The increase in digital device usage and exposure among all age groups may be fueling eye fatigue and more concerns about the increasing rate of myopia in children. Although the coronavirus pandemic did bring renewed attention to eye care, many parents are not aware of the importance of routine eye exams for young children, says Jean Kelly, MCOptom.
“My goal was to raise higher awareness among parents, who often visit the practice only after their child starts showing symptoms, which inspired me to create an augmented reality (AR) children’s workbook,” she says. “AR enables some of the pages to come to life using a digital device. The reader hears actual voices and animations when they hold their digital device over the pages.”
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
Dr. Kelly always had a strong interest in pediatric eye care, especially providing support for children with dyslexia and reading difficulties. Her passion led her to attain a professional certificate in pediatric care and create workshops for children, especially for kids between the ages of 7 and 8. Dr. Kelly teaches children about how they can look after their eyes, how we see, the parts of the eye, the importance of regular eye exams, what happens in an eye exam, the difference between longsightedness and shortsightedness, Braille and the impact of vision loss. She uses resources from her presentation, the interactive workbooks and hands-on activities/games.
“The kids love the workshops, but I wasn’t sure how much of the information taught in class would be relayed back to their parents,” she says. Previously, Dr. Kelly distributed leaflets and goody bags for the children to take home, but she realized they can only do so much. So, she designed an AR interactive workbook to accompany the workshops.
The 48-page book, Your Eyes – Eyecare Adventures with Op, Tish and Ann, revolves around the adventures of three bears who relay eye care information and advice. “The three bears were inspired by the teddy bears mascots in our practice. My nieces and nephew were the voice actors of the bears,” she says.
“The AR component was especially crucial because it requires parents to use an app on their phone/tablet since most children of this age don’t have their own phones. Once parents engage in the process, it’s natural for parents to read and learn what their child is learning at school,” she says.
There is a section within the book dedicated to parents. The workbook has lots of fun activity pages included such as word scrambles, dot-to-dot, coloring in, spot the difference and ‘look and find.’ There are also two competition pages at the end of the book, which provides another opportunity for children to engage their parents and encourage families to interact with the practice to enter the competition.
UNIQUE, MODERN LEARNING EXPERIENCE
The book was originally designed to enable Dr. Kelly to use it in her own workshops and in the practice, but when fellow eye care professionals (ECPs) expressed interest to purchase copies, she realized it was an opportunity to raise awareness about vision globally through a fun, interactive experience. Dr. Kelly launched the book in partnership with HOYA at the Optix Conference in Wales in November 2021. ECPs were amazed by the design and AR technology within the book, she says.
Feedback in schools has been phenomenal, she says. “The kids love it, teachers are super impressed and I’ve witnessed an increased level of engagement among parents who visit our practice as a result of using the workbook,” Dr. Kelly says.
“It’s heartbreaking to see children struggling in school because they can’t see properly. Additionally, many children aren’t aware that they aren’t seeing well because they think their vision is normal. They don’t know how other children see, or how they ‘should’ be seeing. I hope the interactive workbook stresses the importance of routine eye exams and education among parents and kids so we can intervene at an earlier stage,” she says.
For more information about the book or purchasing inquiries, contact Dr. Kelly through her email info@eglintoneyecare.co.uk or contact by telephone +442871814991.
