Here is just one of the new adorable designs.
Stay tuned as more designs are released here!
Ficklets® - Making eyeglasses fun one kid at a time!
New! Exclusive Ficklets® Only Available at Walmart Vision Center
Ficklets® are now available at your local Walmart Vision Center! These exclusive designs that will bring an instant WOW to your child's eyeglasses can only be purchased at Walmart. You can still shop from the wonderful assortment online at Ficklets.com.
Here is just one of the new adorable designs.
Stay tuned as more designs are released here!
Ficklets® - Making eyeglasses fun one kid at a time!
Here is just one of the new adorable designs.
Stay tuned as more designs are released here!
Ficklets® - Making eyeglasses fun one kid at a time!
Ficklets® Now Available at Walmart Vision Centers
Ficklets®, custom charms for custom kids, are now available at your local Walmart Vision Center! Created to get kids excited about their glasses, they are packaged with two pairs carefully selected to appeal to both girls and boys.
Ficklets® are Whimsical. Versatile. Fresh.
Ficklets® are the first patented interchangeable eyewear charms - a fun way for kids to embrace eyeglasses. Try them on... a smile is waiting for you!
New Vision of How We Explore Our World
Apr. 4, 2013 — Brain researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute have discovered that we explore the world with our eyes in a different way than previously thought. Their results advance our understanding of how healthy observers and neurological patients interact and glean critical information from the world around them.
The research team was led by Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde, Director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience at Barrow, in collaboration with fellow Barrow Neurological Institute researchers Jorge Otero-Millan, Rachel Langston, and Dr. Stephen Macknik, Director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology. The study, titled "An oculomotor continuum from exploration to fixation," was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previously, scientists thought that we sample visual information from the world in two main different modes: exploration and fixation. "We used to think that we make large eye movements to search for objects of interest, and then fix our gaze to see them with high detail," says Martinez-Conde. "But now we know that's not quite right."
The discovery shows that even during visual fixation, we are actually scanning visual details with small eye movements -- just like we explore visual scenes with big eye movements, but on a smaller scale. This means that exploration and fixation are two ends of the same continuum of oculomotor scanning.
Subjects viewed natural images while the team measured their eye movements with high-speed eye tracking. The images could range in size from the massive, presented on a room-sized video monitor in the Barrow Neurological Institute's Eller Telepresence Room, normally used for Barrow's surgeons to collaborate in brain surgeries with colleagues around the world, to images that are just half the width of your thumb nail.
In all cases, the researchers found that subjects' eyes scanned the scenes with the same general strategy, along a smooth continuum of dynamical changes. "There was no abrupt change in the characteristics of the eye movements, whether the visual scenes were huge or tiny, or even when the subjects were fixing their gaze. That means that the brain controls eye movements in the same way when we explore and when we fixate," said Dr. Martinez-Conde.
Scientists have studied how the brain controls eye movements for over 100 years, and the idea -- challenged here -- that fixation and exploration are fundamentally different behaviors has been central to the field. This new perspective will affect future research and bring focus to the study of neurological diseases that impact oculomotor behavior.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130405094521.htm
The research team was led by Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde, Director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience at Barrow, in collaboration with fellow Barrow Neurological Institute researchers Jorge Otero-Millan, Rachel Langston, and Dr. Stephen Macknik, Director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology. The study, titled "An oculomotor continuum from exploration to fixation," was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previously, scientists thought that we sample visual information from the world in two main different modes: exploration and fixation. "We used to think that we make large eye movements to search for objects of interest, and then fix our gaze to see them with high detail," says Martinez-Conde. "But now we know that's not quite right."
The discovery shows that even during visual fixation, we are actually scanning visual details with small eye movements -- just like we explore visual scenes with big eye movements, but on a smaller scale. This means that exploration and fixation are two ends of the same continuum of oculomotor scanning.
Subjects viewed natural images while the team measured their eye movements with high-speed eye tracking. The images could range in size from the massive, presented on a room-sized video monitor in the Barrow Neurological Institute's Eller Telepresence Room, normally used for Barrow's surgeons to collaborate in brain surgeries with colleagues around the world, to images that are just half the width of your thumb nail.
