Children's Vision Screening: A Primary Health Care Controversy

Abstract

Registered nurses around Australia are presently involved in screening processes which assess children's vision. The issue of how best to do this screening has a complex and lengthy multi-disciplinary history, with different views expressed in the literature by optometrists, ophthalmologists, psychologists and teachers. Research in Australia has demonstrated that as many as 4 out of 10 children may not automatically develop the efficient binocular visual skills necessary for ease of learning. These visual skills have become the specific professional interest of Behavioural (Developmental) optometrists and current child screening techniques are possibly out-dated given today's optometrical knowledge. This controversial issue is explained and future research directions for registered nurses and other primary health care practitioners are suggested.