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Anne M. Lystne,
Optician
A Child's View, Inc. / Huntington Beach, CA
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Anne M. Lystne, Optician
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What lens materials do you generally dispense to children?
We mainly use polycarbonate lenses for rimmed frames and for drill mounts we often use
Trivex. Polycarbonate lenses are thinner and lighter than the plastic (CR-39) lenses many of us grew up using. They also have the added benefits of inherent UV protection and are up to 10 times more shatter resistant than CR-39. This added safety is what makes this product so valuable for use with children.
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What issues do you face when fitting children?
At A Child’s View we specialize in infants to teens, so we are often dealing with children during the most crucial period of their visual lives. Parents arriving in our office with their baby, toddler or preschooler and a newly written prescription have lots of questions and fears. On numerous occasions I have been told that they learned more about what’s going on with their child’s vision in my office than they did at the doctor’s office. With a fuller understanding of what the glasses will do and why the child needs them now, the parent is far more motivated to obtain compliance from their child. The owner of A Child’s View, Katheryn Dabbs-Schramm is currently in the process of publishing what will basically be a handbook to help parents who are in the midst of this very situation.
How do you deal with brand conscious children/parents?
So many children today are aware of brand names that it can really make wearing glasses easier than the parent may have hoped! Barbie and Converse have been a mainstay for years now. Shrek is a new line that has recently come out with very durable, stylish frames that even the young ones can get excited about. Juicy Girls are big winners and are manufactured by a company known for its quality. Marchon Flexon for Kids is a brand that many parents didn’t know about until they come in and see for themselves just how strong a frame can be. With these and others we offer a wide selection of hip brand name products. What we don’t do is compromise durability for namesake as performance is what is remembered long after the thrill of the name has worn off.
How does the increase in Ophthalmologist dispensing affect your practice?
We have seen a decline in foot traffic and direct referrals since some of our local doctor’s have been offering eyewear in their offices. But we also see the return of many clients who have purchased a pair of eyeglasses from their doctor’s dispensary out of convenience or a feeling of obligation. They often opt to come back to A Child’s View because of the wide selection, the over 22 years of experience working with children and the service we offer. I believe that’s what sets us apart because that’s what I’m told time and again.
What advice do you give parents to help them maintain their children's eyewear?
Two hands on and two hands off is our mantra. I tell both parent and child that the glasses need to be maintained on a regular basis. This comes as news to many people. If they are not in the correct position on the face, the child will not receive the full benefits of the Rx. We have a regular schedule for adjustments that we encourage them to follow for maximum benefit and minimum heartache. We give them advice on how to keep track of them. Parents are heartened to know there is nothing they can do to their glasses that we can’t undo with the exception of losing them.
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