News from the AOA's Blog

The School Readiness Summit–Focus on Vision –– a first-of-its-kind, broad-based national conference to ensure all American children enter school with vision adequate to meet the demands of the academic environment –– is set for April 11-12, 2011, in Washington, D.C. 

Thanks to HOYA Vision Care’s support of the Summit, the AOA is able to expand awareness for this important initiative and create new collaborations with other organizations on health care and school readiness.

Patterned after the influential White House Conference on Aging and similar national policy meetings, the School Readiness Summit will coalesce a partnership of government and private-sector entities around  cohesive strategies to provide a continuum of eye and vision care for the nation’s preschool children, according to AOA President-elect Dori Carlson, O.D.

Dr. Carlson formally announced the summit during the AOA House of Delegates.

“Vision disorders are the fourth most common disability in the U.S. Vision problems affect 20 to 25 percent of children in the U.S.; some 12.1 million. Eighty percent of a child’s learning occurs through visual input,” Dr. Carlson said. “Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, only 36 percent of all preschool children received a vision screening in 2002. Studies from the past two decades reveal that there exists a public health emergency with respect to child vision health in the United States and that we are making no progress toward its solution.”

“Millions of children are not receiving essential eye care services, which can prevent eye disease, developmental delays, school and social achievement problems,” Dr. Carlson continued. “Given the asymptomatic nature of most eye and vision disorders and that most childhood vision problems can be prevented through early detection, follow up and treatment, it is essential that the building of a comprehensive child vision care system as part of the public health system at the local, state and federal levels become a top priority.”

The National Commission on Vision and Health – a non-partisan organization dedicated to assuring access to vision care as an integrated part of public health programs at the national, state and local levels – has developed guidance on Building a Comprehensive Child Vision Care System, Dr. Carlson noted.

The summit will now endeavor to see such plans are implemented, Dr. Carlson said.

The summit is intended to “develop a broad coalition to improve the readiness and success of children in school,” Dr. Carlson said. “It will allow participants to share collaboration strategies and resources to assist organizations and professionals in preparing young children for school as it relates to vision; explore, understand and appreciate the interdependent effect collaborating organizations have on school readiness; (and) inspire collaboration that enhances school readiness.”

The planning committee for the summit consists of the AOA, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, the Vision Council, National Commission on Vision and Health, U.S. Department of Education, National Association of School Nurses, American Speech Language and Hearing Association, and the National Head Start Association.

Numerous agencies and organizations will be invited to participate in the summit, Dr. Carlson said.

“It is our goal that each participating organization will leave with a specific measurable goal and implementation strategy that will promote good vision performance in children prior to entering school,” Dr. Carlson said.

The summit will center largely on ensuring American preschool children have their eyes examined in their first year of life, again at 3 years of age, prior to entering school, and again as recommended by their optometrist.

Alternative examination schedules may be recommended by the examining practitioner for children found with, or at risk for, specific eye conditions.

“It is about establishing a continuum of care that starts in the first year of life, continues at age 3 and before a child enters school,” Dr. Carlson said.

Just prior to Dr. Carlson’s presentation, Greg Hicks, O.D., and Karla Zadnik, O.D., Ph.D., detailed a program under which the Ohio Optometric Association and school nurses developed a model cooperative program to ensure good vision for children entering school.

The summit is being organized by the AOA Professional Relations Committee under Chair Jacqueline M. Bowen, O.D.
 Organizers hope it will be the first in a series of annual summits on school readiness with a different theme each year.