The Texas Department
of State Health Services (DSHS) Spinal Screening Program was established by the
Texas Legislature to detect abnormal spinal curvature in students. The program
is required to adopt rules as mandated by
the statute.
School-based spinal
screening helps to identify adolescents with abnormal spinal curves and refer
them for appropriate follow-up by their primary care physician. Screening can
detect scoliosis at an early stage, when the curve is mild and may go
unnoticed. Early detection is key to controlling spinal deformities.
Announcements
Regarding
Screening Rules During 2021-2022 School Year
Health and Safety
Code, Chapter 36 and 25 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 37 require Public,
Private, Parochial, and Denominational Schools (Schools) and Department of
Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Licensed Child Care Centers and Licensed
Child Care Homes (Child Cares) to screen children for vision, hearing and
spinal problems.
The Health Screening
Group understands the challenges that schools and school districts are facing
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although screening is still required for
this school year, DSHS understands the need for flexibility and advises schools
and school districts to assess their capacity to safely conduct screenings.
Schools and child cares with the capacity to screen should notify parents and
follow best practices previous developed by the
department. Parents who choose not to participate at this time may
decline screenings.
DSHS recommends
schools notify the parents of children who have missed or will miss a
screening. This notification should inform parents of the missed screening and
encourage them to ask for screenings at their child’s next well-child
appointment with their medical provider. If a parent suspects their child has a
vision, hearing, or spinal problem they should notify the school nurse or
school administration for assistance in obtaining a screening. The Health
Screening Group has developed sample letters for parents for vision and hearing screening and spinal screening that schools may use. The letters are also available in Spanish: vision and hearing screening - Spanish, spinal screening - Spanish.
In Person/Online Instructions
Schools should follow
these guidelines for students to obtain vision, hearing and spinal screenings that are receiving in
person or online instructions.
- Send a letter to parents notifying them in advance that
screenings will be conducted on designated dates
- Request parent to please bring student receiving online
instructions to the school so screenings may be performed in accordance with
the statutes
- In lieu of the screening(s) provided by the school:
a.
parents or guardians may provide screening record signed by a
licensed professional
b.
parents or guardians may provide signed statement that the
vision, hearing or spinal screening conflicts with the tenets and practices of
a church or religious denomination of which the affiant is an adherent or
member
Vision,
Hearing and Spinal Screening Updates
Schools who are
screening students, please refer to this best practices document for guidance on safely screening children this school
year.
Vision, Hearing and Spinal Screening Reporting Period Begins
January 15
The reporting period
for vision, hearing and spinal screening (VHSS) begins on January 15, 2022.
Results are required to be submitted to the Department of State Health Services
online at the Child Health Reporting System (CHRS) by June 30 of each
year. View the vision, hearing and spinal
screening annual reports flyer.
The
last day to submit your report for this school year is June 30, 2022. After June 30, the reporting system
shuts down and late reporting cannot be submitted.
Updated Spinal Screening Policy Effective 2018-2019 School Year
Due to feedback from
stakeholders, the Spinal Screening Policy has been reviewed and updated
regarding ages and grades to be screened for the 2018-2019 school year. In
September 2015, the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) published a joint position statement paper with the American Academy of Orthopedic
Surgeons (AAOS), the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA), and
the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and have the following
recommendation: “AAOS, SRS, POSNA, and AAP believe that screening
examinations for spine deformity should be part of the medical home
preventative services visit for females at age 10 and 12 years, and males once
at age 13 or 14 years.”
Grade-based screening
is considered an acceptable alternative to age-based screening in a school
setting. The grades, however, must align with the professionally recommended
ages so that most children are screened at the appropriate age, or as close to it
as reasonably possible.
In compliance with
Health and Safety Code, Chapter 37, all children shall undergo screening for
abnormal spinal curvature in accordance with the following schedule:
- Girls will be screened two times, once at age 10 (or
fall semester of grade 5) and again at age 12 (or fall
semester of grade 7).
- Boys will be screened one time at age 13 or 14 (or fall
semester of grade 8).
It is incumbent on
schools to identify outliers (i.e., children promoted to higher grades or held
back) and ensure their screenings align with appropriate ages rather than
grades.
Updated Program Guidelines and Spinal Screening Report (M-51)
The Spinal Screening Program
Guidelines is the teaching
manual for DSHS-approved spinal screening certification workshops. It has been
updated to reflect the changes effective the 2018-2019 school year.
School districts,
private school systems, and charter schools use Form M-51 to report cumulative
totals of the spinal screenings conducted at each campus.
Contact Us
Texas Department
of State Health Services
Spinal Screening Program - Mail Code 1818
PO Box 149347 | Austin, Texas 78714-9347
1100 West 49th Street | Austin, Texas 78756-3199
Phone: 512-776-7420 | Toll Free 1-800-252-8023, extension 7420
Fax: 512-776-7256
Email: vhssprogram@dshs.texas.gov