Health Screenings

Throughout the school year your child will participate in various health screenings. A brief description of these screenings can be found below along with links to other sources of additional information.

Vision Screenings
Early identification, diagnosis and correction of vision disorders give children a better opportunity to develop educationally, socially, and emotionally. Vision screening procedures in the Finneytown Local School District are performed as required by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) under the authority of the Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.69. While school vision screening is a valuable public health procedure, it is not a substitute for professional eye care.

Vision Conservation Policies are available on the ODH website: www.odh.state.oh.us

Children to be tested:

• Students in Preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9
• Students in special classes at the ages corresponding to the required grade level
• New and transfer students with no recent screening or eye examination information on file
• Teacher referrals
• Hearing-impaired students

Referral: Referrals will be mailed to parents if any test is failed on a second screening.

Hearing Screenings
Early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing disorders are also essential to educational, emotional, and social development. While the hearing screening is a valuable tool, it is not a substitute for professional examination. The procedures for screenings include (but are not limited to) age/grade levels to be screened, frequency and intensity of tones to be used, and criteria for referral, according to the Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.69.

Hearing Conservation Policies are available on the Ohio Department of Health website: www.odh.state.oh.us

Children to be screened:

• Students in preschool, kindergarten, first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth grades
• Students new to the school and not tested within the last twelve months
• Students referred by a teacher
• Students who were referred within the past year with no documentation of follow-up
• Students in special classes at corresponding grade levels
• Students who wear hearing aids shall NOT be screened in the schools.

Referral: Referrals will be mailed to parents if their child fails a second screening, performed approximately four weeks after the initial test.

Scoliosis
Scoliosis is the medical term for sidewise curvature of the spine. It usually begins in the growing years of life, most commonly in adolescence. About 1 in 10 people have a mild form of scoliosis; about 2 in 100 will have a progressive condition and need medical treatment. Left untreated, scoliosis can cause obvious physical deformity, pain, arthritic symptoms, heart and lung complications, and can limit physical activity. The National Scoliosis Foundation and other health organizations recommend that annual screenings be performed in school health programs for grades 5 through 10. It is not an invasive procedure, and students in the appropriate grade levels are often screened during physical education class.

More information can be obtained from the National Scoliosis Foundation’s website: 

Children to be screened:

• Students in grades 5 through 9.

Referral: Parents will be notified in writing, by mail if their child fails a second evaluation. The school nurse performs the initial evaluation. The second evaluation is done (usually in late spring of the school year) by a nurse specialist with the Greater Cincinnati Spinal Deformity Center.

** GENERAL SCREENING INFORMATION Any child can be exempted from screenings if examined by a licensed physician/specialist during the twelve months immediately preceding the date of school screenings. Parents should present school health services personnel with a certificate to that effect. (O.R.C. §3313.69)