Kids + Vision 2018

KIDS+

VISION Eyecare and Eyewear for Your Young Patients

Attracting

PEDIATRIC PATIENTS Fitting

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

Tips For

vision care

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1 Arnault E, Barrau C, Nanteau C, Gondouin P, Bigot K, et al. (2013). Phototoxic Action Spectrum on a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Exposed to Sunlight Normalized Conditions. PLoS ONE 8(8): e71398. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071398 (August 23, 2013). Identified Harmful Blue Light through in vitro experiment on swine retinal cells, where the most toxic wavelengths are high energy visible light falling between 415-455nm on the light spectrum (blue-violet light).

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KIDS + VISION: PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

Attracting PEDIATRIC PATIENTS Educating other professionals and participating in school vision screenings are among the many techniques described here to bring more children into your practice.

By Joy L Gibb, ABOC

C

hildren can bring fun and excitement to your practice . . . they can also bring their parents and grandparents, resulting in more overall patients for you.

That’s why it’s important to create a plan to reach out to those individuals who can influence children’s referrals to your practice. Many outreach ideas can be implemented inexpensively and effectively. The key is delivering clear and concise messages to those who can influence referrals of young patients to your practice.

PARTNER WITH PROFESSIONALS Many organizations have plenty of statistics you can use to develop compelling educational messages. The Vision Council, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Eye Institute and numerous optical companies have studies and materials available that can easily be adapted to create effective messaging.

Create a map of potential influencers to visit, the message you will deliver to each, and how often you will reach out to them. For example, I may choose to visit the pediatrician in my building once a quarter and discuss UV protection, sports-related eye injuries and solutions, blue light, and the importance of an eye exam versus a vision screening. This helps me know the who, when and what of my plan and will increase my chances of successfully

gaining referrals. The pediatrician and office staff will start to think of me as their go-to expert for kids’ vision issues.

When children visit their physician’s offices for their regularly scheduled well-child check-ups, the practitioner often goes through a checklist to ensure children are being safe in their various activities. There are questions and conversations they can initiate to educate a parent and child about overall eye health. Some suggestions could include discussing the potential harm that cumulative UV exposure can have on patients as they age and that the most UV damage occurs when patients are young. You can educate providers about the need for quality sunwear that meets not only UV protection standards but that also has impact-resistant lenses and quality frames. You may want to offer some type of incentive to parents who received information about UV protection from their pediatrician and now want it in their child’s eyewear.

When back-to-school time approaches, you can remind pediatricians that school vision screenings have a poor track record in catching the majority of children’s vision problems. Educate them about the importance of a complete eye exam prior to a child starting school to give them the best chance at succeeding in school.

This can be added to the checklist of questions a pediatrician may ask. For example, you might ask, “Have you taken your child to see an eye doctor prior to starting school?” Members of our field

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KIDS + VISION: PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

understand that many of these preventative exams are covered under medical insurance, but other professionals outside of our field, and parents, may not understand that those benefits are there to be utilized to help in the overall well being of the child.

PROTECTING PEDIATRICS Another appropriate topic is blue light. Helping these healthcare providers understand the symptoms associated with digital eye strain and blue light exposure could help in gaining referrals for your practice.

When patients present to the pediatrician with headaches, eye strain, or other related symptoms, you can help the doctor understand that it may possibly be a vision problem that can be addressed with blue light filtering or anti-fatigue lenses. You may even consider taking some blue light filtering eyewear in and letting the office staff give them a try to see the difference these lenses can make for the wearer.

Another area for which you can provide education and from which you can generate referrals is with community youth sports leagues. Chances are good your practice has seen an eye injury that could have been prevented if the child had been wearing protective sports eyewear. Do an outreach program to provide statistics about sports-related eye injuries and the potential damage that can occur. This may include meeting with parents during league and team gatherings or simply providing a pamphlet with an invitation and/or an incentive to visit your practice to see what you can offer in protective sports eyewear.

In addition, you can reach out to local schools and their athletic teams to offer sponsorship in the way of sports eyewear in exchange for an opportunity to educate the parents and attendees of the events. Invite the kids to bring in their helmets and masks to make sure a comfortable and functional fit is achieved when selecting sports eyewear.

Don’t forget, it’s not just about sports eyewear, it’s also about an exam and visual acuity. If children have not received a proper eye exam, they may not understand that their vision may be less than what it could be. If they can see the rim, goal, or ball better, they will be more confident and perform better.

