“At that age, they can’t tell you if anything is blurry. If it’s blurry, it’s probably always been blurry.”

Fewer than half of all children are screened in pediatric offices.

Zachary wears an eye patch for an hour and a half each day to strengthen his vision. He’s not bothered by it, and in fact he never told his parents that he had trouble with his vision.

“At that age, they can’t tell you if anything is blurry,” says Zachary’s mom, Stephanie. “If it’s blurry, it’s probably always been blurry.”

That’s why Stephanie was so surprised when a Prevent Blindness-certified vision screener at her son’s preschool in Nebraska recommended that Zachary see an eye care professional for an exam.

The Eye care professional diagnosed Zachary with amblyopia (lazy eye). Now he continues his patching treatment and receives regular follow-up care.