Children's Vision Screening

Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," affects up to 5% of children - yet only 15% of children under age 5 ever undergo an eye exam. Why? Most children don't display the signs of vision problems to their parents and only receive an exam when entering grade school. Unfortunately by then, the problem may be irreversible.

The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation is dedicated to saving the sight of these children through our Children's Vision Screening program, which provides free vision screenings. In addition to lazy eye, preschoolers are screened for a variety of vision conditions, including farsightedness, strabismus and astigmatism. Find a free screening in your community!

What is Amblyopia? 

Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," occurs when the brain ignores messages or information sent from one eye. Eventually the "weak" eye will quit trying to work properly and the stronger eye will take over, leading to vision problems. The condition can occur either because of a focusing problem where one eye is more nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatic than the other or because of a misalignment of the eyes where one or both eyes cross in or turn out. 

How Do Free Vision Screenings Help?

In 1995, in collaboration with Children's Hospital in St. Louis, the Foundation began our first amblyopia screenings. Four years later, the Foundation started offering free vision screenings to preschools and daycares state-wide, and to date, has screened the eyes of 200,000 children. Today, using state-of-the-art equipment, we're screening more preschoolers than ever before!

How Does a Vision Screen Work? 

The Foundation's trained staff members use a Plusoptix hand-held screener to screen a child's eyes for a variety of vision problems, including amblyopia. The screening takes just seconds and requires nothing of a child except his or her attention.

The Plusoptix software then reviews the results, and if an abnormality is detected, the program will immediately produce a pass or refer report.

All parents of children screened by the Foundation will be notified about the results. If the child shows symptoms of visual abnormalities, parents are strongly encouraged to take the child to their eye doctor for a full dilated eye examination.

How Do I Schedule a Free Vision Screening? 

Amblyopia screenings can be arranged by contacting the Foundation’s Children's Vision Screening program manager at 800-753-2265, ext. 8518 or by contacting the screening technician in your area.

The Foundation will contact the volunteers in your area, provide you with educational materials to be distributed to parents prior to the event, and discuss in detail how the screening will be conducted.

The Foundation does not charge a fee to either the host organization or the participants. Since 1998, the Children's Vision Screening program has been supported by the continuing generosity of the Missouri Lions and the public.