EDUCATE THE EDUCATOR Offer to visit your local schools during a faculty meeting for a short presentation on signs teachers can look for that may indicate an eye exam could be beneficial. Symptoms such as closing or covering one eye, tilting their head, or moving closer to the board to see instructions indicate that children may not be seeing their best. You may also wish to help teachers understand that if children can’t see well and stay engaged in classroom activities, it may be an indicator that they can’t see what’s going on and that this behavior may not always be ADHD. You can also help schools by volunteering staff assistance at yearly vision screenings, typically overseen by a school nurse and the PTA. Volunteering your time will not only help them see more kids, but it will also increase the quality of screenings being offered. You may also wish to include some type of take-home pamphlet explaining what types of problems may not be caught during

Create a marketing platform that allows you to reach out into your community to the influencers who can refer children and their families to your practice. these screenings and the importance of routine eye exams.

Typically, schools have lessons about light and how it affects vision during the year in science sections. Consider volunteering to teach this to the students. You could take some worksheets, coloring pages, or bookmarks that have your contact information on them and help them understand how the eye sees.

EFFECTIVE MARKETING Social media today can be your best friend in getting your practice name in front of people’s minds. If you aren’t already, take pictures of your patient families (with their permission and signed consent) and post them to all your social media platforms. Maybe it can be for someone’s first pair of eyeglasses, first time wearing contact lenses, or just how much fun they have visiting your office. Most people will share these posts on their own platforms, which will generate more views and reach more potential new customers.

Create a marketing platform that allows you to reach out into your community to the influencers who can refer children and their families to your practice. Educating other healthcare professionals and those who work with children will not only give you an opportunity to share your knowledge and skills, but it will also help give kids the best sight and visual health possible. n Joy L. Gibb, ABOC, is the practice manager for Daynes Eye and Lasik in Bountiful, UT. JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN

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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II

TIPS for Better Pediatric Eyewear Dispensing APPROVAL: ABO APPROVED FOR 1 HOUR, TECHNICAL, LEVEL II ONLINE COURSE: STWFV639-2 ISSUE DATE: JUNE 1, 2018 EXPIRATION DATE: APRIL 01, 2023 APPROVAL: This course has been approved for one hour of Technical, Level II continuing education credit by the American Board of Opticianry. NOTE: this course is only available with online testing. Please see instructions at the end.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: While the children’s eyewear segment is only 8% of the total eyewear market, its importance to an eyecare office goes far beyond the numbers. The eye is developing throughout childhood, so is the child’s physical features and personality. In addition, children are dependent on their parents/caregivers for their wellbeing, so you’re dealing with two diverse groups when dispensing to children.

You’ll also discover that if you’re good at children’s eyewear dispensing, you’ll have family members and their friends coming to you too. This course presents eight tips to help you improve your pediatric dispensing.

The more you learn about children’s vision, their lifestyle characteristics and children’s eyewear, the better prepared you’ll be to serve you’re young patients.

By Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM

I

f you surveyed one thousand eyecare professionals, asking if they dispense pediatric eyewear, I suspect all, or at least nearly all of them would respond “yes.” That’s not surprising since most offices try to accommodate all the patients in their geographic area. While most offices dispense pediatric eyewear, some do it better than others, and some even specialize in it.

According to The Vision Council, only 8% of the American eyewear wearing public is comprised of children. That means that in comparison to the total eyewear market, the children’s segment is not a lucrative element of a business plan since you see a lot more adult patients percentage wise, who buy more intricate and JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN

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expensive eyewear than most children wear. Excelling at kids’ eyewear sales takes insight, special interpersonal skills, specific inventory and a strong commitment. Here are eight tips that can help you dispense pediatric eyewear more successfully.

OVERCOME ANXIETY Just for a moment, forget you’re an eyecare professional, and put yourself in the place of a new adult patient who has come to your office for the first time. What do they see when they first enter your office? A waiting room and a reception area where they check in. If it’s like most ophthalmic offices that sell eyewear, it has a medical office feel to it (even though you’ve tried to make it “homier”). After waiting for their eye examination appointment, they’re called back into the pretesting area, where they are confronted by a battery of instruments that buzz, beep and chirp at them during testing. From there they’re off to the exam room where they’re put into the dark for a refraction, more testing and questioning. After the exam, it’s off to the dispensary if they’re getting eyeglasses.

