Tennessee LionsKidSight

A Comprehensive Eye Photoscreening Program for Children

Kid Sight

• It is a screening program to identify children between the ages of 12 months and 60 months who have or will develop eyesight problems.

Kid Sight

• It is funded by The Lions Club Charities of Tennessee

• It is carried out by local Lions Clubs for the children of their community.

• It is free to the children and their parents.

• It requires only your club’s time.

Tennessee Facts

• In 2010, there were 79,345 new births in Tennessee

• In 2010, Lions Clubs in Tennessee screened 38,205 children.

• 1842 screenings were referred to a doctor• 75% of these had serious problems• Since June of 1997, Lions in Tennessee

have screened 381,910 children• 19,489 were referred to a doctor• That is a 5% referral rate

District 12 L West TN

• In 2010 there were 21,121 new births in our District 12 L

• We screened 548 Children for Kid Sight• Tennessee Lions Charities have furnished

4 Sure Sight Digital Cameras and 4 MTI (film) cameras to our District.

• Several Clubs have purchased their own Cameras.

• The Vision Van purchased its own digital camera.

Workers?

• We have plenty of cameras for Kid Sight in District 12 L

• We need volunteers in our clubs to set up and carry out screenings at local day cares, churches preschools and mother’s day out programs.

How Does IT Work?

By simply taking a picture of each child’s eyes with the special Kid Sight Instrument, a doctor at The Lions’ Eye Center at Vanderbilt University’s Pediatric unit can diagnose present and future eye problems the child may have.With this information, we can hopefully fix or prevent eye problems in all of our children.

What we have found

• 5% of children screened in Tennessee have been referred

• 84% of those referred were positive for Amblyopia

• Children in the target age group need to be screened every year.

What Are The Problems Kids Sight Screenings Will Find?

Conditions Detected By The Screening

• Amblyopia• Strabismus• Media Opacity• Cataracts• Retina Detachment• Astigmatism• Hyperopia• Myopia

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye).

• Amblyopia or Lazy Eye is the main problem we are searching for.

• Most people are unaware that Amblyopia can cause a person to go blind later in life.

• It is correctable if it is caught early enough and treatment is given

Other Problems Diagnosed• Following are just a few

Strabismus:

Eyes are not properly aligned.Patching and Glasses

Anisometropia

• Eyes have unequal refractive power• Now in Glasses

High FarsightednessHyperopia• Now in Glasses

Astigmatism:Optical Defect Causing Blurred Vision

• Now in Glasses

Strabismus

• Serious enough this child had to have surgery

High Farsightedness, one eye• Correct Glasses Provided

Cataracts

• 1% of all children are born with Cataracts!

• This child had surgery

How Can My ClubParticipate?• First you need to be a member of a local

Lions Club. • Contact Lion Tom Palmer of the Camden

Lions Club, our District Kid Sight Chair• Set up a Training Session for your club. • You will need at least 3-4 members on

each screening team that goes out to the centers and actually administers the program.

What is Training?

• You will learn how to operate the special camera

• You will learn how to fill out paperwork and handle confidential documents.

After The ScreeningThe picture or digital results are sealed in an envelope and sent to Vanderbilt Eye Center.An Ophthalmologist in the pediatric unit. evaluates the picture.If the Dr. finds a problem with the evaluation, the Dr. will notify the parents and suggest they see their local eye doctor. They supply a list of participating eye doctors in our area.Because of confidentiality rules you will not know who was diagnosed with problems but you will receive a report stating how many were identified.

How Lions Then Help

• When the Doctor contacts the parent about any problems found, and recommends seeing an eye doctor, they include the following info:

• “If you cannot afford to see the doctor, please contact your local Lions Club for assistance.

Where Do We Locate Pre-Schools• Tennessee Lions Charities can

provide the list of all the state listings for daycare and preschools in your community and how many children are enrolled in each.

• We have to contact the day care center for permission first.

• Then we have to give the special permission forms to be given to the parents to sign and return.

Overlooked Pre School Opportunities• When we think of official day care

centers, we think of centers run by the local school district or private for profit centers. These are listed through the Tennessee State Dept.

• But local churches, Mother’s Day Out programs are prime places to start.

• Does your church have this program?• If so they need to be screened too!

What we need

• Members to contact a screening site. Secure permission and deliver permission forms to be signed by parents.

• Volunteers to conduct the screenings on the mornings arranged by the day care center.

• Morning Work (8:00 until 11:00)usually, depends on number of children needing screening.

What We Need (2)

• One or two persons to escort child to camera area, keeping them happy and smiling and take them back to class after the picture is taken.

• One person to take the picture.• One or two persons to secure and

seal for mailing the picture and permission slip that is sent to the eye center.

Where To Start

• Secure a list of places in your community that serves children 12 months old to 60 months old.

• You are not limited to just your own community. Since your members will come from many communities, the opportunity for this program is truly endless.

Remember

WE SERVE