In all cases, the researchers found that subjects' eyes scanned the scenes with the same general strategy, along a smooth continuum of dynamical changes. "There was no abrupt change in the characteristics of the eye movements, whether the visual scenes were huge or tiny, or even when the subjects were fixing their gaze. That means that the brain controls eye movements in the same way when we explore and when we fixate," said Dr. Martinez-Conde.
Scientists have studied how the brain controls eye movements for over 100 years, and the idea -- challenged here -- that fixation and exploration are fundamentally different behaviors has been central to the field. This new perspective will affect future research and bring focus to the study of neurological diseases that impact oculomotor behavior.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130405094521.htm
Study Finds Children’s Headaches Rarely Indicate a Need for Eyeglasses
Often times, when a child has reoccurring headaches, we think it's associated with potential vision problems. A new study from November 2012, provided the first clear evidence that vision or eye problems are rarely the cause of reoccurring headaches in children even when the headaches start while doing school work or at school.
At the 116th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the "retrospective study, which was conducted at the ophthalmology clinic of Albany Medical Center in New York state, researchers reviewed the medical records of 158 children under age 18 who were seen at the clinic for frequent headaches from 2002-11. All of the children received complete eye exams by the clinic's ophthalmologists.
No significant correlation was found between their frequent headaches and a need for vision correction. The researchers reached this conclusion by comparing the results of the clinic's exams of the children with headaches to the records of their previous eye exams and other relevant medical care. Eye health and vision test results remained unchanged from earlier exams for 75 percent of the children. Also, children who already had eyeglasses were not found to need new prescriptions at the time they were seen at the clinic for headaches. Although about 14 percent of the children reported that their headaches occurred while doing visual tasks like homework, and about nine percent reported visual symptoms associated with their headaches, a need for vision correction did not appear to be the primary cause or a significant factor in any of these cases, according to the study."
At the 116th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the "retrospective study, which was conducted at the ophthalmology clinic of Albany Medical Center in New York state, researchers reviewed the medical records of 158 children under age 18 who were seen at the clinic for frequent headaches from 2002-11. All of the children received complete eye exams by the clinic's ophthalmologists.
No significant correlation was found between their frequent headaches and a need for vision correction. The researchers reached this conclusion by comparing the results of the clinic's exams of the children with headaches to the records of their previous eye exams and other relevant medical care. Eye health and vision test results remained unchanged from earlier exams for 75 percent of the children. Also, children who already had eyeglasses were not found to need new prescriptions at the time they were seen at the clinic for headaches. Although about 14 percent of the children reported that their headaches occurred while doing visual tasks like homework, and about nine percent reported visual symptoms associated with their headaches, a need for vision correction did not appear to be the primary cause or a significant factor in any of these cases, according to the study."
Although the study finds that headaches is not a reliable indicator for vision issues, it's a good idea to have your child undergo annual eye exams.
Kids that Wear Glasses More Likely to Pass Classes
Did you know that kids that wear glasses are more likely to pass classes? According to optometrist Bruce McNeel, in an effort to get parents to have their children's eyes tested, children's eye exams should be a standard back to school ritual. Sight is involved in more than 80% of learning which equates to trouble if your child is one of the children having difficulty seeing. Dr. McNeel furthers his efforts by teaching that children should have an eye exam by age three (unless issues are detected earlier).
Some warning signs that your child might be suffering from vision problems include the following:
Children could be suffering from myopia (short-sightedness) if they:
- SIT closer than two metres away from the TV
- Position themselves closer than 40 cm from a computer screen
- HOLD reading materials very close to their face
- SQUINT when trying to view distant objects and read a whiteboard
Signs eyes may be fatigued and strained:
- RUBBING eyes
- HEADACHES
Children may have vision-related problems if they regularly:
- SKIP lines when reading
- LEAVE out or confuse small words when reading
- TURN or tilt their head to use one eye only
- ARE often clumsy
Do High Tech Changes Hurt Children's Eyes?