There, someone asks a bunch of additional questions, touches their face to take measurements, places eyewear on their face and stares at them, and continues this process until a frame is chosen. This is followed by what seems a litany of information about lens designs, materials and add-ons.

At this point, it should be obvious that the exam and eyewear purchasing experience can create nervousness and anxiety, even in adults.

Imagine now a child going through this same sequence. The nervousness and anxiety are amplified many times due to their youth and inexperience with such things. While that’s concerning enough, add to that the fact that the child’s parents are also anxious because they don’t know what’s causing their child’s vision issue(s) and what the doctor might tell them about their child’s future, the treatment they’ll receive and the cost. This means that sometimes the parents are as anxious as the child.

Knowing this, your goal should be to find ways to make the waiting room, pretesting, exam and eyewear buying experience as cordial, friendly and fun, interactive and inviting as possible. Joy Gibb, an optician who writes and lectures about children’s eyewear dispensing suggests some specific strategies to prevent anxiety in children.

After all the bright lights, big machines and eye drops during the eye exam, some

COURTESY OF KIDS BY SAFILO

kids are cranky and/or jittery and not ready for eyewear selection, so she suggests they return later in the day. Their eyes aren’t dilated any longer and the child is rested. If they choose to stay, she offers them child-friendly snacks such as Goldfish crackers or fruit snacks to give them a break between the exam and the dispensary.

“Get on their level for measurements and fittings, even if that means taking a knee or getting on the floor with them,” Gibb recommends. “Let them be comfortable.”

She likes to make it fun! “What’s their favorite color? What do their friends wear?

Ask mom/dad what their budget is or if there’s a color or style they are absolutely opposed to,” Gibb suggests. “Now pull frames and let the child get what they want, explaining to mom/dad that the child will wear and take care of them better if they love them.”

For measurements, Gibb plays a game with kids. She tells them they must look at her nose and that if they don’t, her nose could jump up to her forehead or over to her cheek. They usually get a pretty good giggle out of it, and some even reach out

to hold her nose in place while she takes the measurement. When she’s done, she wiggles her nose and asks them if they can wiggle theirs. She tells them to work on it and to show her what they can do when they pick up their eyeglasses.

“Keep calm,” Gibb suggests. “If the child is frustrated and acting up, or if the parent is trying to hold them tight or shove eyeglass frames on them, it can create tension in a hurry for everyone involved. Stay cool, pleasant, and have fun. Sometimes the parents need that more than the kids. If you get upset because they are getting upset, it doesn’t help anyone.”

UNDERSTAND VISUAL & LIFESTYLE NEEDS The best eyewear sale occurs when a patient’s wants and needs are matched by the optician with a product (or products) that provides the features and benefits that fulfill those wants and needs. Talented opticians know how to discover a patient’s wants and needs though careful questioning. This is often done through verbal questioning. Some use a questionnaire for this

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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II COURTESY OF KIDS BY SAFILO

purpose. I suggest using both techniques.

A well-designed questionnaire will have a comprehensive set of questions that explore a wide variety of issues that help you discover what products and product features a patient might need. The downside of a questionnaire is that it can’t probe for additional information. For example, your questionnaire might ask if the patient is bothered by bright light outdoors. Okay, they are … but when, where, how, how often, how intensely, etc.? Use your questionnaire first to do a comprehensive but preliminary assessment of the patient’s eyewear needs and wants. After reviewing the form, you’ll discover the areas where you need more information. From there, ask probing questions to get the detail you need in each area indicated.

Working with kids, you’ll need a questionnaire that’s specific to the wants and needs of that population. While many of the questions may inquire about the same optical issues, you’ll want to rephrase them for kids. For example, asking if they are troubled by reflected glare on the job is amusing but pointless when working with kids (although their parents might get a chuckle from it). You’ll also want to

ask kid-specific questions on your questionnaire such as, “Do you have difficulty seeing what the teacher writes or displays on the board?”

The other aspect of serving kids’ eyewear needs and wants is to understand the visual demands they have. The more you know about children’s visual demands for school, play and daily life, the better able you’ll be to serve those requirements with eyewear. For example, kids read in school and use computers. How much reading do they do? What reading distance does an average 8-year old have? What’s the working distance of their computer? What are the visual and eyewear requirements for baseball, soccer, basketball, swimming, etc.? What activities can pose risk for their eyes and their vision at school, at play or at home? How much time do they spend in the sun? Answering these and other questions will help you serve your young patients well.

