Adelaide Eye Therapy

Amazing work Henry & Zeke RSB Guide Dog! A wonderful fundraiser last night for See Differently with the Royal Society for the Blind, single handedly organised by the tenacious Charlotte Germaine. She is a trailblazer! Last year the event raised $16,000 so hopefully this year is more!

We are as passionate about education, as we are with providing evidence based outcomes to our patients. Thank you to all that came to hear our talk!

To those that might be interested, the 9th National Brain Injury Australia Conference will be held in Adelaide this year. It's the first one where the discipline of Orthoptics makes an appearance!

There will be a presentation on orthoptics in the context of concussion management, neuro orthoptics in acquired brain injury, and also a presentation on orthoptics in the wider setting of acquired and traumatic brain injury. If you are there, please come and introduce yourself! 🙂

Join us for the 9th National Brain Injury Conference, in partnership with Business Events Adelaide and Government of SA.
📆24th-26th September, 2024
🌏Adelaide Oval, SA
🎟️Register - https://braininjuryconference.com.au/register/

Patching is a common treatment method for the vision condition, Amblyopia. You may have heard of this being called 'Lazy eye', BUT here at Speckles we prefer the more encouraging term 'curious eye'.

🧠 With Amblyopia, vision loss occurs because one eye has clearer vision than the other and the brain begins to favour it, ignoring images from the ‘curious eye’. Due to this, the visual pathway between the ‘curious eye’ and the brain is unable to develop a strong and reliable connection, leading to underdevelopment.

👀 Patching or ‘occlusion therapy’, involves penalising the eye with clearer vision to give the 'curious eye' a competitive advantage. Over time this allows its nerve connections to strengthen and develop, preventing vision loss 👏🏼⁠

For many of our little legends, explaining to people why they have to patch their eyes can be a daily struggle. ⁠Share this with your family and friends for and let's celebrate kids with a ! ✨❤️

Learn more at our eyeHUB https://specklesforkids.com/pages/eyehub-blogs

[image description: Graphics of brains with eyes wearing an eye patch and text explaining why we patch the eye, as outlined above.]

As orthoptists, we are so fortunate to call so many wonderful ophthalmologists our friends and colleagues. Thank you for all you do in your care of patients and for the eye care profession!

What does an Ophthalmologist do?
An Ophthalmologist is an eye doctor and surgeon who specialises in diagnosing and managing disorders of the eye and visual system. In simple terms? They save the gift of sight!

How many sight-saving heroes are out there?
There are currently almost 1,100 registered Ophthalmologists in Australia. While the practice of Ophthalmology is an extremely expensive medical specialist practice, it remains a highly competitive medical speciality. This is good, in that it means patients continue to be guaranteed the highest quality ophthalmic care across Australia and New Zealand. 

Why are eye surgeons the ultimate authority on eye health?
Ophthalmology requires a minimum of 12 years of tertiary study, first attaining a medical degree, completing internship and residency as a doctor, and then undertaking further specialist study as an Ophthalmologist. There are some conditions only their specialist-trained eye can see!

With 9 in 10 Australians reflecting that ‘sight’ is their most valued sense, it’s high time we created strong public sentiment for ophthalmologists and their sight-saving specialty!

 

Yay to blind Barbie! Not only does this build awareness around vision impainment in young people, but also provides our young person living with vision impairment an opportunity to obtain a toy just like them!

Introducing Blind Barbie: A New Role Model for All! 🌟

As an advocate for inclusivity, we are excited to welcome Blind Barbie to the world of toys, representing children with low vision.

With previous Barbie dolls representing women with Down Syndrome, wheelchair users, and hearing aid users, this new addition continues to ensure that children with disabilities see themselves represented in society.

Blind Barbie comes with stylish sunglasses to acknowledge light sensitivity, a satiny pink blouse with a textured ruffle skirt for tactile exploration, and a white cane with a red tip. Her design also extends to her packaging, featuring braille inscriptions, ensuring that all kids can enjoy her without barriers.

You can purchase Blind Barbie on the Mattel website >> https://shorturl.at/dvyl5, and if Barbie or dolls aren't your thing, we have heaps of inclusive games perfect for the whole family including Braille Monopoly, Uno, large print Scrabble, and more available at our Low Vision Centre or online here >> https://shorturl.at/LOHpT

Thank you to the lovely Becky Pizzilli for coming in to share with us the wonderful work that she does as an occupational therapist working in brain injury rehabilitation. Becky is an experienced, passionate, and grounded person who is working so hard to help people with brain injury be their best selves.

Occupational therapists and orthoptists work together frequently, be it with patients with acquired or traumatic brain injury, physical or intellectual disability, or with blindness or vision impairment. As orthoptists, we work to provide a unique understanding of how a person's vision problem may be impacting so many aspects of their daily life.

This week is Orthoptic Awareness Week, where orthoptists Australia wide celebrate the unique and valuable skill set that we possess. Orthoptists are integral to the eye health care system, and work alongside ophthalmologists, optometrists and other allied health providers to optimise vision outcomes for patients.