I've often wondered and was just speaking about the high tech revolution causing other health issues down the road. Not only are we becoming an increasing internet dependent society but we are also increasing the number of gadgets to include an array of gadgets decreasing in size. This new revolution maybe cool and upcoming but what will all these changes do to our children's eyesights? Health experts are warning us that all this tech work on computers, tablets and other gadgets can lead to eye strain and fatigue. It's not just at home we have to be concerned with as schools are jumping on the bandwagon replacing traditional learning tools with computers and other technology over books, paper and pencils.
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| Ficklets |
This syndrome is being coined computer vision syndrome and can encompass many symptoms that include blurred vision, headaches, loss of attention, neck pain and more according to Dr. Andrea Thau of the American Optometric Association. The reason it's a problem is when we view a computer screen, it's flat and not 3-D. “It's flat and it's glowing, and it tricks the eye into thinking something is closer than it is… it often sets up an imbalance between eye coordination and focusing," stated Thau.
As with adults, she recommends taking a 20 second break every 20 minutes as well as making sure the screen is four to five inches below eye level.
To read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/26/is-technology-harming-your-child-eyes/?intcmp=features#ixzz24gydOFAC
Nonsurgical LASIK Alternative Has Children Seeing Clearer
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| http://www.bristolfamilyeyecare.com/services-corneal-refractive.php |
Most likely, everyone has heard of LASIK by now to include the old cartoon from the Simpson's showing the neighbor in the future blind due to his LASIK. Luckily, that cartoon prediction hasn't transpired yet and many people are benefiting from a new treatment called corneal reshaping or Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT). It's the latest FDA approved treatment that helps those with blurry vision see with 20/20 vision. It differs from LASIK in that it's not a surgical procedure and is considered more controlled.
By wearing contact lenses at night, it slows and in some cases, prevents nearsightedness in children too. LASIK is only for adults so this is a new procedure option for children. The process begins when the optometrists maps the cornea which is the eye's most outer lens to measure the steepness. The way CRT works, is the steeper the cornea, the worse the vision is so when the customized lenses are fitted to the eye, it can reshape and flatten them overnight. The downside is the patient has to continue to wear the lenses at night or the effects will revert. Its average cost is $1800.
You can read more here.
Kids with low vision learn about art at ForSight Vision
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| (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - CHRIS DUNN) |
ForSight Vision, a Spring Garden Township center for the blind and visually impaired, introduced art classes for children about two years ago. President Bill Rhinesmith said the classes -- held during two sessions per year -- help about 10 visually impaired kids use their sense of touch to create tie-dye T-shirts, collages and beaded artwork. Siblings and parents can also participate. This is a wonderful story about how children with low vision can participate in art type projects. The other goal of these classes are to help children with low vision adapt to social situations they might not have a chance to interact in.
Read more here.
Great Glasses Play Day August 5
As part of our support for children with glasses, contacts or patches, we are sharing the Little Four Eyes and Peeps Eyewear Great Glasses Play Day for August 5th.
Want to help?
We need your help to make the Great Glasses Play Day a success – take a look at some of the ways you can help. And we’re always up for other ideas, too – just let us know!
Parents:
- Attend one of the Great Glasses Play Day events and invite any friends who have children in glasses
- Sign up to host a Great Glasses Play Day
- Have a blog? Post about the Great Glasses Play Day
- We need more pictures! Do you have any great pictures of your child in glasses at play? Would you be willing to let us use that picture on this site? Send us a note at GGPD@shinypebble.com!
- Talk to your local Children’s Librarian and ask if they’d be willing to do a book display the week of Great Glasses Play Day.
- Read our “Ways to Play” series on different ways to celebrate the Great Glasses Play Day
- Like us on Facebook
- Submit your own ideas of ways to celebrate to GGPD@shinypebble.com!
Eye Care Professionals:
- Post a flyer about the Great Glasses Play Day in your office, or let parents of children in glasses know about the Great Glasses Play Day in other ways.
- Offer free adjustments, free glasses cleaning cloths, or free glasses cases the week of Great Glasses Play Day
- Like us on Facebook
- Contact us at GGPD@shinypebble.com with other ideas!
Librarians:
- Vision and literacy are closely related, a child who has poor vision will likely struggle with reading. Not only that, many children find comfort in books about other kids who are facing similar situations, and getting glasses is no exception! We would love if you would consider putting up a display of books related to kids and glasses for the Great Glasses Play Day, or do a story time with stories on that topic. There are some good lists of books about kids and glasses at Eye Health Guide and Little Four Eyes.