AGE GROUPS The category we call children is a diverse one, and each age group has characteristics that define it. These characteristics also bear on their eyewear needs and wants.

Infants (ages 0-1) are totally dependent on their caregiver. When eyeglasses are needed, the frames must be lightweight, strong, flexible, durable and fit the unique tiny features of the face. Often an eyewear retainer is used to hold them in place.

Toddlers (ages 1-5) and preschoolers are inquisitive and great explorers. They bang, chew and grab everything that’s in sight, so they need the same frame features as infants but with the fitting characteristics unique to their face.

Early school-age kids (ages 6-8) have already developed a sense of style and fashion, so when choosing eyewear you’ll need to get their buy-in in addition to mom and/or pop.

Be sure to discuss sports eyewear with this group and all subsequent groups.

Tweens (ages 9-12) are dealing with adjusting to academic and social challenges.

They have already developed brand recognition and in some cases, brand loyalty.

Using branded product with this group is an important strategy for success.

Teens (ages 13-18) are beginning to look beyond the family and trying to figure out where they fit into the world. Brands help them define themselves. Eyewear helps them make an important statement. Style and JUNE 2018 | KIDS + VISION | VCPN

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MUST-HAVE FEATURES Children in all age groups should have lenses that have safety eyewear impact resistance and that absorb UV radiation and blue light. Offering industrial safety level lenses to children is a well-accepted practice in the ophthalmic world, so is offering lenses that absorb 100% UV radiation.

What’s not so prevalent at this point is blue light absorbing lenses. While most eyecare professionals are aware of the research on blue light and its potential affect to the eye and the sleep cycle, many of them are not yet incorporating this feature into their lenses for children. Since blue light exposure is similar to UV exposure in that its affect on the retina is cumulative, the best time to start someone with these lenses is in childhood. Most lens manufacturers have blue light lens options, and most surfacing labs offer blue light lenses, either coated or with the blue light absorber in the lens material. There is still some controversy about how much blue light needs to be reduced and at what nanometer range, but research indicates that reducing blue light benefits humans … and that’s the thing to remember.

The other feature that children should have is sun protection, and all children should have it, not just the ones who need prescription lenses for a refractive error or eye disorder. The human eye is a wonder of nature, but it’s not perfect. For example, it regulates light coming into the eye, but it doesn’t handle glare well.

There are four types of glare the human eye encounters: Distracting glare is caused by light reflecting off of a lens’s two surfaces. Antireflective treatment manages this problem.

Discomforting glare is experienced with changing lighting conditions, for example, when the sun ducks in and out of the clouds during the daytime. Photochromic lenses manage this glare. Disabling glare occurs when light levels are high and the eye experiences exceptional brightness, such as on a sandy beach on a bright day.

Fixed tint and photochromic lenses manage this glare. Blinding glare occurs when reflections off a shiny surface overwhelm vision to the point the person can’t see objects. Polarized lenses manage this glare.

Good quality sun lenses manage all four

types of glare. They also provide levels of visual comfort and protection children need. While it may be challenging to get the parents to spend the money for sunglasses in addition to a clear pair, the key to success is to emphasize that sunglasses are a medical necessity, not a fashion luxury. Sure, they can be fashionable … that’s clearly an objective, but their primary purpose is to manage the four types of glare, absorb UV and blue light, and provide exceptional impact resistance. These are elements of sunglasses parents will understand and accept.

IMPACT RESISTANCE AND KIDS When it’s time to decide on a lens material, there are three criteria the optician must address: 1. the impact resistance 2. the thickness requirements of the patient’s Rx 3. availability of the lens design in the desired material While all three have a bearing on the lens material you’ll choose for a patient, they must be considered in order of priority. The most important factor is impact resistance.

Lens materials fall into two fundamental categories: standard impact resistance and safety (or industrial) impact resistance. Most eyecare professionals will insist that children, especially little ones, get safety impact resistance lenses such as polycarbonate or Trivex for clear Rx eyewear and NXT for sunwear. Older children such as teens, might have some other material if the parent and the optician/optometrist decide it’s an acceptable option for them. That’s a professional decision that must be made individually.

