by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman

Many families don’t understand the importance of eye care for young children and the inability of kids to recognize their own vision problems. Poor vision affects tens of thousands of kids, handicapping them from doing well academically.

A group of students at the University of Pennsylvania has joined FocusFirst, a cost effective direct response to vision care for children in poor urban areas, which started in Alabama four years ago and has screened 28,000 youngsters.

Students screen kids, age 6 months to 5 years, in Head Start and low-income childcare centers who receive appropriate examination, then diagnosis and treatment.

Participants are trained to use a state-of-the art portable digital “photo-refraction” imaging system, as fast as having a picture taken, requiring neither responses nor dilation eye drops.

FocusFirst, a project of the Penn’s Hillel with the help of Unite for Sight, is recruiting volunteers with a goal of screening 500 kids next fall. It joins the Eagles Eye Mobile in ensuring children a better future.

To learn more, contact deenajg@sas.upenn.edu.