On Jan. 23, residents of the Dayton area have the opportunity to receive free vision screening using the latest in vision-testing technology. Primarily intended for students, this screening will identify children who may be at risk of poor academic performance due to improper vision development.
Testing will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dayton Senior Center on Dayton Valley Road next to the library.
According to program coordinator Jack Epperson, as many as 30 percent of all students have undiagnosed vision deficiencies that lead to poor performance in school. These students are often labeled as slow learners or suffering from ADD. In reality, many students will excel in school given diagnosis and proper vision therapy.
Epperson said that school testing is normally limited to an eye chart examination that simply measures a subject's ability to see. Such tests are unable to assess the individual's ability to track and comprehend reading material.
The screening program involves nine tests to evaluate vision development. The tests measure performance in areas such as visual acuity, focus ability, visual motor integration, eye movement and refractive status. Optometrist Dr. Richard Meier will perform external eye health examinations and make recommendations based on screening results.
Testing will include use of the Visagraph III eye tracking computer acquired by Dayton Valley Lions Club. This system uses specialized goggles that track a student's reading processes, known as oculomotor behavior. It measures the individual's reading speed in comparison to others of the same age and education level and tracks actual eye movement over prepared text. One of only three such systems in Nevada, the Visagraph helps isolate causes of reading and comprehension difficulties.
This community vision screening day is sponsored by Dayton Valley Lions Club, Parents Active for Vision Education (PAVE), St. Ann's of the Comstock Knights of Columbus and Dr. Meier.
Appointments are not needed. For more information, call Epperson at 246-3315.