As you can see, choosing safety impact-resistant materials substantially limits your lens choices (Trivex, polycarbonate and NXT). How the Rx affects thickness is your second concern. This may have you choosing polycarbonate over Trivex for its higher index of refraction to obtain a thinner lens profile, for example. The last consideration is availability. If the lens design you want for your young patient is not available in the material you want, you’ll have to move onto another material.

You should be aware that there is now a new lens material option named Tribrid.

It’s a Trivex-like material that has similar properties to Trivex but with a 1.60 index of

refraction and about half the impact resistance of Trivex (which is still substantially tougher than CR-39 and many other standard impact-resistant lens materials). Made

by PPG, it’s available in a variety of lens styles and may be just what your younger patients need. It has a very high Abbe value, a low specific gravity, very good impact resistance, offers 100% UV protection, is thin and coats and drills well.

ADEQUATE STOCK As mentioned earlier, children’s eyewear represents approximately 8% of total U.S. eyewear sales. This makes some offices less enthusiastic about selling children’s eyewear.

Most children’s eyewear contains single vision lenses, which are substantially less expensive than multifocals, and therefore have less profit in the total sale. From an inventory perspective, this can be a problem. For adults you have “men’s” and “women’s” frames that serve 92% of your clientele. That makes it worth stocking a large amount of them, probably one thousand frames or so, depending on your office size and patient base. Following that logic, you’d have only 80 frames for kids of all ages.

That’s clearly not going to offer enough choices for size, color, shape, etc.

If you’re serious about kid’s frames, you’ll need to put in an adequate supply that enables you to fit kids of all ages properly as well as offer them the features they need such as durability, impact resistance, different styles, color options and more.

How many is the right number? It’s difficult to determine a solid number or percentage because every office will make that determination differently. What is clear is that you’ll need a higher percentage of kids frames’ in stock than you would for the adult “men’s” and women’s” categories.

Instead of trying to pick an arbitrary number or percentage of kids’ frames to stock, consider what features you want your kids’ frames to have. You’ll need to consider the variable needs of kids in different age groups for this because their needs change as they get older. Find the products that match your list of features, and make sure you buy enough choices so that you can fit all your patients and their optical, fashion and lifestyle needs completely. When you’re satisfied that you can do that with the stock you have, you’ve determined the number or percentage of frames you need for kids.

ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II

fashion can be more important to them than eyewear function, so be on guard for this.

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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II COURTESY OF KIDS BY SAFILO

DEDICATED SPACE Now that you’ve decided what you want to carry, you’ll need to display it. Opticians who specialize in pediatric dispensing agree that you should have a dedicated kid-friendly space for children and their eyewear in your office. For example, Nallibe Mehfoud, an optician in Richmond, VA, with decades of pediatric dispensing experience, suggests a number of strategies: • create an adequate space for children’s frames, and make it warm, friendly, clean and appealing to them (and their parents) • make the space safe and child resistant by keeping all fragile and adult items (such as cords, chains, cleaners, clip-ons, etc.) away from this area • section the area using furniture • give the area a snappy kid-friendly name like “Kidz Korner” • decorate with toys, children’s books and magazines, puzzles, crayons and coloring books • post a bulletin board at children’s eye level showing current pictures of kids with their new eyeglasses • use a brightly colored tot-sized table and chair set with a matching bookshelf • a TV/digital player on hand is also a great source of entertainment and can be used to educate the parents on eyewear features and other optical considerations • display kids’ eyewear at kids’ eye level • make your displays bright, colorful and

appealing to kids • consider using brands kids recognize KEEP ’EM CLEAN I’ve always found it a bit odd that while we’re in the business of providing the clearest vision possible to our patients, we don’t spend much time explaining to eyewear buyers the importance of keeping their eyeglasses clean. By the way, this includes both the lenses and the frame.

On the frame side, there are three factors that keep eyewear secure and in place: balance, weight and what I call grip (tension and friction). Eyeglasses that don’t balance well slip, and those that are heavy slip even easier. But it’s the grip — the tension

of the temples to the head and the friction of the eyewear material that touches the face and nose — that helps avoid that slipping. What counteracts these things?

Facial oils that build up on the frame. The way to overcome the problem is to wash the frame routinely in mild soapy water. It takes less than a minute, and the resulting improvement in frame stability can be surprising.

