What is the Sunflower Clinic?
The clinic is for anyone with additional needs including, but not exclusively, ASD, ADHD, anxiety, SEN, ALN. With some adjustments to a routine eye test and some training, Helen has made eyecare as inclusive as possible by aiming to minimise stress for the patient.
As Helen says: ‘I believe eyecare should be available and accessible to everybody and with a few changes, a person with additional needs can have a successful, positive experience.’
The key aims of the Sunflower Clinic are:
- To provide excellent eyecare for anyone with additional needs
- To minimise stress and distress
- To have this service accessible and available on the high street
- To raise awareness of the importance of eyecare.
How does an eye test at the Sunflower Clinic differ?
When someone is booked for an eye test during the Sunflower Clinic, we will endeavour to find out as much as we can about them and their additional needs so that we can adapt accordingly.
Aside from our customary warm welcome, we’ll ensure that the appointment is at a quiet time in the store.
Sunflower Clinics are held on a Tuesday and Saturday and tend to work like this:
- Prior to the appointment, we will call and triage the patient
- The triage, pre-test (if it is suitable for the patient) and dispense are all done by the same dispensing optician or optical assistant who have received Sunflower Clinic training
- When they come in store, we aim to take the patient straight into test room, so they are not kept waiting
- The prescription dispense is done in the test room before the patient is handed over to the dispensing optician/optical assistant on the shop floor.
We can also provide the following:
- Pre appointment familiarisation
- Sensory toys in test room for use during the eye test
- A Sunflower book showing stages of eye test (available to borrow if needed
To find out more or to book an appointment at the Sunflower Clinic call us on 01446 704910.