In addition to correcting poor vision, eye examinations for young children may halt the development of learning problems associated with sight difficulties, according to area optometrists.

However, enforcement of the recently passed Illinois law requiring optometric screenings for students entering kindergarten may leave some low-income families in a bind, as most local optometrists do not accept patients who use state-funded programs such as All Kids in place of health insurance.

Under the new law, any student entering a public, private or parochial school for the first time must be examined by a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist by Oct. 15. Local eye doctors ask parents to schedule examinations now to avoid a late summer pileup.

"I think it's fantastic," Charleston optometrist Dr. Scott Clarke said of the legislation. "It's long overdue."

Almost 25 percent of school-age children have vision problems, reported Dr. Darcy L. Duzan of Lifetime Eyecare in Charleston. "This law is necessary to help detect problems and treat and prevent diseases that can cause vision loss," she said.

Clarke said poor muscle coordination in the eyes could hamper learning. "Most kids who are slow to learn, especially with reading issues, (suffer from) a vision issue," he said.

Dr. Steve Lane, optometrist at Illinois Express Eyecare in Mattoon, said childhood vision problems often aren't discovered until third or fourth grade, when the student has already endured several years of struggle.

"If you had known there was a problem going in, you might have been able to save the kid from lagging behind," Lane said.

He also said conditions such as a "lazy eye" can be corrected if caught at an early age.

Lane already has conducted more than 30 eye examinations for this year's kindergartners; of those, two so far merited corrective measures. "But I don't know if the teacher would have caught it," he said.

School nurses said they will continue to perform eye screenings as well for preschool, kindergarten, second grade, eighth grade and special education students. "It's important to discover any vision problems at an early age," said Vicky Wright, nurse for the Mattoon school district.

Dr. Rodney G. Fleming, a Mattoon optometrist, said school eye screenings root out a "vast majority" of vision problems. "But by them seeing a professional eye care provider, (we) will be totally certain no student falls through the cracks," he said.

He advised parents to research local optometrists and avoid those who would "race their child in and out in five minutes."

Clarke discouraged procrastination by parents and said he expects his office will be swamped with children needing eye examinations in late August, September and October.

But low-income families without health insurance may have difficulties even finding an optometry office that accepts public aid, so the sooner they start their search, the better, officials said. In Coles County, the office of Jas R. Goldstein in Mattoon and Lifetime Eyecare in Charleston take public aid programs such as All Kids.

"I think (the new law) is good, so long as it doesn't put any financial burden on families that are cash-strapped," Fleming said.

Most optometrists are reluctant to talk on the record about their reasons for not accepting public aid, although the state is notorious for delaying reimbursements to health-care facilities.

"It's not the (health care) providers; it's the state," Clarke said. "People need to go after the state."

Wright suggested that parents who rely on public aid contact their child's school nurse about options for paying for eye examinations or getting a waiver from the state.

Fleming said he and other optometrists who do not accept public aid still might work something out with families referred by school nurses. "I think the more conscientious and Christian offices should be willing to do that," he said.

Wright said now is the time to start this process, considering that new students also must have dental and physical examinations.

"They're basically having to see three doctors prior to their entry into kindergarten," Wright said. "It's a busy time."

Nathaniel West can be reached at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.