Screening 3-Year-Olds for Visual Problems

The article by Hammond and Schmidt 1 in this issue of theArchivesdocuments the feasibility of using a simple and inexpensive modality to test for visual problems in children 3 years and older. Moreover, the test can be administered rapidly and inexpensively by laypersons with a minimum of training. In fact, this test of the Random Dot E compared See also p 54. favorably with a battery of tests performed by more highly trained examiners. Since we have a test that is easy to administer, inexpensive, and reliable, we must ask ourselves: Why aren't we testing all of the children in the United States when they are 3 years of age? Not only are we not doing that, we are not even testing about 80% of our children for visual problems before they start school, according to an extensive survey of the status of visual screening in the United