A Shared Vision | Vision Screening Quickstart Guide

Parent Questionnaire© | Objective Vision Testing | Scoring Guidance© | Results & Next Steps©

This Quickstart Guide provides a step-by-step overview for conducting a vision screening using the 2025 Vision Screening Protocol©. Use it as a companion to the required 2025 Vision Screening Protocol© Training.

Estimated professional screening time: 10–15 minutes (not including caregiver completion of the Parent Questionnaire©).

Use of the 2025 Vision Screening Protocol© and its components is limited to professionals who have successfully completed the 2025 A Shared Vision training. Organizations wishing to copy, customize, or incorporate these materials into another form, platform, or workflow must obtain written permission from A Shared Vision.

⚠ Immediate Medical Referral

Children with a recent eye injury or pupils that remain dilated and do not respond to light should receive immediate medical evaluation. These situations fall outside the Vision Screening Protocol© and should not be managed through the routine screening process.

Vision Screening Process

These steps support a comprehensive, consistent, and effective vision screening and the early identification of vision concerns. Thank you for your commitment to helping identify children with vision concerns.

1. Collect Information

Before meeting with a family, ask the caregiver to complete the Parent Questionnaire© in English or Spanish. The 2025 Vision Screening Protocol© supports both CognitoForms and downloadable PDF forms. Use the workflow that best fits the family, your preferences, and your organization's procedures. To email a PDF or email/text the CognitoForms link, use one of the email and/or text templates.

A completed Parent Questionnaire© before the visit gives you time to review their responses and focus the screening discussion on their observations and concerns.

If the Parent Questionnaire© was not completed before the meeting, work with the caregiver to complete it before proceeding with the vision screening.

2. Review Responses

Before the vision screening meeting, review the caregiver's responses to the Parent Questionnaire© using the Scoring Guidance©. This review will help you tailor the screening process to the child’s specific health needs and background.

Reminder: Use the Scoring Guidance© for every screening. Even experienced professionals should rely on the guidance rather than memory to promote the consistent application of the Vision Screening Protocol©.

3. Complete Screening

Complete the Objective Vision Testing while discussing the caregiver's responses, clarifying questions, and documenting any additional observations that may influence the screening outcome.

4. Determine Next Steps

After the screening, use the Scoring Guidance© to determine the screening results, referral urgency, and recommended next steps. Complete the Results & Next Steps© for Caregivers and share it with the family.

5. Discuss With Caregivers

Discuss the screening results with the caregiver(s), explain the recommended next steps, answer questions, and provide supporting resources, such as CDE's Visual Development Guidelines (English or Spanish) and contact information for pediatric eye doctors.

Quick Links

Remember

Vision screening is more than identifying vision concerns. It is a standardized, evidence-informed process that guides appropriate follow-up for children from birth to age three. The Vision Screening Protocol© helps professionals determine the appropriate screening outcome, referral urgency, and recommended next steps based on the child's screening results.

Vision Screening Protocol© Quickstart Guide