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Near-vision screenings required for Wash. students next school year
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Washington state law will require near-vision screening for schoolchildren in kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 as part of new legislation that goes into effect July 1 from chapter 32, Laws of 1971.
Under this chapter, “each board of school directors in the state shall provide for and require screening of the auditory and visual acuity of children attending schools in their districts to determine if any child demonstrates auditory or visual problems that may negatively impact their learning. Each board of school directors shall establish procedures to implement these rules,” according to the legislation.
Children are now required not only to pass the distance vision letter chart, but also a near vision letter chart.
If resources permit, schools will annually screen children at other grade levels, according to the law.
Schools are not required to screen students who have already had a comprehensive vision examination by a licensed vision care professional within the previous 12 months.
The law allows for additional testing that is needed to detect many of the vision problems that affect school performance, according to a press release from Washington Vision Therapy Center.
“For instance, many children suffer from words that double and blur after sustained reading. However, initially their vision is normal, so other tests are needed to see if vision problems exist,” Benjamin Winters, OD, FCOVD, said in the release.
The new law also gives school nurses and school administrators the ability to refer to vision care providers if they suspect the child has vision problems even if they pass the vision chart tests, according to the release.
Schools must use standardized optotype-based distance vision and near vision acuity screening tools approved for each grade as well as follow the rescreening and referral criteria. When using a screening tool with a single isolated optotype or a single line of optotypes, the tool must include the use of crowding bars or crowding boxes. If the instrument-based screening device does not generate a result for a student, a school must screen that student using the optotype-based tools.
Sources: www.wavtc.com, leg.wa.gov