In an earlier post, I had outlined fundamental principles of hyperopia (farsightedness) as a physical disability. Likewise, astigmatism is a frequently un-diagnosed and untreated visual impediment that contributes to child health, behaviour, development, and learning concerns. The impact of nearsightedness…
Happy to be able to contribute to this latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Optometry. “The ‘20/20/20 Rule’ – When Good Intentions and Axiomatic Habit Displace Best Practices” https://opto.ca/document/cjo-volume-78-issue-4 https://opto.ca/sites/default/files/resources/documents/cjo_w16_lores.pdf
Every week brings in new children to my clinic; children who have hit a dead end with family doctors and paediatricians, as well as with the schools. I run a child vision development clinic, and we see children with apparent…
On the radio, A FATHER GIVES HIS MILLENNIAL SON ADVICE ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT IN LIFE: “If school is making you miserable, the quit. Do what makes you happy, you only live one life.” We are comforted by the idea that…
Less Than Meets the Eye: When ‘Expert’ Advice is False Economy Pediatricians receive only cursory training in assessing children’s visual function, and only minimal exposure to ophthalmic disease. This is reflected in the visual screening recommendations by The American Academy…
(See Part 2 here.) In the Preface to this series, I mentioned how I’ve been personally attacked for my advocacy for better (any) standards for children’s vision needs. No, I don’t have a saviour complex, and would much prefer to…
What We Don’t See Affects How Things Appear (See Part 1 here.) Sharry came in with her daughter Sam, a socially awkward but friendly and intelligent 9 year-old, who is struggling in Gr 4. “The pediatrician said her eyes were…
(See the Introduction here.) For many years, researchers have asked, ‘Why is it that nearsighted children seem to fare better in academics than farsighted children?’ Some have even gone so far as to suggest myopic IQ’s are higher than hyperopic…
(See the Preface here.) There are many uses of the word ‘blind’. The concept is so broadly understood, and feared, that many languages have adopted the term to other common uses. When someone does not appreciate the gravity of a…
Vision. So what. What’s so special about vision? That is, it’s importance cannot be overstated, but as one family doctor told me one day when discussing a child who had recently been given medications for behaviour and emotional concerns, “what…