Screening today for a healthy tomorrow….
Child health screenings are key to proper physical and social development, success in school and overall well-being.
Hearing and vision screenings are the two most common evaluations and often two of the most important because deficits may go unnoticed by parents, teachers and even the child. Although the child may receive screenings for both hearing and vision before they start school, deficits may have been missed or develop later as the child’s body grows and changes. Many children with hearing and vision difficulties don’t recognize the way they are seeing and hearing is any different from their peers, which makes screenings imperative for early detection and treatment.
An integral part of preventive pediatric health care, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children age five and older have their vision checked once a year, and the American Academy of Audiology recommends children age 3 through third grade have a hearing screen annually and then every three years from fourth grade up. Unfortunately, not all states – including Oklahoma – mandate school health screenings, which means children who do not attend Oklahoma public schools may not have access to the screenings they need.
Although screenings do not replace comprehensive examinations by a certified healthcare provider, they are a vital preventive diagnostic tool that can detect possible issues early on. Screenings identify children who need a referral to a healthcare provider for further evaluation.
Other benefits of preventive school health screenings include:
- Quick and accurate at minimal expense
- High rate of problem detection
- Minimizes unnecessary referrals
- Convenience and frequency