Coming to Your Senses

By Jane Steele, Executive Director, Mississippi Valley Promise

Coming to Your Senses is a vision-screening project sponsored by the Iowa Lions Foundation and University of Iowa (UI) Hospitals and Clinics. Community volunteers conduct vision screenings for children age 6-48 months. Screenings are then interpreted by trained staff in the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Older children can be screened, but other tests are available for children who can communicate vision problems. In Dubuque, the Lions Club typically screens children over 6 months in daycare or pre-school programs.

Why should my child’s vision be screened?
The first few years of a child’s life are critical in development of good vision. A child’s vision should be checked for conditions, such as misaligned eyes, cataracts, and the need for correction with eyeglasses. Problems are not always evident by looking at a child. Each day that problems go undetected, a child’s vision may deteriorate to the point of irreversibility. The earlier conditions are detected, the more easily and successfully they can be treated.

How much does the screening cost?
Coming to Your Senses screenings are free, thanks to the support and volunteer efforts of the Lions Club.

My child already had a vision screening – should my child be rescreened?
Some vision problems begin as a child grows older. It is a good idea to have your child’s vision checked regularly.

How are vision screenings done?
It is as simple as having your child’s picture taken. Volunteers are trained to use a special camera called the MTI Photoscreener to take special Polaroid pictures of your child’s eye. The pictures can detect eye problems in children too young to communicate.

What happens if a possible problem is detected?
The results of your child’s vision screening are evaluated by specialists in the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. If a possible vision problem is detected, you will be given a letter of referral and a list of ophthalmologists and optometrists in your area.

Will insurance or Medicaid cover follow-up exams if my child is referred?
Individual health insurance or Medicaid should cover most exams; however, plans vary and you may need to contact your child’s health care provider for more information.

Who do I contact to have my child participate in this free vision-screening program?
Contact the Dubuque Noon Lions, c/o Jane Steele, 2371 Carter Road, Dubuque, IA, 52001, (563) 557-1277, janesteele@hotmail.com. You also may contact the University of Iowa at (3l9) 353-7616 or CTYS@uiowa.edu or visit www.uihealthcare.com/eyecare.