Vision Hearing Technicians from Rural and Community Services will be visiting our school Monday 24 August. The objective of the screening is to identify previously undetected hearing and vision defects.
Which children are routinely checked?
- catch up screening for children who have not completed hearing and vision checks as part of the B4 school check.
- children absent from previous visit require re-tests or follow up in special circumstances, parents, teachers or others may request a hearing or vision check and new immigrants.
What tests are carried out?
Ears
- Audiometry – hearing test
- Tympanometry – middle ear function test (only carried out when hearing test is not within a normal range)
Eyes
- Long distance vision tests – not a complete visual examination, but a simple screening test
- Colour vision tests (Year 7 boys only).
NB All these checks are non-invasive, safe and should cause no discomfort.
The Vision Hearing Technician will:
- notify parents of all test results
- enter results on Ministry of Education data base (ENROL)
The vision hearing technician will obtain personal details from the school ie names, dates of birth, ethnicity.
If the technician needs to contact parents or caregivers following the visit, addresses and phone numbers will also be required.
Community services may share this information with other health professionals involved in the children.
If any parent or caregiver does not want their child to be checked, or their child is currently under specialist care for a hearing or vision defect, they should let the technician know by leaving a message with the school.
As a provider of a health screening service we have a responsibility to comply with the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights. This includes the requirement to provide information enabling consumers to make an informed choice. Further information regarding this screening service can be obtained by contacting the Waikato District Health Board 838 3565 ext 22093.
Recent Comments