Before they enter kindergarten, state law requires young children to get dental and hearing exams – but not a vision exam. “Which is crazy,” says optometrist Miki Zilnicki, “because young kids need to see to be able to learn.”
That’s why Zilnicki and fellow optometrist Jessica Fulmer are offering free vision screenings for kindergarten-age children (ages four to six) at their optometry practice this weekend.
“Every child should have the same opportunity to learn, and 80 percent of learning is visual,” she said. “We want to make sure the kids in our community are starting off the school year on the right foot.”
Zilnicki and Fulmer opened Twin Forks Optometry in 2015. They are passionate about children’s healthcare, offering free eye assessments for infants between six and 12 months old alongside innovative treatments like vision therapy, which has proven effective in some children with learning and reading disabilities.
This Sunday’s clinic will be the first time they’ve offered screenings at no cost. A lifelong Riverhead resident, Zilnicki says it’s one of many ways she would like to help support the community she grew up in.
“August is Vision and Learning Month, so Doctor Fulmer and I were discussing ways we could give back to the community,” Zilnicki said. “If we can catch even one kid that needs glasses, we will have been successful.”
The screening will evaluate each child’s visual acuity for both far and near distances, color vision, 3D vision and eye coordination.
Though pediatricians may ask children to read from an eye chart during a routine exam, Zilnicki said pediatricians aren’t usually trained to give these kinds of in-depth vision examinations.
“Kids might be able to squeeze out the letters on an eye chart with some squinting, but they might not be able to see clearly, and a pediatrician might not catch that,” Zilnicki said. “We’re going to cover all areas of vision to really make sure these kids are school-ready.”
The clinic will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, at Twin Forks Optometry, located at 25 Cranberry Street, Suite A in Riverhead.
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