Early vision screenings are imperative, and the Lehighton Area Lioness Lions Club, through its KidSight program, is working to ensure everyone gets that opportunity.

Dave Leon, coordinator of the Lions District 14-U Kid Sight program, and other volunteers have spent the past few days at the Lehighton Area Elementary Center using its hand-held Welch Allyn Spot auto-refraction device, which is held about 3 feet from a child and can measure required data.

The camera can pick up on signs of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, among other concerns.

“Early detection is one of the most important things when you are dealing with issues with a child’s eyesight,” Lioness member Sue Anthony said. “I’m so honored Lehighton gave us permission to come in and screen the students.”

Screenings are free, and Leon said the local Lions district, which covers Carbon, Schuylkill, Monroe and Pike counties, is in its second year of using the equipment after the cameras were provided at a low cost.

“We put in place the infrastructure to screen all the kids in our district between 6 months old and 6 years old,” Leon told Lehighton’s school board earlier this year. “We focused on that age group because those are the kids that are often forgotten. When kids get into school, the nurse does a screening, but there is nothing in the parents manual that tells them to take a 1-year-old to an eye doctor.”

All students who had parent permission were screened. Anthony estimated between 850 and 900 students received the service.

“It looks at how the eyes work together, and we can pick up on even subtle versions of eye misalignment,” Leon said. “It can also help detect when one eye is stronger than the other. All of these things can lead to lazy eye.”

After the screening, the student gets an instant printout with results to take to their eye doctor, if further steps need to be taken.

Leon said the Lions can also help families with eye doctor recommendations and with expenses that may be incurred from eye exams or glasses.

Anyone, Anthony said, can contact the Lions and request to be scanned. It has also used the device at area day cares, the Lions Club Breakfast With Santa, the Franklin Township Block Party and other events.

“The more screenings we can do, the better,” Anthony said.