Am Orthopt J    42:155-158 (1992)

Screening Preschool Handicapped Children

Mary Wackerhagen, C.O., James D. Reynolds, M.D.

We prospectively followed a cohort of 100 handicapped children from a preschool learning center after conducting vision screening. The majority of these children were speech/language impaired, The school personnel divided the children into two priority groups. Group I was assessed as high risk for eye problems and Group 11 was composed of lower risk assessments. Analyzing these two groups separately, the screening results were as follows: 36% (16/44) were referred from Group 1, and 14% (8/56) were referred from Group II. Twenty percent of Group I were referred for decreased vision and refractive errors including three with strabismus; 11% were referred for strabismus. Group II had 14% (8/56) referred for possible significant refractive errors and four percent (2/56) referred for strabismus plus one already known. A total of 25% (25/100) were referred based on the screening. By school year's end 14 of these 26 had completed follow-up examinations with reports. Six children required glasses, including two with anisometropic amblyopia. Three had strabismus requiring ongoing care. Other problems included ptosis and blepharitis. Eleven of 66 preschoolers with speech/language problems (17%) revealed eye problems. Because much of learning during early development is achieved through vision, speech impaired children should also be checked early in life for eye deficits.

© 1992 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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