Page 17 - Lions Link 9-18

(from page 16) launched last April and ended in mid-June, 2018.
Dr. Charles Shidlofsky, who lead the training, is a member of the Early Plano LC, and the District 2-X1 Opening Eyes program chair who works with the Annual Special Olympic at UTA for past 11 years. Lion Dr. ‘S’ as his colleagues and students called him is an adjunct professor at several optometry colleges and also own a private practice, the Neuro-Vision Associates of North Texas in Plano, TX, which provides residency program for students of Southern College of Optometry. He is an expert in treating vision problem as a result of neurological injury such as concussion, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, or other neurological insults. Lion PDG Kathleen Tyre, who’s also a Spot Vision Certificate Trainer, emphasized in the proper handling of the screener as well as the screener result, which only has to be ‘read’ as either ‘pass’ (green) or ‘referral’ (red)-meaning refer the person to see an eye (Optometrist) doctor, and it’s not an eye glasses prescription. Lion Nia MacKay PhD assisted in the data collection report aspect of the training.
There were 17 Lions who signed up for the certification training with a majority being from the Oak Cliff Lions Club (11) and the rest from Grand Prairie Host (1), Dallas White Rock (2), Duncanville Noon (1), Plano Early (1), and one guest who has volunteered in the Truancy and the Pre-Truancy Spot Vision Screening. Four Past District Governors present at the training, 3 of them seeking certification (Lions PDG Wayne Meachum, PDG Skip Johnson, and PDG Darla Wisdom), and a Spot Vision Certificate trainer mentioned above, who’s also the District 2-X1 Kid’s Sight Spot Program Chair, Lion PDG Kathleen Tyre.
The training started with Optometry 101 knowledge, the eye optical focus and its abnormal condition (nearsighted, farsighted, blurred eyes, asymmetrical pupil size, etc., then the Spot Vision Screener equipment, how it functions, what the equipment checks, how to handle it and use it, how to read the results and what action should be taken from it, as well as how to get the data and get the spreadsheet report from the screener. One by one the trainees got a chance to operate the screener using other trainee’s eyes as a source to get hands on experience to use and read the result. After the training, everyone took a test for the certificate, which was given by Lion Dr. Shidlofsky.
In closing, Past District Governor Wayne Meachum hopes that the Truancy Spot Vision Project, which has been supported by the Dallas County Commissioner, Lion Dr. Elba Garcia, as well as by DISD Superintendent, Michael Hinojosa, will continue on a regular basis once school starts, to help reduce the number of truant students and increase the number of students who graduate. From the Spot Vision screening on truant students results in the past, over 70% of these students have vision problems which can be corrected. If we can help these students to improve their eye sights, we will be able to reduce the number of truants and perhaps improve the number of high school students who graduate.
L-R: 1st row: Lions Charlene Vezina, Alan Shrock, PDG Darla Wisdom. 2nd row: Sheryll McKay, Nia MacKay, Judy Porter, Bobbi Smith, PDG Kathleen Tyre, Tara Flatt-Ferguson, Bobby Buison, Patricia Nielsen, PDG Wayne Meachum, Bill Wallace, Paul Nielsen, PDG Skip Johnson. Back row (L): Weaver Patterson and Patrick Tester. Not in the picture Lions George and Ilonka Burke, and Dr. Charles Shidlofsky
VOLUME 29 ISSUE 3 / SEPTEMBER 2018 PAGE 17