The State of Illinois now requires all children, beginning kindergarten or first grade for the first time, or children who are transferring into Illinois from out of state, to have a comprehensive eye examination prior to starting school. The examination must be done by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. The results must be submitted to the school by the parents, on a form approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health, prior to October 15, 2008. The examination may be done within one year prior to beginning school. This requirement begins with the 2008 school year and applies to all future years.

According to the Illinois Optometric Association, the new state law requires comprehensive eye exams for children entering kindergarten or enrolling for the first time in public, private, or parochial elementary schools in Illinois. Since comprehensive eye exams are the best way to diagnose eye and vision problems in children early, before they interfere with a child's ability to learn, doctors of optometry agree that the new law is a crucial step in ensuring that Illinois students perform to the best of their ability in the classroom. Optometrists encourage parents to arrange for a comprehensive eye exam now, so that they beat the traditional summer rush to ensure that their child meets the necessary requirements in time for the beginning of the next school year.

Illinois teachers were strong advocates for the law, recognizing the important role eye exams by qualified eye doctors plays in a child's academic success.

Only licensed optometrists or ophthalmologists are qualified to conduct the exams under the new law. Proof of the required eye examination must be submitted by Oct. 15 of each school year. Additional vision examinations at various grade levels may be required when deemed necessary by school authorities.

Illinois joins Kentucky and Missouri as the third state in the nation requiring eye exams for children entering public schools. Since the Kentucky law requiring eye exams was enacted eight years ago, 13 percent of Kentucky children have been identified as needing corrective lenses, 3.4 percent diagnosed with amblyopia ("lazy eye"), and 2.3 percent diagnosed with strabismus.