State Law Requires Vision Evaluations

Information for Parents

February 28, 2007

Background information for parents regarding new vision evaluation requirement.

New State Law Requires Vision Evaluations

Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, students entering school for the first time, including kindergarteners and transfer students from out of state, will be required to provide proof of a vision evaluation within six months prior to the student's entrance.

The vision evaluation is required to test for amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), which are two of the most common vision disorders in young children, as well as internal and external eye health and visual acuity. A certificate or form stating results of the evaluation must be signed by an optometrist, physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse.

According to the Nebraska Foundation for Children's Vision, statistics show that 80% or more of all learning during a child's first 12 years depends on vision, yet one of every five children entering kindergarten has an undetected vision disorder significant enough to impact the child's ability to learn. Symptoms of vision problems often are not evident to parents or educators at early ages, The Foundation notes, and young children often cannot self-identify abnormal conditions.

Typical vision screenings test only for distance vision and are not designed to assess many of the common vision disorders in young children. The new state law will now help assure that more students get a broader assessment of conditions that could adversely impact their learning ability.

Source: Nebraska Foundation for Children's Vision (NEchildrensvision.org)