The Need for Better School Vision Screening: The Use of VERA Vision Screening in a Community Setting

Most school vision screenings test only distance visual acuity. The Modified Clinical Technique and the New York State Optometric Association (NYSOA) screening battery have been designed to provide more detailed screening, but each has drawbacks that have prevented widespread use. There is a need for a better functional school vision screening protocol that detects a wider range of learning related vision problems, does not require professional supervision, and can be easily administered by school personnel. The VERA (Visual Efficiency RAting) software program is designed to do both routine vision screening and screen for accommodative, vergence, and saccadic problems. Two studies are reviewed which show VERA to be effective in detecting visual skill problems. In a community setting, VERA has been used successfully for 4 years, and has resulted in numerous appropriate referrals of children to optometric offices for treatment. Over the course of one year, 12 children received vision therapy after being referred by one of the schools. The principal reported that all of the children demonstrated improved reading skills, and that fewer special educational services were needed. After 4 years of use in 2 school districts, acceptance of the VERA protocol among school nurses, teachers and administrators remains high. The potential for VERA to provide qualified referrals to optometric offices that provide OVT services is significant.