a priority and is an expense that can be put off until later.

THE TOLL ON SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Zaba says experts estimate 80 percent of what we learn comes through vision. Yet two out of three children in the U.S. don't receive any preventive vision care before they start school. Once in school, the consequences start to become apparent, especially among school districts in disadvantaged areas. According to Zaba's report:

■ More than 10 million children in the U.S. have vision problems that may contribute to poor academic performance, according to the National Parent Teacher Association.

■ Up to 85 percent of both Title I students in the fifth through eighth grades and academically and behaviorally at-risk children between the ages of eight and 18 have vision problems that are either undetected or untreated.

■ Teenagers who have low SAT scores and mediocre academic records have a high incidence of undetected or untreated vision problems. Such students are at risk for not completing a college education. In addition, uncorrected vision problems have been linked to high school drop-out rates.

THE LINK TO ILLITERACY AND INCARCERATION

When vision problems are not detected and corrected early in a child's life, the consequences can be both long-lasting and life-altering.

Zaba says research has found that Title 1 students, juvenile offenders, illiterate adults, academically at-risk college students, and academically and behaviorally at-risk public school students all have a higher prevalence of undetected vision problems.

Consider these findings on uncorrected vision's impact on literacy:

■ Previous research has shown a significant number of undetected and untreated vision problems in adults with the lowest levels of literacy.

■ Studies indicate that 66 percent to 74 percent of adults with literacy problems failed vision screenings.

According to Zaba's findings, when vision problems combine with other risk factors, antisocial behavior can even result.

■ In 2000, previously undetected vision problems were found in up to 74 percent of adjudicated adolescents.

■ In a 2003 national assessment of prison inmates, only 43 percent had a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certification when they became incarcerated.

ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

Of course, uncorrected vision isn't the sole cause of illiteracy, high school dropout rates, juvenile delinquency, and adult criminal behavior. However, vision is often overlooked as a contributing factor, despite research indicating its importance in childhood development and school performance, Zaba says.

Lack of vision correction can even cause problems once children become adults and enter the workforce. One economist estimates the United States "could reduce the number of crimes committed by 100,000 each year and save $1.4 billion annually, if one percent more males graduated from high school each year."

WHAT WE CAN DO

Zaba offers the following steps that can be taken to detect and correct vision problems in children before it's too late:

1. Screen for vision problems as children progress through their school years.

2. Use screenings with multiple tests that identify a wider spectrum of vision problems, especially ones affecting near vision.

3. Educate parents on the importance of screening so they don't delay their children's vision care.

4. Provide resources for parents who can't afford eye exams or glasses for their children and make it easier for them to follow through. EB