Others:
- Have a blog? Post about the Great Glasses Play Day
- Spread the word, let any friends or family with kids in glasses know about the day
- Like us on Facebook
- Drop us a line at GGPD@shinypebble.com with
Time for a Spring Make Over with Ficklets
Don't miss out on adding some new life and personality to your little one's glasses this spring. Ficklets has many different themes to choose from. Ficklets has the perfect eye wear charm huggers for both boys and girls and even has large template/large sunglasses Ficklets to fit adult sunglasses.
Check out some of our testimonials to see how other children are enjoying their Ficklets.
Happy Spring!
Eye Didn't Know That Website
I stumbled upon this website, Eye Didn't Know That which is geared towards children, parents, teachers and caregivers to offer a fun and interactive way to learn more about the eyes. For children, with glasses or without, it's a great resource to help explain the importance of good eye health. From coloring pages to optical illusions, activities and more, your children just might be entertained while learning some great things. One feature, the Virtual Timeline, even offers interesting factoids such as over a thousand years ago, the Chinese created dark spectacles to ward off evil spirits.
The optical illusions are always fun to test what you see and it becomes a game to play with others. The Ferris Wheel appears to be moving. There really are a lot of fun activities to play alone or with your child.
For parents, there are resources for knowing more about children's eye health:
Children’s Eyes are More Sensitive
- The average child receives three times the annual UV exposure than an adult.
- The lens of the eye of a child under age 10 allows more than six times the amount of UV radiation to penetrate than an adult’s eye.
- When you protect the skin around your eyes—and everywhere else—during the first 18 years of your life, the risk of cancer is likely to be reduced by 50%. This means that in addition to regular eye exams, you should make sure your children’s eyes and skin are protected from UV rays whenever they are outside—protect your children’s eyes from the sun with UV-blocking lenses, such as Transitions lenses, wide-brimmed hats covering the eyes, ears, face and neck, and sunscreen.
Healthy Sight Checklist
- Visit an eye doctor regularly for a complete eye exam. To locate an eye doctor near you, click here.
- Maintain a balanced diet high in beta-carotene and take vitamin supplements, if recommended
- Exercise regularly
- Drink eight to ten glasses of water a day to hydrate your body and eyes
- Make a conscious effort to periodically rest your eyes and blink frequently – especially when reading, working on a computer or watching television
- Avoid rubbing your eyes
- Wear sunscreen and UV-protective clothing, such as a wide-brimmed hat
- Select everyday eyewear, like Transitions lenses, that automatically block 100 percent of UV rays and help to reduce distracting glare
Ficklets' 5 Year Anniversary Giveaway: 5 Pairs Ficklets, $75 Amazon GC & Xia-Xia Pets 4/21
This is no April Fool's joke! Ficklets is celebrating five years in business! Ficklets are the first patented interchangeable eyewear charm huggers that fit on children's glasses. There are so many shapes and themes to choose from that will leave your child wanting more. Even though it's our anniversary, you will receive the gifts! As part of our celebration, we are thanking our customers and fans by giving you this great prize pack:
- Five Pairs of Ficklets (winner's choice)
- $75 Amazon e-Gift Card
- 3 Xia-Xia Pets Plus Additional Shell Accessories
To Enter:
Please use the Rafflecopter form below.
New Eye Device to Detect Brain Tumours
A new prototype device is in use in the UK at Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital which will detect brain tumours and other serious conditions in those most vulnerable. What doctors have learned about vision is that problems with peripheral vision can be an early indicator to something more serious such as stroke, brain damage, tumors and other conditions that can lead to blindness. Old devices to measure peripheral vision relied on a button response to stimuli while sitting still. The i2eye device uses infra-red LEDs and a camera to record actual eye movement.
For this reason, it can be used on the rest of the population that was unable to push a button and sit still like children or other adults. Peter Estibeiro, chief executive officer of i2eye diagnostics, said: "The eye tracker unit is watching your eyes, using your natural reactions to movements on the screen so it can build up a standard visual field map." This is great news for parents concerned and unable to have the proper testing done due to a child's age or ability to respond to instruction.
