Announcing 2025 Enhancements to the Vision Screening Protocol©

We are truly excited to announce the 2025 release of our highly successful Vision Screening Protocol©. This update incorporates feedback from Colorado experts, including top pediatric ophthalmologists and optometrists, enhancing the precision and effectiveness of our instruments with more specific recommendations for our caregivers.

Additionally, we have integrated a HIPAA-compliant cloud-based platform to greatly streamline the administration of the protocol and significantly improve both the caregiver and provider experience.

Learn more about the 2025 enhancements.

The updated Vision Screening Protocol© from A Shared Vision is a significant step forward in ensuring that all children under the age of three have equitable access to early identification of vision concerns. It is evidence-informed, developmentally appropriate, and user-friendly for the professionals who serve families in early intervention and home-based care.

As a pediatric ophthalmologist, I see firsthand how critical early identification is – and how often delays in screening lead to missed opportunities for support during the most critical years of a child’s development. This protocol helps close that gap. It should be the new standard for vision screening in early childhood.

— Emily McCourt, MD
Ponzio Family Chair for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Children’s Hospital Colorado

Vision screening is intended to answer one simple question: “Is there a vision concern that requires further examination by a pediatric eye doctor?”

A Shared Vision offers guidelines, best practices, and tools to ensure effective vision screening for possible ocular and brain-based concerns.

Vision Screening Protocol© and Resources

A Shared Vision's Vision Screening Protocol© is designed for non-medical professionals to identify children, birth to age three, who warrant evaluation by a pediatric eye doctor.

The protocol outlines how to interpret family and medical histories, observe a child’s eyes and eyelids, assess their visual behaviors, and consider caregiver concerns. It includes resources such as training videos, a Parent Questionnaire©, instructions for Objective Vision Testing, Scoring Guidance©, and recommended next steps for caregivers.

We offer free training through live webinars and on-demand learning videos to help you use the protocol correctly. Please note, you must successfully complete A Shared Vision's Vision Screening Protocol© training (scoring 80% or higher on the final quiz) before using the protocol. Sign up for the training here!

Many of the resources provided on this website are available in PDF format for easy download. The Parent Questionnaire© and Results and Recommended Next Steps for Caregivers© form are available in a multiplatform solution using CognitoForms, in both English and Spanish. For more information, including details on HIPAA compliance, PHI protection, and other language translations, contact us at [email protected].

The protocol is free for personal use. For organizations, there are additional terms and possible fees to use the protocol. Be sure to read our Terms of Use Agreement.

Navigation Links

• Quickstart Guide
• Parent Questionnaire©
• Objective Vision Testing
• Scoring Guidance©
• Results & Next Steps for Caregivers©

Document Links

• Visual Development Guidelines
• How to Prepare for Your Child's Eye Exam
• Questions to Ask Your Eye Care Specialist
  

Click below to learn more about the Vision Screening Protocol© resources!

#1. Parent Questionnaire©

The Vision Screening Parent Questionnaire© captures important information about a child’s family vision history, medical history, eye and eyelid appearance, visual behaviors, and any concerns from caregivers.

#2. Objective Vision Testing

The screening continues with objective vision tests on fixation, tracking, pupillary reflex, and corneal light reflection.

#3. Scoring Guidance©

Scoring Guidance© helps professionals evaluate concerns and determine recommendations.

#4. Results & Next Steps Discussion©

This is followed by discussions with caregivers, focusing on their observations and responses to the questionnaire. The results and recommended next steps vary based on findings and are documented and emailed to the caregivers.

Previous Version of Vision Screening Resources

For your reference, we provide access to the 2022 versions of our vision screening resources. Please note, these are no longer updated and DO NOT reflect the most current guidelines or best practices.

• Parent Questionnaire© (Version 2022). Download English or Spanish.
• Scoring Guidance© (Version 2022). Download English.
• Vision Screening Results & Recommended Next Steps for Caregivers© (Version 2022). Download English or Spanish.

We encourage you to use the most recent versions for the most accurate and effective screening results.

Uses and Users

This Vision Screening Protocol© is for any organization or individual to determine if a child has any vision concerns that warrant follow up with a pediatric eye doctor, including:

• EI Eligibility Evaluation teams (aka Child Find)
• IFSP meetings (Initial, Periodic, Annual Reviews)
• Head Start evaluations
  
• Childcare centers and pre-kindergarten schools for children birth to age three
  
• In-patient hospital medical and therapy teams
  
• Well-child visits with primary care professionals
  
• Caregivers of newborns with risk factors
  

Terms of Use Agreement

By using the Vision Screening Protocol©, and any of the components, you agree to our Terms of Use Agreement. If you don't agree, please refrain from using the protocol.

Security and Compliance

The HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based platform adheres to both US and international regulatory standards, including HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA, and is compliant with ADA guidelines for online accessibility. Security protocols meet the highest standards, utilizing the latest technologies to ensure protected data remains private, safe, and secure. To explore further, review our Business Associate Addendum and our Data Processing Addendum with CognitoForms.

References

A Shared Vision gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following sources:

• Colorado Department of Education (2005). Visual Screening Guidelines: Children Birth through Five Years.
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas State Department of Education (2018). Kansas Vision Screening Requirements & Guidelines.
• Teach CVI (2020). Screening List for Children with a Suspicions of a Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) / Screen List CVI 1. Available at https://bit.ly/3CoMK4e.
• Topor, I. (2004). Approximate Functional Visual Acuity for Different Sizes of Objects and Distances. Chapel Hill, NC: Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers with Visual Impairments, FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.