We stopped in to try on a few frames and it was my own fault for going when Mila was tired and probably hungry and had already spent over an hour at her eye appointment. We tried on some Miraflex and Specs 4 Us frames. Mila hated the Miraflex and they were so close to her eyes since her face is so flat. I don't blame her. I managed to snap one blurry picture of a pair of the Specs 4 Us before Mila lost it. We lasted about 10 minutes there LOL.
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| Poor baby looks less than thirlled about wearing glasses :( |
I called Specs 4 Us (frames designed specifically for kiddos with Down Syndrome) and they are sending me out a bunch of pairs to try! This will be great because we can do it without rushing and without pressure to choose on the spot! We can also choose times when she is happy and might tolerate it better. We're also looking into seeing if we can try a couple pair from Solo Bambini.
So those of you mamas that have been there, done that with glasses for an 18 month old (with DS), any suggestions on frames or what worked best or on how to get her to keep them on??? Has anyone used Specs 4 Us with a baby this young? They told me infants actually wear these ones....but it'd be nice to hear from someone whose child (around Mila's age) who actually wore the Specs 4 Us successfully (or not!) Thanks!
My Sarah had a Miraflex frame. They were indeed a bit too close to her eyes, but I liked how flexible they were. I "solved" the issue with hair bands :-) Few pictures below.
ReplyDeleteYour daughters are BEAUTIFUL.
http://agiordano.multiply.com/photos/album/248/Maio-2010#photo=10
http://agiordano.multiply.com/photos/album/248/Maio-2010#photo=9
Oh my GOSH! She is ADORABLE!!!!!!! Great idea, thanks for sharing :) Did they let you trial the Miraflex ones at home, or no?
DeleteThis Mama might be of some help:
ReplyDeletehttp://theblessingofverity.com/2011/09/specs-4-verity/
Looks like she recommends Specs 4 Us, too.
Good luck.
Oh and her shirt sure is accurate in the photo in this post! :)
Thank you :)
Deletetheblessingofverity.com have you read their blog? with the glasses on Mila, she looks a lot like Verity.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!! They do look alike!
DeleteVerity Musser wears the Specs4Us glasses and her mom wrote a few posts about them over at theblessingofverity.com
ReplyDeleteHere is one link and you can search on the right tool bar for "glasses" and it will show you other ones:
http://theblessingofverity.com/2011/09/specs-4-verity/
Thank you...nice to read this and see that she kept her glasses on once she realized she could see better....I'm not counting on this with Mila but I'll be pleasantly surprised if that's the case!!!
DeleteShe may not FEEL adorable but she LOOKS adorable!!! I started wearing glasses when I was 2 yrs old but I don't remember! ;) It was also a loooooong time ago so I don't suspect my mama had many choices! I just know that someone will be able to steer you in the right direction and your sweet girl will adjust in time!! (((HUGS)))!!
ReplyDeleteThanks :) She would look good in a paper bag in my opinion :)
DeleteTotally been there and still doing that - LOL!
ReplyDeletePeople kept telling us, "Once she figures out she can see better, she'll want to keep them on."
Ummmmmm... for us that took over a year. My advice would be not to expect her to wear them for more than a minute at a time at first. Try it while you're reading together and don't push the issue or it will become a negative experience.
Try getting a pair of reading glasses for yourself and perhaps one for your beautiful older sweetie, and make it a game. Little ones like doing what older people do, and with any luck this will help her *want* to try them on more often.
Your eye doctor may push (as ours did) to get her to wear them all the time, right away. Ignore your doctor and do what works for you and your little one.
My daughter wears Miraflex (sp?) and now that she's 6, she'll wear them almost all day... sometimes.
Don't believe anyone who tells you they are indestructible! Our first pair lost a battle with the lawn mower. The second pair failed to float when thrown into a lake... We still have the 3rd pair!! Aren't you impressed?
Don't get glasses that wrap around the back of the ear like the letter "C." Most kids hate the way they feel... including my own.
It can take months and months for your little one to allow the glasses on her face for more than a few minutes at a time. It's OK! If that's what it takes, then that's what it takes.
Make wearing the glasses as fun as possible! Special Mommy time, a favorite book... you want her to associate wearing the glasses with fun and not with a battle and tears... which is why it took my own daughter so long. Our eye doctor gave us all sorts of dire warnings and insisted she wear them all the time from the start. That way didn't work. After we backed off completely and let her favorite teacher start trying again after a few months "off," she became more interested. It started with a few minutes at a time, but in a few months, she was wearing them quite regularly.
Don't sweat it, and don't let it become a "big" thing. Just let it be what it is and enjoy the ride :)
Thanks for all the sweet advice!!!! Yes one minute is a lofty goal at this point...I'm hoping once the prescription lenses are in she will get it and want to wear them because she can see better, but I'm really not counting on that! The nice woman at Specs 4 Us also said NO WAY about the c-cables....thanks for mentioning that because when we did go to the shop to try on frames the guy said yep we put these cables on all the glasses for kids this young...I wouldn't have known any better!
DeleteWe have Specs 4 Us, but didn't get them until Katie was 5. She wears them with minimal struggle. We did get a strap for them, but almost never have to use it. I think the key is starting a little at a time and gradually keeping them on longer and longer until she just doesn't notice anymore. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Did she wear any other brand prior to that age? Or she just didn't need glasses until then?
DeleteHi Sarah:)
ReplyDeleteI recently worked with a little boy with ds. He was diagnosed with a hearing loss and also needed glasses at a very young age. Hearing aids by 4 months and glasses by 1 year. He had a pair of glasses and his mom was very unhappy with them. I told her about Specs4Us and she got a pair for him. She loved them and little Isaiah began wearing them quite quickly. He would remove the other type of glasses. I had found out about Specs thru Lisa DeAngelis. Do you know her? She and her husband adopted their little Katie thru RR and they also have 3 other children with ds that they adopted domestically. I believe that all of her children where glasses from Specs 4 Us. I am sure she would love to talk to you! Maybe you could friend her on fb. Hope this helps a little. Your girls are precious beyond words!!
Susan from Boston
EI therapist for children with hearing-loss and children with ds
Thanks! We got some trial frames in the mail from Specs 4 Us today and I'm still not sure.....Mila's nasal bridge is almost non existent LOL!
DeleteOkay, I'm Grandma age so I'm all about reward and fun. lol I'd make glasses time a time when something wonderful happens. Everyone wears glasses at dessert time? Cookies with glasses? M&M in the mouth when the glasses get put on? I know, I know I am not a good advocate for healthy eating. I just want her to be happy alllll the time. See, a Grandma!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a child with DS but my daughter started wearing glasses from the age of 2 and has a tiny, delicate face. We went with frames from a danish company "Lindberg" which are super light (her glasses weigh 17 grams!), flexible and virtually indestructible because they are made from Titanium. We have never had an issue with her wearing them. She sleeps in them, swims in them, hops on the trampoline etc. and they never come off. She is now six years old and we have just ordered her next pair, not because the frames are worn out, but because her face has grown and she needs a larger size. These glasses come in many shapes and colors - they are super cute. Well worth the initial expense!
ReplyDeleteAwww, sorry Miss Mila is having such a struggle trying on glasses. But you're right--she's beautiful no matter what she is wearing! Or--trying NOT to wear lol. I pray it gets easier for you both!
ReplyDeletehttp://tomatoglasses.com/product.php
ReplyDeleteThe above brand is one that a little guy (with DS) I worked with used. They have a no-slip pad on the bridge of the nose and also adjustable 'arms' so as the child got older they could be easily adjusted. They also are superflexible!