Joy and Cesar Vega of San Pablo, noticed their children were having trouble reading and concentrating—and were falling behind in school. Then they got a letter from their children’s teacher, recommending eye exams—and with it a flyer from an organization called JVQ California, which provides free exams and glasses.

After their children got glasses, Joy Vega said in a letter to JVQ California: “My children have finally overcome their greatest disadvantage. Now, they have the tools they need to fully participate in class. My son said, ‘Mom, why do I see things clear and closer now?’ I told him it was the answer to our prayers.”

Studies show that children in low-income families are less likely to get glasses and eye exams when they need them. And children with trouble seeing often have difficulty in school, with sports, and sometimes with self-esteem (see Good vision: good for kids). Though children’s eye exams and glasses can be costly, these are covered by free and low cost state health insurance—and nonprofits around California help low-income families who don’t qualify (see resources).

Steps to better sight

The American Optometric Association recommends all children receive eye exams at six to eight months, at two and one-half to three years, and every two years after. Experts recommend that parents:

1) Get a vision screening for their children at the school, clinic, or pediatrician’s office.

2) If it turns up problems, contact a nonprofit vision program (see resources) for information about free and low-cost eye exams and glasses.

3) Take their child to an eye doctor—if the eye exam turns up problems, get a prescription for glasses.

4) Take the prescription to an optician who participates in Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and/or nonprofit vision programs.

Vision screening

Schools periodically test childrens’ vision at different ages in different districts. But kids who are absent that day or whose family has moved may miss out. If the screening turns up problems, schools let parents know the child should get a full eye exam—and often include information on nonprofits that will help pay (see resources).

But “we need more school nurses to follow up better and (make sure) every child that needs glasses gets them,” says Dee Apodaca, L.A. school nursing administrator.

Parents can also have a child’s vision screened at a clinic or their pediatrician’s office. Child care providers, case workers, and other agencies can refer children to eye doctors.

Getting glasses

Even after parents learn that their child may have trouble seeing, vision problems may go uncorrected, for several reasons:

• “Invisible” problem: “Parents seek medical care faster when they can see the problem,” such as an injury, says Maria Castro, pupil services and attendance counselor for L.A. Unified. But children with vision problems are “hurting in many invisible ways: socially, academically, and physically” (see Good vision: good for kids).

• High cost: Low-income families may avoid getting needed vision care because it is expensive. But if children have Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, they can get free or low-cost eye exams and glasses. If families don’t qualify and don’t have private insurance, nonprofits may be able to help (see resources).

“Our program targets the working poor who (can’t) afford insurance,” says Jason Vitaich, administrator for the California Vision Foundation. “We deliberately seek the kids caught between the cracks,” agrees Scott Bell, president of JVQ California. “If we can find a kid who needs glasses, we’ll get ’em.”

• Lack of eye doctors: Particularly in rural areas, there are “lots of (vision) patients but not many doctors,” says Vitaich. JVQ plans to start a mobile van to visit rural children: “A kid will walk into the van with a problem seeing, and walk out with a pair of glasses on their face,” says Bell.

• Immigrant status: Undocumented families may be afraid to approach organizations that could require filling out forms asking for social security numbers. Also, families with some undocumented family members may not realize that kids born here may qualify for free or low-cost glasses under Medi-Cal or Healthy Families—or that some nonprofits will help cover the costs for children who don’t qualify (see resources).

Good vision: good for kids

• About 80% of students’ learning depends on good vision, says the American Public Health Association—but 10% of preschoolers and 25% of elementary students have vision problems that interfere with learning.

• The longer a vision problem goes uncorrected, the more likely a child is to fall behind in school, feel discouraged and frustrated, and misbehave, say experts.

• A Florida study found that when children got the glasses they needed, 62% did better in school, 69% misbehaved less, and 77% felt better about school (JVQ Florida, 1999).

Signs for concern

Children with vision problems often have some of the following symptoms—though some of these symptoms may be a sign of learning disabilities (see Hands On: “Something I need to figure out how to work with”) or other problems:

• having frequent headaches, dizziness, tired eyes, blurred or double vision
• often squinting or rubbing their eyes, or closing one eye for close-up activities
• having eyes that don’t move together, are red or watering
• holding their heads too close to books or their desk
• having trouble copying from the chalkboard or overhead projector
• often losing their place when reading
• showing fatigue, fidgeting, and frustration in the classroom
• having trouble with eye-hand coordination, such as playing catch or buttoning clothes
• having difficulty walking down stairs, over curbs, and around holes
• having trouble seeing details (when watching TV or movies) or spotting distant objects (such as birds and leaves).

Resources

Help with eye exams and glasses

Medi-Cal and Healthy Families provide free or low-cost eye exams and glasses for children under 18 (restricted Medi-Cal does not).

Programs that help pay for vision care:

• JVQ California, 415-561-7793, www.jeppesen.org
• California Vision Foundation, 800-877-5738, www.californiavision.org
• Lion’s Clubs, 630-571-5446 ext. 383, www.lionsclubs.org
• University of California School of Optometry Eye Center in Berkeley, 510-642-2020, www.caleyecare.org
• Pediatric Center, 714-992-7870
• InfantSee, sponsored by the American Optometric Association, www.aoanet.org
• Vision Services Plan, www.vsp.org
• LensCrafters Gift of Sight Program, www.lenscrafters.com