In-Service Training for Primary Care Physicians & Pediatricians:

Many children get their first vision screening at age 5 or 6, when they're able to read standard alphabet-style eye charts. However, by this age, some vision problems may already have persisted long enough to cause permanent damage. By reaching out to family practice and pediatricians' offices, the VIP Council hopes to increase the number of vision screenings performed on pre-school-aged children, thereby detecting vision problems before they advance enough to cause serious or life-long impairment.

• VIP educators visit dozens of local doctors' offices, providing training and sharing methods and materials related to screening pre-literate children
  
• With specially designed eye charts and examination techniques, regular primary care physicians and pediatricians can easily incorporate accurate screening for children as young as 3
  
• Eye care professionals are often able to treat or correct early-childhood vision problems, possibly preventing the need for glasses or other treatments later in life
  
• Doctors' offices that participate in the In-Service Training Program experience a tremendous increase in vision screenings for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds because they realize the ease of including screenings during check-ups
  

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