The team at Adelaide Eye Therapy are passionate about providing the very best in orthoptic care, including in clinic appointments and therapy, vision screening in schools, and participating in clinical trials to help to develop new and emerging treatments to treat eye disease.

Happy Orthoptic Awareness Week!

Orthoptics Australia

Zanobia, Jessica, Tania and Denise

We are the team at Adelaide Eye Therapy.

Individually we are experienced, compassionate and knowledgeable clinicians, and together we provide the very best in orthoptic care.

Tania has more than 20 years experience as a paediatric and adult orthoptist. She is passionate about her work, and provides a goal focussed, client centred approach. Tania has a special interest in strabismus, eye movement, eye co-ordination disorders, and concussion related eye problems.

She has worked in private practice in Adelaide since 2003 and at various public appointments including The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre, Modbury Hospital, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, and the Broken Hill Base Hospital. She has volunteered with Sight for All, in the area of training of orthoptists in developing countries.

Tania graduated with a Bachelor of Orthoptic and Ophthalmic Sciences from La Trobe University, Victoria in 2003. She gained her postgraduate qualification in Genetic Counselling in 2009 from Charles Sturt University.

Tania has been a member of Orthoptics Australia since 2003 and is registered with the Australian Orthoptic Board. She has publications in several peer-reviewed journals, mainly in the area of genetic eye conditions.

Tania is married and a mum to 4 rambunctious boys, and 2 border collies. In her spare time she enjoys outback adventures, camping and hiking with her family.

We never stop learning!

A wonderful few days spent in Melbourne attending the Australian and New Zealand Strabismological Society meeting. It is always so wonderful listening to expert speakers bringing with them new ideas, and catching up with colleagues that work in this niche area of eye care.

The final photo is of our Adelaide contingent - we are not doing too badly!

Jess is passionate about paediatric orthoptics and has spent the last 10 years working in primarily strabismus and amblyopia management. She is a vision screening extraordinaire, providing specialist assessment in the school environment.

Jessie developed the screening program used at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She currently has a public appointment there, and has also spent time at Flinders Medical Centre and Broken Hill Base Hospital, as well as private practice. She prides herself on making the experience of an orthoptic assessment easy and fun for children.

Jess graduated with a Bachelor of Orthoptic and Ophthalmic sciences from La Trobe University, Victoria in 2011. She is a current member with Orthoptics Australia and is registered with the Australian Orthoptic Board. She has also presented at several national Orthoptic conferences.

Outside of her work as an orthoptist, Jess can be found in the kitchen cooking up a storm. You'll also find her by the water, swimming and surfing. Nature makes her happy and keeps her calm enough to take on the challenge of her paediatric clinics.

Zanobia is an enthusiastic and empathetic orthoptist. She has a strong clinical interest in adult and paediatric strabismus, eye movements disorders, amblyopia and double vision management.

Zanobia is passionate in providing each patient with the best possible experience, with optimal outcomes. Her career choice was driven by her special affection towards children and in helping people in general. She seeks ways to make an orthoptic assessment into a fun and playful session for her paediatric patients.

Zanobia graduated from La Trobe University, Victoria in 2012, with a degree in Orthoptic & Ophthalmic Sciences (Hons). Her honours research project involved analysing the age group differences in the eye movement patterns that were initiated to recognise various facial expressions. She also holds a diploma in Ophthalmic Technology from Mumbai University, India. She is a current member of Orthoptics Australia and is registered with the Australian Orthoptic Board.

Zanobia has earlier worked in a multi-speciality private eye clinic of Hobart and has extensive experience in general orthoptics, adult and paediatric ocular motility assessments, and LASIK suitability assessments. She has recently moved to Adelaide to further continue pursuing her passion in ocular motility disorders at Adelaide Eye Therapy. Apart from being a dedicated orthoptist, she is an avid reader and enjoys cooking. She is a foodie at heart and will be often found trying out a delicacy at a restaurant or café. She is extremely fond of travelling and loves going up to the hills to break free from life. Other times you will find her just chilling, sipping a cup of chai and watching Netflix.

Zanobia is fluent in Hindi and Urdu.

Denise is passionate about providing client centred care. She has special interests in paediatric and adult strabismus, amblyopia treatment, double vision, eye movement and eye co-ordination disorders.

Denise has primarily worked both in public and private clinics within South Australia, and her current public appointment is at Flinders Medical Centre.

Denise graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Orthoptics from La Trobe University, Victoria in 2018. She has been a member of Orthoptics Australia since 2018 and registered with the Australian Orthoptic Board since then.

Denise is passionate about orthoptics and advocating for the profession. She has held a position on the Continuing Education Committee for Orthoptics Australia, the Board Advisory Forum and has been a South Australian state representative since 2020.

Outside of orthoptics, Denise enjoys spending her time near the ocean, surfing, snorkelling and exploring Australia’s coastline.

Thanks for the visit today Charlotte and Zeke !

We are proudly sponsoring Charlotte's upcoming fundraising event, Paws for Celebration, aiming to raise valuable funds for See Differently, so that they can continue to train high calibre guide dogs for people with vision impairment. Charlotte has been fundraising for the organisation for a few years now, and this year hopes to reach her $50,000 target.

