Mission Statement
The Children's Vision Foundation identifies children with vision problems that adversely affect a child's ability to succeed in school; in particular, problems that compromise a child's ability to learn effectively. This is accomplished through extensive vision screening in schools and in the wider community and support for children and their families in accessing care when indicated. CVF seeks to raise public awareness of vision disorders through public education on their effects and treatments.
Our Goals
To conduct vision screenings that assess every child's visual abilities.
To provide families and school staff with information that will facilitate appropriate vision referrals when indicated to obtain a comprehensive eye exam by an eye care professional.
To educate communities about vision problems that affect learning.
To organize and train community volunteers to conduct screenings.
Vision Screening
The typical school vision screening uses the Snellen Acuity Chart. This tool provides some basic information about students' eyesight, primarily sharpness of vision at a distance as measured by the 20/20 line on the eye chart. Yet children's vision involves much more, and standard screening cannot adequately assess the full range of eye activity necessary to effective learning.
The Children's Vision Foundation takes vision screening far beyond the standard Snellen eye chart test by offering extensive vision screening in both the public and private school sectors to identify vision problems that affect a child's ability to learn. CVF utilizes a seven-point screening regimen that assesses integral elements connecting vision and learning, including:
- Eye teaming
- Focusing ability
- Eye movement control
- Depth perception
- Visual perception
- Visual information processing
- Ability to sustain visual performance to meet the visual demands of the classroom
The Snellen chart was developed 150 years ago to test battlefield vision; alone, it can NOT provide the answers our children need. The CVF screening tool is effective in identifying at-risk children whose vision problems may be interfering with their ability to learn and adversely affecting school performance.