Cleaning eyeglass lenses often just makes sense. The cleaner they are; the better they provide their full usefulness. I use my microfiber cleaning cloth every day, and I wash my lenses (and the frame) about once a week in warm soapy water.

Teaching young patients (and their parents) how to clean their eyewear and why it’s so important is not just good opticianry; it can also be good business. After demonstrating how to clean their lenses with your favorite cleaning solution, give them (or their parents, if the child is young) a sample of it, and suggest that they sign up for a replacement bottle every three months, which you sell to them. Also consider demonstrating how effective an ultrasonic unit is for cleaning eyeglass lenses and frames, and offer them one for sale.

Children’s eyewear can be a rewarding part of your dispensing experience. While it takes insight, special interpersonal skills, specific inventory and a strong commitment, the effort you give to this portion of the eyewear population will pay off on many levels. n Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM, is editor emeritus of First Vision Media Group.

This course is ONLY available for online testing.

TO TAKE THE TEST ONLINE: Go to VisionCareProducts.com/Education 1. U nder the black Log In Bar – log in (Note: If you have not registered on our new sites since September 2017 use the “register” link to register for online education, and record your user name and password for future access.)

2. Click on the course you would like to complete.

3. Review the course materials.

4. Take the test, and at the end of the course, after you submit your answers, your results will automatically appear on your screen!

5. A ll passing tests will automatically be submitted to ABO at the beginning of each month. You may print a copy of your certificate for your records.

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This very specific demographic subset has its own unique challenges . . . and rewards.

KIDS + VISION: FITTING SPECIAL NEEDS

Fitting SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

By Kevin Harrison, ABOC

F

itting children with pediatric eyewear presents challenges and opportunities, but fitting special needs children leads to an entirely different set of hurdles.

“Special needs” is a broad term. In most cases, people who hear the term typically think Down Syndrome, but there are a number of other challenges that fall into this category. In our dispensary, we have fit children with autism, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other disorders I wouldn’t even begin to try to pronounce, much less spell. We are presented with unique fits involving hearing aids and cochlear implants and even missing or malformed ears. Each customer is unique and must be dealt with accordingly.

FRAME SELECTION The first challenge is frame selection. Pediatric eyewear sales already represent a small segment of the typical customer base.

Unless you are known in your market for fitting special needs children, the number of frames specifically dedicated to fitting these special customers is an even smaller portion of your inventory mix.

Once you have determined what that percentage should be, you must decide how they are going to be displayed.

Because frames that can be worn by the more traditional pediatric customer may work for a special needs customer, but frames worn by the more special needs customer may not be appropriate for the typical pediatric customer, it is suggested that the special frames be stored in a tray in your understock to be pulled out on those occasions when they are needed. Frames for patients with Down Syndrome can often come out of regular stock, but specialty frames do exist, such as those with nosepad arms connected at a lower part of the eyewire to allow the wearer’s eyes to be better centered in the lenses.

Material is a huge factor in frame selection for most special needs children. If a metal frame must be used, I recommended memory metal, but most of these children would be better fit in a plastic frame with as much flexibility as possible. A rubberized frame is a great option as well as frames with few, if any, screws and hinges.

PRESENTATION In a typical pediatric engagement, the trick is to speak to the child.

Many special needs patients, however, are not as engaging, and many of their parents are, rightfully so, extremely protective of their children. The ways to communicate in these situations is best determined on a case-by-case basis. Talking with the more communicative of your special customers is a great way to reduce fear and make them feel like they are a true part of the decision-making process.

If the patient is non-communicative, the conversation should engage the parent(s). But even this communication needs to be different. Parents of special needs children typically need more detail in the information you provide. They need to know the why and the how about what you are doing for their child. If you are putting an eyewear retainer on a frame, they need to understand why. If you are not putting a retainer on a frame, they need to know why you don’t recommend it. And they need it all explained in the terms you would like to have it explained to you if you knew nothing about eyeglasses. We all know a temple is not a temple to the average consumer, for example.

So rather than just using the word “temple,” explain what it refers to.

MEASURING Special needs customers have seen more than their fair share of clinics and doctors. Just as with a more traditional pediatric customer, the lab coats and sterile environments can elicit a wide range of emotions, and

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KIDS + VISION: FITTING SPECIAL NEEDS

The reward for easing the burden on a special needs child or the parent of a special needs child will easily outweigh the occasional monetary loss. most of them are negative. If your job requires you to wear a lab coat, it might be a good idea to ditch it for these customers. Creating an environment with toys and colorful displays may make it more inviting for them, but even that doesn’t always soothe the patient.

