Eyeglasses

Children in primary and secondary school often find themselves in need of eye glasses.  Annual vision screenings can be helpful in indicating which children may need further screening or an eye exam. 

BRIEF SUMMARY

Children in primary and secondary school often find themselves in need of eye glasses.  Annual vision screenings can be helpful in indicating which children may need further screening or an eye exam.  Sometimes, school staff may suspect a child needs to wear glasses due to needing to sit close to the point of instruction/close to the board/front of the classroom, complaints of headaches or eye pain, and holding books and electronic devices close to their face. Undetected vision problems may interfere with learning. There are several reasons children may benefit from or need to wear glasses and not all are due to a need to improve vision. Many low-income families struggle with paying for an eye exam and/or eye glasses, luckily resources due exist to help families pay for glasses.  School counselors are often called upon to refer families to free and reduced cost resources for eye exams and eye glasses.

KEY POINTS

  • Why Children Wear Eyeglasses
    • Improving vision
    • Strengthening vision in a weak or amblyopic (lazy) eye
    • Improving the position of their eyes (crossed eyes or misaligned eyes)
    • Providing protection if they have poor vision in one eye
  • Signs a Child Might Need Glasses
    • Squinting
    • Tilting head or covering one eye
    • Sitting too close to the television or holding hand-held devices close to the eyes
    • Rubbing eyes excessivley
    • Complaining of headaches or eye pain
    • Having difficulty concentrating on school work
  • Vision screening is required for all accredited public and accredited non-public schools in Indiana for grades K or 1, 3, 5 and 8.  All accredited schools are required to report their vision screening results to the Indiana Department of Education via the School Health Report which is due by June 15 of each school year.
  • If a child fails a school vision screening, the best thing is for the child to have a comprehensive eye exam.
  • Poor eyesight can lead to bad grades and difficulty in school.

RESOURCES

SHARED WISDOM

  • You probably have an eye doctor who comes to the elementary schools to do vision screenings during a certain time of the year.     Ask that person if they would be willing to work with a child for a reduced fee.    
  • In Parke County, we have several churches that provide assistance to children for medical needs.   There may be some in [your area] that might help.
  • With parent permission, you and another staff member, take the child to a cheap vision place in [your town].   Dr. Tavel or something for $69.
  • Sometimes calling local ophthalmologists helps.  They sometimes have services to help out.
  • Check with your local Tri-Kappa group and/or the Community Foundation.  
  • Call 211 to see if there are other resources.
  • American Legion, ladies clubs [can sometimes] help.
  • La Porte Lions Club. The following link should help you: http://jasperlionsclub.org/about-us/
  • If the [school] nurse is a member of the National Association of School Nurses – they have vouchers available for students.  You could also contact the Dept of Health as they might have resources.
  • Lens Crafters has a program if there is a local store nearby someone there can help you.
  • We were able to get help through our town trustees.
  • Many times if you can find an eye doctor (esp. on who is a parent or alum of your school) you can get them to help with the exam.
  • We have a community foundation in Hendricks county that funds them.
  • Sometimes other service organizations &/or churches have funds to use at their discretion.

CONTENT FEEDBACK

If you have suggestions, feedback, or resources, please email counselor1stop@inspiresuccess.org and let us know.