05- 071 C.M.R. ch. 45, § 1
Critical Line Screening: The "critical line" is an age-dependent line on which a child should correctly identify 3 or more optotypes according to that child's age. Critical line screening uses only the age-dependent line.
Distance Vision: Distance vision means the ability to adequately see objects at a distance. Screening for distance vision is intended to identify students with myopia, a refractive error in which light rays converge before they reach the retina.
Eye Specialist: An eye specialist is a health care provider specializing in diagnosing and treating vision problems and/or diseases of the eye. Eye specialists include optometrists, ophthalmologists, pediatric optometrists, and pediatric ophthalmologists.
Full Threshold Screening: Full threshold screening begins by asking the child to identify the first optotype at the top of the chart and the first optotype on each line until an optotype is misidentified. The screener moves up a line and asks the child to identify each optotype on that line and continues down the chart using each optotype on each line until a child misses 3 or more optotypes. The last line the child correctly identified 3 or more optotypes is the visual acuity value for that eye. Full threshold screening permits the screener to identify a minimum 2 -line difference between the eyes.
Health Care Provider: A health care provider is a medical/health practitioner who has a current license in the State of Maine with a scope of practice that includes assessment, diagnosis and treatment of health disorders. Health care providers include physicians, physician's assistants and advance nurse practitioners. For the purposes of vision screening, health care provider may also include optometrists and ophthalmologists. For the purposes of hearing screening, health care provider may also include an audiologist.
Instrument-Based Screening: Using evidence-based instruments to screen for amblyopia risk factors and reduced vision risk factors and provide estimates of refractive error and estimates of eye misalignment; or screen for direct detection of strabismus and amblyopia Instrument-based screening does not measure visual acuity and instrument-based screening results may not be converted to visual acuity values.
Near Vision: Near vision means the ability to adequately see objects near, such as when reading. Screening for near vision is intended to identify students with hyperopia, a refractive error in which light rays have not converged before reaching the retina.
Occluder: Used to cover the eye during distance and near visual acuity screening. Occluders for children ages 3 to 10 years may be adhesive eye patches, 2-inch wide hypoallergenic surgical tape, or occluder glasses. Occluders for children ages 10 years and older can be adhesive eye patches, 2-inch wide hypoallergenic surgical tape, or paddles to cover one eye at a time or a mask that covers one eye with an open hole for the other eye. Hands, tissues, paper paddles, or paper and plastic cups are not permitted.
Optotypes: An optotype is the name for the symbol, letter, or number on an eye chart or computer program the student is to identify.
Optotype-Based Screening: Using evidence-based eye charts or computer software programs to screen for visual acuity using full threshold or critical line formats.
Parent: Parent means a natural or adoptive parent, a guardian, or a person acting as a parent of a child with legal responsibility for the child's welfare.
Preschool screening: A health screening that occurs within the first 30 days of the start of school that includes hearing screening and vision screening.,
Puretone Audiometer: A puretone audiometer is a machine designed to screen for hearing loss. A variety of frequencies, measured in Hertz (Hz) audible to the human ear are played in each ear at a defined decibel (dB).
Referral: Referral means the submission of a written form from school directing the parent to bring their child to a health care provider (which includes ophthalmologists, optometrists, and audiologists for this rule) for an evaluation of the potential health problem.
School Nurse: School nurse means a registered professional nurse with Maine Department of Education certification for school nursing.
Screening: Screening means a process of identifying students with a possible health problem in order to facilitate early intervention or treatment.
05- 071 C.M.R. ch. 45, § 1