Vision
Department of State Health Services Vision Screening Program
The Department of State Health Services assists in vision screening programs for preschool - school-age children. Workshops are held around the state to train interested individuals to perform basic vision screening.
There is no charge for training. Please get in touch with your regional coordinator for more information.
Who are the Training Screeners and the Specialists?
- Trained Screeners - In Texas, individuals who screen children for vision problems must be certified through DSHS unless their professional licenses permit such screening.
- Specialists - People who are educated or trained to perform many specialized services for the visually impaired:
- Physician - a medical doctor licensed to practice medicine in the United States
- Ophthalmologist - a medical doctor trained in diagnosing and treating defects and diseases of the eye.
- Optometrist - a professional trained in vision disorders, evaluation for visual aids, and visual habilitation.
- Optician - a professional who grinds lenses and fits them into frames to the wearer's needs.
- Orthoptist - a professional who plans exercise programs for the development or restoration of normal teamwork of the eyes (binocular vision)
- Visually Impaired Educator - an educator trained in techniques designed to increase a visually impaired individual's social adaptation skills, including learning and mobility skills.
Experts agree that at least 80% of what a sighted person learns is through vision. Schools, television, and movies use this knowledge effectively to present ideas to their audiences.
Vision is commonly described as an acuity measure, or the best a person can see. 20/20 is considered normal vision; while 20/50 prohibits driving in Texas without special aids, 20/70 is called a visual impairment, and when a person sees 20/200 or worse in their better eye with the best possible correction on that eye, that person is considered to be "legally blind." A person can see with uncorrectable 20/200 vision, but often too little is recognized as helpful.
Relative sizes of objects seen with specific acuities are illustrated by these "E's":
Vision Development Milestones
| Child's Age | Expected Behavior | Expected Completion* |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to | Pupils react identically to light changes Blinks at sudden light or objects moving toward the face Looks at people (faces) and objects momentarily or longer | Birth |
| 1 to 2 months | Stares at people or objects Responds to people's faces Eyes follow a moving person or near object Seeks lighted areas | 2 mos. |
| 2 to 3 months | Inspects own hands Eyes follow an object 180 degrees Demands light for vision | 3 mos. |
| 3 to 4 months | Eyes move in the active inspection of the body, people, toys, surroundings Looks at objects placed in hand (beginning eye-hand coordination) Inspects own hands | 4 mos. |
| 4 to 5 months | Smiles in response to familiar adult Reaches for objects at least 1 foot away Notices small food objects at least 1 foot away | 5 mos. |
| 5 to 6 months | Eyes move together all the time Brings objects to mouth, looks at them, then looks into space Smiles at or pats mirror image | 6 mos. |
| 6 to 8 months | Picks up or touches small objects with "raking" motion Searches for hidden objects Shows color preference for reds and yellows Looks for dropped toys | 8 mos. |
| 8 to 10 months | Notices details of an object such as facial features on a doll, holes in a pegboard, geometric shapes Reaches for string | 10 mos. |
| 10 to 12 months | Understands and accomplishes vision related motor tasks such as stacking blocks, puffing pegs into round holes, crawling, standing, walking | 12 mos. |
| 1 to 2 years | Identifies geometric forms by placing blocks in appropriately shaped holes Shows interest in pictures Scribbles on paper | 2 yrs. |
| 2 to 3 years | Finds object that move out of sight without following its path Recalls visual images Puts together six-piece puzzles or matches objects out of six pairs of items | 3 yrs. |
| 3 to 4 years | Copies geometric figures Reading readiness present - responds to vision/speech-sound coordination activities like the television programs "Sesame Street" and "Electric Company" | 4 yrs. |
| 4 to 5 years | Recognizes names or colors | 5 yrs. |
| 5 to 6 years | Tells the difference in color shades Depth perception fully developed Vision approaches adult's | 6 yrs. |
| If a child cannot perform at least two age-level tasks by the expected completion age, that child should be taken to an eye specialist for an examination. | ||
Infant Warning Signs of Visual Problems
- Visually unresponsive
- Holds things very close to see them
- Bumps into large objects
- Cannot pick up small objects with accuracy
- Favors one eye when looking at objects
- One or both eyes turn in or out for noticeable periods
- Squints or closes one eye frequently