Dispensing Optics - ABDO

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26 dispensingoptics July 2009 This month Transitions Optical launches a working relationship initiative with the National Schools Partnership Key Stage 2 curriculum, endorsed for all 7 to 11 year-olds in the UK. Members of ABDO are the first optical professionals to be invited to become involved in this exciting and challenging scheme which is endorsed by the Association. Details of this significant opportunity for members are outlined here by Elaine Grisdale, ABDO’s head of professional services A prime opportunity Arthur Dark 4306 Dispensing opticians have key skills and responsibilities in the supply of correctly fitting, accurately measured and carefully chosen spectacle frames and lenses for children. Now a prime opportunity has arisen for DOs to become involved in an exciting new scheme for eyecare professionals organised by Transitions Optical. Children comprise a patient group who, all too often, miss having their vision assessed due to financial issues. Added to this, many schools in the UK do not have schemes to assess the vision of school age children; if necessary, they send them to an optical practice for an eye examination. It is hard to believe that, today, a staggering one in three school age children has a visual problem and a large proportion of these remain undetected. Many children present with difficulties at school because of hidden visual problems, rather than a lack of intelligence as is often assumed. And these children are missing developing their potential because of poor vision. Most children (92 per cent) will have been to the dentist on a regular basis by the age of seven, but few will have been anywhere near an optical practice for a vision assessment. Ironically, they will have been visiting the dentist regularly and learning how to look after their teeth for the first seven years of their life – primarily for teeth which they are going to lose anyway. However, any visual anomaly not corrected before the age of seven risks posing problems for the child in later years. Many parents are still unaware that their children’s eye
examination is free of charge under NHS provisions. A properly resourced and inventive campaign I have been fortunate to be part of a European Working Group for the Transitions Healthy Sight Institute looking into childrens’ vision initiatives. This month (July) Transitions Optical is launching such an initiative in the UK and members of ABDO are the first optical professionals to be invited to become involved. ABDO is endorsing the scheme, with the ABDO logo appearing on the eyeknoweyecare.com website. Educating and changing habits The Transitions campaign is unique in that the company has cleverly entered into a working relationship with the National Schools Partnership (NSP) to reach right into the heart of the Key Stage 2 (KS2) curriculum. This is the curriculum endorsed for all 7 to 11 year olds in the UK . Children are taught about the health of teeth in the KS2 curriculum but until now there have been no resources for teachers to talk about vision, eye health or spectacles. Transitions has invested time, tangible materials and expertise from both educators and optical professionals to give teachers these valuable tools. From September 2009, educators in over 24,000 primary schools across Britain will be able to access information across the curriculum pertaining to vision and its correction. A few of the strategies under development are: • Art – designing magic glasses • Science – lessons on shadows, Arthur Clear 4576 teaching about the sun and how it affects the eyes, glare and quality of vision • English – writing a newspaper article. Children can study and write about why it is important to have a regular eye examination. This is followed by a letter to their parents explaining the benefits of such an examination • Maths – study of statistics and percentages using eye-related data. Schools will be contacted by the NSP and invited to sign up for these resources. The schools will then be entered into a database. From classroom to home The scheme will not work effectively unless dispensing opticians and eventually other optical professionals engage with the programme. Schools traditionally have visits from professionals such as those working in the police or fire service and other public walks of life. These people give presentations, often at extended assembly times, about what they do and how this benefits the community. We now have the chance to hook up with schools registered on the scheme and go in and talk to the children and staff. Transitions will make available to any optician registered on the scheme a selection of items such as window stickers, leaflets, guidance for communicating with parents and children and presentation materials to tie in with the materials children will be exposed to in the classroom revolving around healthy sight and magic glasses. Schools will send home information with the children to parents. This information will direct the family to Nattionnal Schhools Partnnershhip Gabrielle Clear 4720 have their eyes examined at participating opticians. You will have the chance to leave your practice details as being one of these special opticians with the school. Transitions Optical has also developed the website of eye facts and fun eye exercises called eyeknoweyecare.com, goes live this month. It will be a valuable resource for children, parents and teachers. Showcase for dispensing opticians So far, when childrens’ vision has been discussed or vision screening mentioned we, as a profession, have all too often been ignored. Transitions have given us the opportunity to be the first of the eyecare professionals to sign up for the scheme and register our interest. This is especially significant for us, since childrens’ vision is a unique area where we have a real chance to highlight and demonstrate our skills to the public. This is a great opportunity for dispensing opticians to be in the driving seat promoting the correction of childrens’ vision in practice. The extended opportunities to win over family members and build loyalty through our professionalism cannot be under-estimated. Transitions, as ABDO conference and strategic partners, will be showcasing the scheme and giving members an update at the Brighton conference in October. What happens when you register? When you register, your details will be added to the database which houses Continued overleaf
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Page 17 and 18: also offers a point of differentiat
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Page 29 and 30: Dr Sarah Janikoun (left) with Kate
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Page 33 and 34: ABDO Cup Challenge is a breeze Part
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Page 39: Diary of events September 8 ABDO Go

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