By Thomas Weissberger, RO

What responsibilities do opticians have when treating childhood myopia?

“There is no truly successful communication without passion”

Most times opticians are the first and most consistent line of communication with the wearer and their parents. It is up to us to not only determine lifestyles / needs, but to guide the wearer and family towards understanding the need for these types of specialty lenses; and we must do so with passion and positivity.

1. The optician can use many tools supplied by the major manufacturers to make it easy to give both guidance and explanations to ease both the understanding and apprehensions of the clients.
2. We can use the expertise available to make it easier to develop a management program for the condition and ongoing treatment.
3. Clients and their families will remain loyal, and due to the ongoing contact required for the program management, you will see them back in your practice every three to six months, giving multiple opportunities to expand your client base.

Always keep in mind the five precepts of proper fitting, remembering that to be successfully worn and used, the wearer must look through the optical centers.

1. 15mm from pupil center to top of frame (a minimum distance is required to ensure that the defocus lenselets are present entirely around the central visual area)
2. Eyes centered vertically and horizontally, choose correctly fitting frames and fit them so that there is minimum movement
3. Try for rounded corners
4. Try to maintain the least amount of panto and wrap tilt. The flatter the fit the more effective the action of the peripheral defocus zones
5. Avoid Frames over 52mm eye size to ensure cut-out of the lens blanks remembering that the lenses cannot be decentered by prism, to ensure OCs are opposite the central line of gaze

The rewards of treating childhood myopia

As ECPs and part of the circle of care team, we have the opportunity to reduce the spread of a major epidemic with potential for catastrophic effects on both the health and life enjoyment of our clients. We need to expand our scope of care and be the ones to help come up with solutions and answers, and to realize that ultimately, we will all benefit, not only from a professional and business standpoint, but also a personal satisfaction feeling that we have truly helped someone.

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The Practical Professor: Optical Solutions for the Real World

I am a second generation optician and have made all aspects of opticianry and optics my life. I have over 10 years of teaching experience as a former professor in the Dispensing Opticians– program at Seneca College and at Georgian College. I was also responsible for
modernization of the optical curriculum.

I am a trainer and trainee (One never stops learning!), and I am available to share my knowledge and experience with today–s eye care professionals. As the owner of Special Eyes Optical Services, I am dedicated to supporting the optical industry. You can reach out to me at Tom@SpecialeyesOpticalServices.com.