Aligning Innovation With Standards: How Good-Lite Studio Supports AOA’s Vision for School-Age Eye Care

Today’s students are learning in ways no generation before them has. Screens are closer, used longer, and woven into nearly every subject. Digital reading, virtual learning platforms, gaming, and handheld devices are now part of a child’s daily visual load—and their eyes are working harder than ever. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recently released a fact sheet outlining key components of comprehensive eye and vision examinations for school-age children. This guidance reflects what Good-Lite has long advocated: standardized, developmentally appropriate, evidence-based eye care.

At Good-Lite, this alignment is not theoretical—it is foundational. Across Good-Lite Studio, GLD-Vision®, and nearly 90 years of analog innovation, the company has built tools and digital infrastructure that reinforce the AOA’s emphasis on early detection, visual function assessment, and child-friendly testing environments.

The AOA highlights the importance of a complete patient history: symptoms, developmental milestones, academic performance, screen usage, outdoor activity, and existing medical providers. Understanding this behavioral context is critical for appropriate evaluation. Good-Lite Studio strengthens this process by offering:

• Optional fields to capture screening context
• Clear documentation of screening modality and results
• Integrated notes and follow-up recommendations
• Secure, FERPA/HIPAA-aligned communication with families

This ensures that while comprehensive eye exams remain in clinical settings, the information flowing before and after the exam is structured, accessible, and actionable—reducing gaps that commonly occur between schools and providers.

The AOA lists Snellen and ETDRS acuity as core measures for school-age children. Good-Lite has been a national leader in standardized chart design for nearly a century, producing Snellen, ETDRS, HOTV, LEA SYMBOLS®, and crowded/line presentations used across clinical and school settings.

Through GLD-Vision®, these principles extend to digital assessments using:

• Standardized optotype spacing
• Validated matching tasks for non-readers
• Consistent luminance and contrast
• Randomized presentation to prevent memorization
• Objective pass/refer thresholds aligned to evidence-based norms

This ensures developmental appropriateness and consistency—two factors the AOA stresses in its guidance.

While refraction occurs in clinical settings, early detection often begins in schools. Good-Lite tools support this process by offering rapid, repeatable acuity tasks that highlight potential refractive concerns. Immediate pass/refer outputs help nurses identify which students may need further evaluation long before symptoms become obvious.

Good-Lite Studio then extends this by tracking referrals, confirming completed exams, and giving districts visibility into how many children are receiving follow-up care—essential for closing the loop between screening and treatment.

The AOA emphasizes the importance of evaluating binocular coordination, eye movements, and focusing ability through methods such as:

• Cover testing
• Near point of convergence
• Saccades and pursuits
• Stereo testing
• Verdence ranges
• Accommodation assessment

Good-Lite has long been the gold standard manufacturer of pediatric tools that support these evaluations. This includes stereo tests, motility indicators, fixation targets, and convergence tools designed specifically for child-friendly engagement and clinical precision.

Through digital tasks in GLD-Vision®, screeners can also detect early binocular anomalies through patterns of performance and consistency, supporting the AOA’s emphasis on comprehensive functional assessment.

The AOA identifies color vision as a core element of comprehensive pediatric exams. Good-Lite provides pseudoisochromatic tests and digital modules that allow early identification of color vision anomalies—giving families the clarity needed for clinical referral.

Good-Lite tools support early detection of pupillary abnormalities, external anomalies, and visual field concerns. Within Good-Lite Studio, schools can securely document these observations, share them with families, and coordinate next steps—all reinforcing the AOA’s emphasis on early action.

Across every component of the AOA’s recommendations, the themes are clear: evidence-based methodology, standardization, child-friendly evaluation, and a structured path from screening → referral → confirmed care. These values mirror the foundation of Good-Lite’s mission.

Through analog precision and digital innovation, Good-Lite Studio and GLD-Vision® help schools, clinicians, and public-health programs create consistent, equitable outcomes in children’s vision health—aligning seamlessly with AOA’s vision for modern pediatric care.

AOA Fact Sheet – Key Components for Comprehensive Eye & Vision Examination in School-Age Children:
https://www.aoa.org/practice/clinical-guidelines