Since the announcement of the launch of i2eye Diagnostics Limited on March 19th, they expect to launch their first product within the next six months.
Perfect for Spring: Ficklets
Clocks are changing this weekend signifying that spring is right around the corner. With spring comes all the flowers and butterflies and beautiful weather. Ficklets has an array of wonderful shapes and themes to put a little "spring" into your little one's eyeglasses.
Check us out at www.ficklets.com!
Free Storybook App: Randy Kazandy Where are Your Glasses
Auracle - Randy Kazandy Where are your Glasses? - New Storybook Apps for Kids
This month, Auryn Apps celebrates reading with a free book app every day. Today’s storybook app is a brand new app: "Randy Kazandy, Where are your Glasses?" , a book app aimed at helping kids all around the nation adjust to eyeglasses in a fun and clever way.
Auryn Apps Celebrate reading: 1 new title FREE every day in March!
http://www.funeducationalapps.com/2012/03/randy-kazandy-where-are-your-glassesnew-storybook-apps-for-kids.html
Ficklets Sale
If you haven't checked out Ficklets yet, now is the time to see some of the cute styles on sale! Ficklets are the first interchangeable eyewear accessories that hug your little one's glasses. They can also be placed on sunglasses and include styles for both boys and girls.
Click here to find the latest sale on Ficklets.
Eye Controlled Computer Games for Disabled Children in the Works
Great news for children with disabilities who might not otherwise be able to use a mouse or a keyboard but want to play computer games. Scientists at a university in the United Kingdom are developing new computer games that can be controlled by eye movements. This will allow children who are severely disabled to play games. Stephen Vickers, research lead, stated eye control "adds a whole new level of intelligence to games”.
Using eye tracking as a way of interacting with devices has been explored for a number of years, he noted, but his project is developing a more accessible, low-cost system, which will bring games into the reach of disabled children who cannot operate a mouse or keyboard. They will be able to “push” buttons and direct a character by looking at different points on the screen. In a spaceship game, he said, players can fire a gun by staring at a button.
In case you were wondering how it works, eye tracking uses an infrared light to identify where the eyes are looking and thus can measure the movements as the person looks around a computer screen. By focusing on the on screen button, it simulates the same as using a mouse and cursor for the click button.
For more information, click here.
Buying Children's Glasses Online: Frugal or Unsafe?
According to a news story or a set of reports I just read, researchers found that nearly half of prescription glasses purchased online either contained the wrong lenses or did not meet the standards for impact testing. If your child wears glasses, this is potentially a big deal considering the lens might be more predisposed to cracking and shattering. This report was published last year in the journal of Optometry. Keep in mind that it was a small study but the results might be worrisome for some parents.
The researchers ordered a total of 200 pairs of glasses from 10 of the most popular online retailers and evaluated 154 pairs they received. The study does not state who these online retailers were or how they were able to come up with the criteria of "popular."
Their findings included:
- Instances where single vision lenses were received instead of multi-focal
- Anti-reflection coatings were either incorrectly added or omitted.
- In nearly a quarter of glasses, at least one lens failed impact testing which is required due to glasses being deemed a medical device requiring a prescription per the FDA.
Additionally, "a lens might be slightly off in the optics; if you don't have someone verify (the prescription), you might not know it's wrong," said Karl Citek, a professor of optometry at the Pacific University College of Optometry and lead author of the study. Citek does not recommend buying eyeglasses online. Vendors generally don't call your doctor to verify prescriptions, but even that "can't ensure that the lenses are safe since a doctor has no way of assessing impact resistance for finished eyewear," he said.
According to the Vision Council, a trade group for the optical industry, 1.9 million pairs were bought online in 2010, about 2.8 percent of the total 66.8 million pairs bought in the United States.
All is not lost if you really need to save money as Citek recommends asking your doctor to verify the prescription and to adjust the frame once you've received the glasses. Doctors may charge for this. He also stated, "never order children's eyewear online," he said. The study finding that one in four pairs of children's eyewear failed impact resistance testing is "unconscionable," said Citek.
Read more: Eyeglasses bought online not always what doctor ordered | Aiken Standard
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