So if anyone out there would like to support Charlotte and her event, please book a ticket to the dinner in August! We will be there with bells on.

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1144506?fbclid=IwAR01FyKAs7nwQVuBYFYjYHBLs8lVsifKMJMfbQyYc3aPSbZCngfBPpRsdgE

Happy Easter from the Adelaide Eye Therapy team! We hope that everyone is enjoying a safe and happy long weekend.

VISION HAPPENS IN THE BRAIN

Yes, that's right. Our eyes are just the very start for the visual system, and certainly without them we wouldn't see. But equally, without our brain being able to interpret the information that the eyes receive, we wouldn't see. This means that any type of neurological diagnosis (such as traumatic or acquired brain injury, vestibular dysfunction, stroke, tumour, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, dementia, cerebellar atrophy etc), can lead to difficulties with vision. These difficulties might be related to an eye movement problem, or in the way that the brain processes visual information. Orthoptic exercises can be very helpful in such instances, and our orthoptists are trained in determining what type of exercise is required, dependent on what the specific visual problem is.

Vision is complex!

To all of our friends that celebrate, Merry Christmas! We hope that you enjoy a peaceful holiday, and take some time to rest and refresh. We will all be enjoying some well earned time off, and will see you again in clinic from 8th January 2024.

We have the most amazing team! Thank you to Denise, Jess, Lachie, Anna and Denis for their dedication and support this year. Individually you are all amazing clinicians and genuinely wonderful people. You have all contributed equally to our team to optimise visual outcomes for our clients, and we are immensely proud of all we have achieved!

Our office will be closing from 25th December 2023 for 2 weeks, reopening again on 8th January 2024. We wish to thank all of our wonderful clients for entrusting us with their orthoptic care, and hope that you all enjoy a safe and happy holiday.

We are so very proud of you Sarah!! Our amazing client is a force to be reckoned with. Bright, engaging, innovative and encouraging, Sarah has lived with vision impairment for many years, and has recently been partnered with her guide dog buddy Sunny. Please head over and support her page Sunny and Sarah, where Sarah provides education and information around approaching people with vision impairment and their guides. Sarah, we can't wait to see what the future holds for you! You are such an amazing advocate for yourself and others.

So, this happened a while ago, but I forgot to post about it at the time! Honoured to have been asked to write an article about my love for treating binocular vision disorders. I am a more experienced and passionate orthoptist now than I was 20 years ago, and can't wait for what the next 20 years have in store for me!

https://www.insightnews.com.au/a-journey-through-binocular-vision-disorders/?fbclid=IwAR1fJtSMckCWiw2zRQQ4BOkWl2txFPNJP6znqrSYFFztBhekmMWnQ02Id_k

As orthoptists, we work with physics and optics on a day to day basis. And we love it! A prism lens can be a really useful tool if someone is suffering from double vision, as it lines up images so that the person is no longer seeing double. A prism lens works by bending light, and moving where the person sees a double image. We move it so that it lines up with the image in the other eye, and this then gives normal binocular vision and depth perception. Prisms can be stuck on to a person's existing glasses, or can be incorporated into a person's next prescription eyewear. As orthoptists, we specialise in prism prescription, and fitting Fresnel prism in instances of recent onset double vision.

There are many aspects of vision that can produce a dislike of reading for your child. Whilst reduced vision in one or both eyes can do this, so too can a disorder of the way that the brain and eyes coordinate visual information, known as binocular vision. A problem of eye coordination can cause blurred and double vision at near, and is not something that glasses can help with. This type of problem is however best treated with simple and effective orthoptic eye exercises, that can produce quick and long-lasting results. This type of treatment is what we specialise in!

To all our friends that celebrate, Happy Diwali!

Symptoms such as headache, eyestrain and dizziness can indicate a problem of your binocular vision. It may be that individually each eye sees well, however the way that the two eyes interact to produce a complete and single image is interrupted. This can result in the symptoms mentioned, as well as double vision, intermittent blurred vision and motion sensitivity. So if you have been told that your sight is fine, but you are still experiencing symptoms, ensure to have a full assessment looking at your binocular vision. It just could help to explain so many of your symptoms, and there are many simple treatments available to get your eyes coordinating well again.

Happy World Sight Day! This year's theme centres around ensuring workplaces facilitate optimal situations to reduce eyestain. A good reminder to ensure that you are conscious about ensuring your workstation is set up for success!

We've enjoyed a wonderful 2 days at the Neuro Ophthalmology Society of Australia conference in Adelaide. An excellent program with lots of learning had.

A reminder to contact lens wearers....

Do you go swimming in your contact lenses? 👀

According to researchers from UNSW, this increases the risk of picking up a very rare but sight-threatening infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK).

In a new study, the researchers detected the microorganism Acanthamoeba, which causes AK, in swimming locations on the NSW coast.

To minimise risk of infection, swimmers should always remove their contact lenses before entering the water.

📷 Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Read more: https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/microorganism-causes-rare-severe-eye-infections-detected-nsw-coastal-areas-study?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social