Getting a simple PD measurement may feel like it requires a straightjacket and a number of people to hold the child down, but it doesn’t have to come to that. Getting perfection in the measurements for the smaller and younger special needs children (as well as many children in general) may be difficult to attain. Inner to outer canthus may be the only PD measurement available to you. While it may not be the most optimal measurement, it may be the only measurement you’ll be able to get.

Once familiarity is established, subsequent measurements will be better. Segment height measurements and monocular measurements present more of a challenge. Digital measuring devices that use a camera may be the best choice as some special needs children enjoy having their picture taken, and telling them you want to take their picture with their new eyeglasses may just do the trick. Regardless of the method you choose, expediency is the key. The faster you get a measurement, the better. You typically do not have much time to gain and maintain their attention!

SALES POTENTIAL While the special needs community may not be a large portion of your market, their families and extended families sure can be. By being willing to help special customers, you are certain to develop loyalty. That loyalty goes a long way in drawing the other members of their family in to see you. And the special needs community is a tight knit group. When you provide for one member of the community, they become walking advertising for you.

One prime example of this is the customer we had in our dispensary the other day. This small child had a number of birth defects.

Premature birth can create a multitude of challenges for a child as they grow. This child came in with hearing aids over each tiny ear.

The frames they came in with continually pushed the hearing aids from behind the ear. The solution was to take a popular plastic pediatric frame and modify it. These frames, and others in the same malleable material, come with an eyewear retainer strap, so we modified the frame by cutting the temple short, smoothing the rough edges, and drilling a hole in the remaining part of the temple. The retainer popped into the newly drilled hole and created a goggle that fits more easily and does not push the hearing aids out of the way. When the modified frame was dispensed, the mother immediately said she would tell all of her friends with similar issues to come see us. Wordof-mouth works extremely well in this community.

While we are all about making money, we should all remember our purpose, which is to make life better for all. Sometimes fitting a special needs customer may cost us more than we make. Sometimes we may even make the work we do a charity case. However, the reward for easing the burden on a special needs child or the parent of a special needs child will easily outweigh the occasional monetary loss. In fact, the cause marketing potential for helping these children can increase your overall sales in your more traditional markets. n Kevin Harrison, ABOC, is president and owner of Heritage Vision Center, an independent optical dispensary in Hattiesburg, MS.

THE RIGHT FIT Emerson Scott was born prematurely and had a lazy eye, among other eyesight issues, and her nosebridge wasn’t fully developed.

The glasses that she was originally prescribed in Boston didn’t fit well and couldn’t fully correct her vision. Her grandmother took her to see her own optician, Chris Cannella at Specs of Westport. After attempting to bend her current frames into the right position and trying on other brands, Cannella discovered that a pair of teal Kids

by Safilo frames fit much better and provided total vision correction. Designed to cover a child’s full field of vision, the collection is made of bio-based materials that are washable, hypoallergenic and non-toxic. The frames have a lower nosebridge and straight temples with a horizontal bend to “hug” the child’s head without pressure. The story had such heartwarming universal appeal that it was featured on Modern Living with Kathy Ireland.

LEFT: Mom Alexis Scott with daughter Emerson Scott in Kids by Safilo RIGHT: Safilo’s Bruce Abramson on the set of Modern Living with Kathy Ireland

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Reading, focusing, seeing the board at school – with the right lenses – a child can conquer the world, or at least first grade. And with the smudge- and scratch-resistant technology of Crizal Kids UV, their ultra-durable glasses will provide the clarity they need to succeed in school and in life. Essilor is known for superior quality and innovative technology, and its lenses are no different. The innovative Crizal Kids UV no-glare protection from Essilor is made especially for kids.

These lenses provide superior clarity of vision for school and superior safety for play. Benefits include protection from glare and reflections, safe, impact-resistant Airwear polycarbonate lens material, and comprehensive daily UV protection.

