Guest Column by King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert on House Bill 1865 to Expand Vision Screenings

Last week, we shared information on House Bill 1865 which expands student vision exams. The bill passed the House and was heard in the Senate this week. King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert came down to testify in support of the bill in Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education.  Several years ago, Councilmember Lambert teamed up with Overlake Hospital's Dr. Mary Baker to urge passage of a similar bill. Although the Op Ed from the Redmond Reporter was drafted in 2008, it's still a good piece by a supporter of vision screenings and the work of the WSPTA.  Please click here to read it in full. 

Vision problems can be major roadblock to childrens' school success

By Kathy Lambert and Dr. Mary Baker

As thousands of children head back to school this month, it is a good time to make sure they are well prepared for academic success. In addition to equipping them with backpacks, notebooks and pencils, it is important to ensure that students are ready to learn. Good vision is fundamental to learning success.

Although most schools do screen students with the basic Snelling test for 20/20 vision at a distance, they rarely test for a host of other vision skills such as close vision and tracking. School screenings typically detect only 5 percent of all vision problems. However, in the average classroom, 20 to 30 percent of students may have a vision problem. This issue raises two fundamental questions: What do we know? What can we do?