Maryland Society for Sight

THE ROSALIE S. SAUBER PRESCHOOL

VISION SCREENING PROGRAM

In 1961, the Maryland Society for Sight launched its Preschool Vision Screening Program with the help of volunteers throughout the state, pioneering techniques for screening three and four year old children when no one else thought it could be done. Now four decades later, the Society continues to be the premier provider of vision screening to preschools, daycare centers and Head Start programs throughout central Maryland.

The Rosalie S. Sauber Preschool Vision Screening Program is named in honor of the visionary woman who helped develop the program and dedicated 53 years to helping save the sight of the children of Maryland. The Rosalie S. Sauber Preschool Vision Screening Program remains the primary source by which many parents of preschoolers learn of their child’s eye problem.

Few people realize that children under age five are at risk for a potentially blinding eye condition known as amblyopia. In fact, one in every 20 children is at risk for this condition. Because it is not readily apparent, teachers and parents are often unaware that the child is having trouble seeing.

Untreated, amblyopia will cause a child to have significant, permanent vision loss in one eye. If detected and treated by age three, there is a 95% chance of reversing the vision loss. After age seven, there is only a 5% chance of overcoming the damage. Some people mistakenly think that a child’s eye must be misaligned in order for amblyopia to occur. To the contrary, perfectly aligned eyes are often affected.

Last year, our screening professionals and volunteers visited 144 preschool sites and screened over 6,300 children throughout central Maryland. About 7% of the children screened were found to need further diagnosis by an eye care professional. Statistically, about two-thirds of the children with a positive screen will be found to have an eye problem. Although refractive errors are the most common diagnosis, about 4% of those referred have amblyopia.

The Maryland Society for Sight follows the screening guidelines adopted by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology. Children whose results are questionable are retested before referral to an eye care professional. These procedures increase the reliability of the screening results in a population of children whose responses can be unpredictable. The Society’s screening procedures are reviewed annually by an Advisory Committee for Pediatric Programs. This committee consists of medical professionals representing the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and private practitioners whose specialties include ophthalmology, optometry, orthoptics, epidemiology and pediatrics.

The Rosalie S. Sauber Preschool Vision Screening Program also provides educational resources to parents and professionals. Literature is available on a variety of topics related to pediatric eye care. The Society also conducts training workshops for professionals to update screening skills and maintain screening standards.

For more information about the Rosalie S. Sauber Preschool Vision Screening Program, please call us at 410-243-2020 or 1-800-MSS-EYES, or email us at info@mdsocietyforsight.org.

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