Children’s Vision
At North Lakes Optometry we have a special interest in Childrens Vision.
Simon, our optometrist, developed a special interest in children’s vision early in his career. It started when, as a teenager, he volunteered at Temple Bank School for Blind and Partially Sighted Children in Bradford. Then there were undergraduate Paediatric Clinics at City University London, and a third of his MSc studies in Binocular Vision Anomalies. Later he was a Senior Optometrist at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in the days when St Mary’s Children’s Hospital was just the other end of a covered walkway and newborns with suspected congenital conditions were brought in for their first eye exam, often travelling by humidicrib.
Fast forward to 2016 – Simon became aligned with the Eye Clinic at the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH).
The Ophthalmology department at QCH experienced very strong demand for Paediatric Eye Care since opening in November 2014. To help release some of the pressure on its services, the ophthalmology department enlisted a number of community based optometrists with relevant training and experience, as well as a commitment to evidence-based paediatric eye care.
Initially, forty three optometrists spread throughout Queensland were signed up provide follow-up care using evidence-based best practice clinical care pathways as well as liaising with and reporting findings to the team at the QCH Eye Clinic.
The Queensland Children’s Eye Health Steering Committee issued the following statement:
“Dr Simon Little has been invited to participate in the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH) Eye Clinic’s Paediatric Optometry Alignment Pilot Program. This innovative program plans to establish a network of dedicated and specialised eye health clinicians (Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Orthoptists) with up-to-date knowledge and skills to deliver an exceptional level of care for children with eye-related problems. The program will provide aligned optometrists with access to education resources for effectively treating children as well as a direct communication link with the clinicians of the QCH Eye Clinic in order to seek advice in the care of individual children where necessary. This ensures your child will be treated by an optometrist who is in partnership with some of Queensland’s leading children’s eye health clinicians with a charter to deliver the best possible care.”
We are also a proud supplier of frames from Erin’s World; a frame line designed to accommodate and fit the features of children and adults with Down syndrome, as well as other individuals with unique facial features. This innovative eyeglass design includes a bridge which is adjusted to properly fit a low nasal bridge and temples (or “arms” of the glasses) which are modified to keep the glasses from constantly slipping down.
Erin’s World frames aim to improve the sight and quality of life for children and adults with Down syndrome and other unique facial features by providing custom frames that fit their unique needs.
For more information on the Paediatric Optometry Alignment Program, see: