Archive for August, 2008

As I posted on this site before, I have learned about a new line of frames that are specifically designed for Children with Down Syndrome. I think these frames are very cool, and judging by the testimonials, so do a lot of other people.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview the designer and creator of these frames, Maria Dellapina:

Enjoy!

Dr. B: I was an optician before I became an Optometrist, so I know how difficult it can be to find the right frame. There are many patients who can benefit from these frames. Were you surprised that there were no frames like specs4us before?

Maria: Erin was close to two when She needed glasses. At the time I was working for an Optometrist and had been there almost 10years. One of my duties was Frame buying. I thought with all my connections I would have no problem finding the perfect frame for her. I became frustrated very quickly. I knew the type of frame I was looking for, I had been in the optical business over 20 years and working with children was my specialty. Yet my own daughter proved to be my biggest challenge.

I can see some changes in the frame such as lower mounting of the bridge to bring the lenses up. What other changes did you make and how does it improve the functionality of these frames?

The answer to having a frame fit Erin correctly seemed so simple to me. I needed something with a lower bridge and temples attached to the eye wire. The frame also needed to be wide enough to fit the temple area with out pushing against the sides of her face. I also found every frame I tried on her had temples way too long. That all seemed so simple to fix. Parents will see the difference of how this frame fits on their child immediately. Having a frame that is positioned and fits correctly means improvement in the child’s vision, less fussing with the glasses and a happier child.

How long did it take to go from idea to frames you can distribute?

The idea that something needed to be done came to me the first time I went searching for the a frame for Erin. I had experienced all aspects of optical except the manufacturing of a frame. It took me 4 years to get someone to take my idea seriously. I would contact a company , send them my drawing and they would return them redesigned to look like a typical frame on the market today. I finally found a company whose CEO called me and talked to me and finally understood what I wanted to accomplish. I heard from other companies I talked to that there wasn’t a big enough need for them to help me! I was not giving up.

Did you try several prototype models on Erin before arriving at the final product? What was that like?

I had an E-mail list of parents interest in the frames saved for a couple years. The list stretched across the U.S and as far away as Belgium. When the prototypes came in I searched my list and picked several children out to offer them the frames to try. The response was everything I hoped it would be.

I’m sure that you have gotten great feedback from children and parents. What has been your most memorable so far?

It brings tears to my eye when I hear how happy the parents and children are. My Sister summed it up with a comment she posted on About.com, when SPECS4US was posted as the site of the day:

Terri Dellapina says:
When I first saw my Niece Erin we all knew she was an angel gift from above and with that comes a special mission. My sister recognized Erin’s mission here on earth and is now able to share that with the world. Behold ERIN’s WORLD through SPECS 4 US !

Do you have plans for other frames or other products?

Erin’s world is expanding all the time. More sizes and styles are due in shortly and will keep coming in. My goal is to fit infants through adults. I think glasses should look like an accessory not a necessity. Also to have Clip-on sunglasses to add to the frame line in the future.

I have one more question: If there was just one thing that you wanted my readers to know, what would it be?

That our mission is to improve the sight and quality of life for Children with Down Syndrome by providing custom frames to fit their unique needs. If any parent knows of a child whose family can’t afford to get them glasses, please let us know. I would like to try and help.

Thanks so much for your time Maria. I hope the line is very successful and can benefit many children!

Due to Tropical Storm Fay, Bright Eyes will Be closed Tuesday August 19th. You may contact us through this link. If you experience an eye emergency, you can call Dr. Bonilla-Warford on his cell-phone at 813-469-2366.

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

Laura

I am proud to announce that one of our Frame and Lens Specialists, Laura Huffman, has been honored this summer by receiving two national awards.

First, Laura can be seen in the Vision Monday magazine issue about Influential Women in the Optical Business under the article, Opticianry Students: The Next Generation of Female Leaders. She was the only one chosen from her entire class to be featured in this article.

Second, Laura won the Digital Corneal Reflection Pupilometer Award from Essilor of America for being the most outstanding student in her class. The award is given yearly out to one graduating student at each opticianry and optometry school. I am especially proud of Laura because I myself won this award while attending the Illinois College of Optometry.

So next time you are in the office, be sure to congratulate Laura!

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

This video is not new, but it shows some of important things that can be found during an eye exam, even if you don’t think anything is wrong.

Be Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

As parents ready millions of children across the US to start the new school year, COVD’s “August is Children’s Vision and Learning Month” campaign is working to raise awareness about the important connection between vision and learning.

Current research shows that vision problems afflict millions of American children and thereby impact their ability to learn:
• One in four school-age children have vision problems, according to the American Foundation in Vision Awareness;
• 18 million children will not have had eye examinations by a Doctor of Optometry or other certified vision
care professional prior to entering school;
• 60 percent of students identified as “problem learners” have undetected vision problems, according to the American Optometric Association.

“Vision disorders are one of the leading impediments to successful learning in children,” said Dr. Drusilla Grant,Immediate Past President of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. “Many vision problems go undetected because a child is told he or she has 20/20 vision and healthy eyes. This can be misleading because their visual skills, like tracking, eye teaming, and focusing may not have been evaluated and this is really where the problem lies.”

Exams using only the eye chart do not measure how well a child can see at near distances, nor do they evaluate depth perception, eye coordination or numerous other visual skills required in the learning process. They also don’t evaluate the visual abilities that are needed to extract information off of a page.

According to Dr. Dan L. Fortenbacher, COVD President, “We’re dealing with far more than just ‘eyesight.’ Our concern and primary focus is with identifying and treating a delay in the patient’s ability to access and process visual information in ways that are the necessary prerequisites for developmental learning. These issues can be treated through vision therapy, but particularly when diagnosed early.”

While “August is Children’s Vision and Learning Month” is concentrated on the month of August, the goal of the campaign is to broaden awareness year-round that vision is more than 20/20. The 20/20 test does not test how well you see at reading distance. In fact, the 20/20 test fails to evaluate many other important aspects of normal vision such as:
• Eye focusing
• Eye coordination
• Eye teaming (binocular vision)
• Eye movement
• Visual perceptual skills
• Color vision

At the center of its national “August is Children’s Vision and Learning Month” public awareness campaign, COVD urges parents, teachers, and all other decision-makers involved in the health and welfare of children to learn more about how vision impacts children’s ability to learn. Two articles recently published in the COVD journal, Optometry & Vision Development, found that children with vision problems have a hard time learning basic mathematical skills and that if the appropriate vision therapy is given, math skills improve.

Parents and teachers are encouraged to make a comprehensive eye examination part of their preparations for the new school year and to look for the following indications that vision problems may be contributing to learning challenges of their children and students:
• Frequent loss of place when reading
• Poor reading comprehension
• Sloppy handwriting
• Confusing similar looking words
• Failure to recognize the same word in sequential sentences
• Complaints of eyes hurting or headaches after reading
• Avoidance of close work (such as reading)
• Attention problems

Any of the above symptoms may be a sign that your child may be struggling with a learning-related vision problem. Fortunately, through vision therapy, many learning-related vision problems can be corrected. Protocols typically involve a prescribed program aimed at eliminating faulty vision skill patterns and rebuilding them correctly. For an in-depth checklist of symptoms, information on vision therapy and the critical link between vision and learning or to find a doctor near you, visit our website, www.covd.org.

About COVD
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is an international, non-profit Optometric membership organization that provides education, evaluation and board certification programs in behavioral and developmental vision care, vision therapy and visual rehabilitation. The organization is comprised of doctors of optometry, vision therapists and other vision specialists. For more information on learning-related vision problems, vision therapy and COVD, please visit www.covd.org or call 888.268.3770.