OSH is improving its vision and hearing programs to ensure that all children are screened, and that children with serious vision or hearing problems receive the evaluation and treatment they need. National data indicate that about 25% of students need glasses by the time they reach high school. Furthermore, about 3% of children suffer from amblyopia, a condition that may result in blindness in one eye if not detected and treated before age seven.
Vision Screening
New York City Department of Education school staff are responsible for vision screenings of all students not screened by DOHMH as well as for entering the results on the appropriate Automate the Schools (ATS) screen. Chancellor’s Regulations require that vision screenings be performed for the following students:
Priorities
Results of Vision Screening Letter Arabic Bengali Chinese Haitian Creole Korean Russian Spanish Urdu
Results of Vision Screening Follow-Up Letter Arabic Bengali Chinese Haitian Creole Korean Russian Spanish Urdu
Hearing Screening
The Office of School Health has discontinued hearing screening in elementary schools. This decision follows the recommendation of The United States Preventive Services Task Force, the group charged by the federal government with making recommendations on screening and preventive health services.
The reasons behind this recommendation are as follows:
1) There are no high quality research trials which demonstrate that hearing screening in this age group leads to better functional or educational outcomes
2) The vast majority of children who fail a hearing screen have hearing loss due to fluid in the middle ear or wax in the external ear canal. These are temporary conditions.
In addition, because of the State requirement for universal neonatal hearing screening, (since 2000) most severe hearing deficiencies are detected in infancy. This is important because the impact of hearing loss is greatest in the 0-3 age group when children are acquiring basic language skills.
Schools must be aware of their ongoing responsibility to ensure that all students not screened by DOHMH staff continue to be screened by Department of Education school staff. Early identification, referral and follow-up intervention for students who have failed these screenings are imperative. Personnel and or support staff assigned to do the screenings must receive special training. Training is available by contacting your Health Director or Julia Sykes from the Office of Related and Contractual Services at (212) 374-2144.