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Community
KINGSFORD/IRON RIVER —The Dickinson-Iron District Health Department will be conducting hearing and vision screenings for pre-school as well as school age children at upcoming clinics. Those who may have missed previous screenings and home-schooled students are welcome at this free screening. Clinics will be held throughout the spring and summer.
Michigan Law requires that children entering school be tested for hearing and vision problems prior to enrollment. In addition, health care professionals encourage young children to be screened to detect problems at an early age. School vision screening programs have demonstrated that too frequently children enter school with vision defects. Some serious defects cannot be corrected at school age while treatment in the preschool years can be highly successful. Preschoolers are tested for clearness of vision, muscle balance, and any obvious symptoms of eyesight problems. Five to 10 percent of preschoolers screened may be referred to a professional eye care specialist for further examination.
Hearing loss is a common problem. A hearing problem can affect a child’s behavior or performance in the classroom. Seven out of 10 children need treatment for an ear problem before they reach the age of four. A child who has trouble hearing may hear you correctly at times, appear to ignore you at other times, or show signs of speech difficulty. Hearing screening by a public health technician can identify hearing problems. Children showing hearing problems at the screening are then offered the opportunity to attend a free otology clinic to be examined by a medical ear specialist.
We have responded to the COVID19 pandemic by making our vision and hearing clinics safer. The appointment times have been arranged and are scheduled to limit the number of people in the lobby. We have also instituted sanitation procedures. You will be expected to wear a mask while in the building, if you do not have one, we will provide one for you.
Call the Health Department for an appointment for your child’s screening at 906-779-7221.