International speakers at 4th Assottica convention
During the two days of the convention, Nancy Keir, Associate Researcher at the Center for Contact Lens Research (CCLR), University of Waterloo, Ontario, Brian Tompkins, a leading expert in the use of contact lenses for all age groups, who will be teaching with the help of videos, photographs and multimedia, and Craig Woods, Director of Research at the Center for Contact Lens Research, University of Waterloo, Ontario, and Clinical Director at the Victorian College of Optometry, will alternate with Italian teachers including Riccardo Frosini, Luigi Lupelli and Fabrizio Zeri, and at talks on field experiences by sports doctor Matteo Beltemacchi.
The first speech will be given by the UK's Brian Tompkins. In his paper 'Contact lenses: it's back to school!', he will discuss the best methods for proposing this vision correction tool to children and parents and will give an interactive and intriguing description of how to demonstrate the benefits and advantages to adolescents. He will then discuss the types of contact lenses and the ways of wearing them that will best suit young peoples' lifestyles.
Myopia often appears before the age of 15 or 16. Given that they can offer many advantages compared to glasses, contact lenses are a widespread solution for correcting refraction, especially for sport and for improving self-esteem in young people. Nancy Keir will then help us to 'look at the world from their point of view', without forgetting that contact lenses are medical devices and therefore they should be carefully chosen for wearers.
Nancy Keir will be joined by Craig Woods in the paper 'Solutions! Solutions! Solutions! But what was the question?', an in-depth look at an extremely important subject that is still underestimated at times: the correct maintenance of contact lenses and the numerous possibilities now available, with attention to the different materials used for making lenses and their interaction, but also at the needs and lifestyles of wearers.
The contribution by the three international speakers will not end with the plenary meetings. They will be providing in-depth information about some extremely interesting subjects in three single-theme courses, which will be repeated, together with another four, during 'Contactology & Adolescence'.
The first course by Nancy Keir is entitled 'Unravel the mystery of contact lens irritation? Excellent idea!'
The second subject by Craig Woods is 'Optimizing contact lens maintenance'.
And lastly, the third course is by Brian Tompkins, 'Education, Education, Education'.
