Sight & Hearing

statesboroserviceleaguepres@gmail.com

This project provides vision and hearing screening to all 3rd and 5th graders in Bulloch County Schools. The Sight and Hearing Committee completed the vision and hearing screenings of all 3rd and 5th grade students in Bulloch County last Fall. All public and private schools were provided the service, which has proven once again to be a tremendous benefit to our county.

Objectives

1

Committee members aend training at the Bulloch County Health Department where they are briefed on procedures and limitations of testing, as well as usage of eye charts and audiometer.

2

Chairman contacts school administrators and nurses to schedule testing times and obtain population of the 3rd and 5th grade.

3

Chairman schedules 4 Commiee members per day for the larger schools and 2 Commiee members per day for the smaller schools.The number of days spent at each school is determined by population.

4

All of the public schools will have screening forms and should have them filled out with the students names on testing days. Be sure to check with private schools ahead of time to see if we need to provide the screening forms to them.

5

Conduct screenings in a 3 hour period starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 11:30 a.m.

6

Screening forms are completed and returning to school nurses. Follow ups and retests are then performed by nurses upon recommendation of the Commiee members.

Accomplishments

SSL members were warmly welcomed into all schools by Administrators and school Nurses. We were told many times how much they appreciated the work that we do! It was obvious that the school nurses could not complete this job without us.

Many children were identified who needed further testing. Most of these children would have otherwise gone undetected. Early detection not only helps with obvious physical concerns; but, also helps children to reach their full potential in school. Lifelong deficits in hearing and vision are proven to not only retard speech and language acquisitions; but, also contribute to poor performance in academics, personal and social maladjustments, and emotional deficiencies. With the help of the SSL, we can help reach out to the children who might otherwise slips through the cracks.