EssilorUSA.com

KIDS + VISION: PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ESSILOR OF AMERICA CRIZAL KIDS UV

KIDS BY SAFILO EYEWEAR COLLECTION FOR 2018 The KIDS by Safilo eyewear collection is designed in collaboration with SIOP (Società Italiana di Oftalmologia Pediatrica) in compliance with the WSPOS (World Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus). In lightweight, safe and eco-friendly materials and 100% made in Italy, the bio-compatible, hypoallergenic, and washable glasses are suited for infants and toddlers from 0 to 8 years old. The medical-scientific approach has resulted in children’s eyewear that is safe (flexible and free of sharp surfaces and edges); comfortable (lightweight, stable, with a lower bridge, a special temple design that hugs the child’s head and lenses that cover the child’s entire field of vision); durable (made with flexible and stable materials); and aesthetically pleasing (discreet on the child’s face, almost invisible, especially for younger children). KIDS by Safilo for children from 3 to 8 years feature new and playful color stories with fun and original graphics. Translucent fronts are combined with solid temples decorated with colorful patterns. Exclusive clipon sun-covers with polarized lenses provide glare-free vision, clear contrast, naturally appearing colors, reduced eye fatigue and 100% UV protection. New elastic straps and ultra-soft silicone tips keep the frame in place for extended periods without compromising comfort.

SafiloGroup.com/Kids

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KIDS + VISION: PRODUCT SHOWCASE

GUESS SPRING/SUMMER 2018 TWEEN COLLECTION The new GUESS Spring/Summer 2018 tween eyewear collection offers lightweight, easy-to-wear styles that play with lively, fun color combinations for a modern, trendy style. The fresh frames, in mainly rectangular shapes, are functional and stylish. This dynamic collection meets the requirements of today’s tween with refreshingly original materials and colors. GU9179 (on the cover of KIDS + VISION): These rectangular-shaped boys’ eyeglasses in acetate are available in different color combinations. GU9180: These boys’ rectangular eyeglasses in acetate and metal are available in shiny and satin color finishes for an original, lively look. GU9175: An injection-molded rectangular shape enhances these unisex eyeglasses. The color combinations of the frame brighten up this style. GU9176: Crystal effect hues in the frame complement this rectangular acetate eyeglass frame for girls. GU9177: A squared shape in acetate and metal defines this eyeglass frame for girls. The color combinations of the frame add a playful touch to this style.

Marcolin.com

ESSILOR VISION FOUNDATION Vision is an invisible problem as children are often unable to self-identify that their vision is impaired.

They rely on their parents, teachers and communities to be advocates for their vision care. Essilor Vision Foundation believes all children deserve to see the world clearly, and we work toward this goal every day. In 2017, Essilor Vision Foundation provided more than 250,000 pairs of eyeglasses to individuals in need. Our programs focus on overcoming the barriers to vision care so fewer children slip through the cracks. We partner with communities and nonprofit organizations around the U.S. to provide eye exams and eyeglasses to underserved children at no cost to their families. We also work to educate parents, teachers, school nurses and other adults about the importance of vision and the role it plays in literacy, society and the economy. We count on vision advocates who want to make a difference by volunteering their time to help spread the word about the importance of regular eye exams. Without charitable eye doctors, millions of children across the U.S. would be unable to obtain vision services. With your help, we can provide vision service to the millions of children in need.

EVFUSA.org

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Every Child Deserves to See the World Clearly Millions of kids in the U.S. need vision care

DID YOU KNOW?

80% of all vision impairment

™

1 IN 4 CHILDREN have a vision problem that affects their ability to learn

Children rely on their PARENTS, TEACHERS and COMMUNITY to be advocates for their VISION CARE.

V could be PREVENTED OR CURED

To learn more or to donate, visit www.evfusa.org At Essilor Vision Foundation, we strive to give children a brighter future by helping them see the world more clearly.

Since 2007, the Essilor Vision Foundation has provided more than 500,000 pairs of eyeglasses to individuals in need. The Essilor Vision Foundation is a 501(c)3 public, non-profit organization committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences.

™

©2018 Essilor Vision Foundation. All rights reserved. Unless indicated otherwise, all registered trademarks, service marks, and trademarks are the property of Essilor Vision Foundation. The Essilor Vision Foundation logo is a trademark of Essilor of America, Inc. and used under license. Better Life Through Better Sight is a trademark of Essilor International used with permission. Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) is a non-profit organization committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences. EVF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and donations may be obtained without cost by writing Dept. of Finance, Essilor Vision Foundation, 13515 N. Stemmons Fwy., Dallas, TX 75234 or calling 1-866-385-0447.

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