The blue themes at Alex Gage Family Optometrist will include blue balloons outside the Crosspool and Woodseats practices, staff wearing blue wigs and items of clothing and a competition to win coloured prizes throughout the day.
World Autism Day was established in 2008 to raise awareness about autism and every year, on April 2nd, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events, including Light It Up Blue. This global initiative kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and sees iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, bridges, homes and communities lighting up their properties.
Alex was inspired to take part in the initiative after specialising in Behavioural Optometry; a branch of optics that studies how vision can affect human performance. He said: “Autism can come with a range of challenges in making sense of the world. In Behavioural Optometry, we work to make the information coming into the eyes good information, as in they can see clearly, and then we work to help process that information and make sense of what they are seeing.”
Autism was first identified more than 50 years ago and affects one percent of UK children and adults, many of whom remain undiagnosed and without support. Autism Spectrum Disorders (or conditions) are lifelong disabilities that, at their core, affect a person’s social and communication abilities and are four times more prevalent in boys than girls.
Alex sits on the BABO (British Association of Behavioural Optometrists) committee that welcomed delegates of the International Congress of Behavioural Optometry (ICBO) to the UK for the first time in September 2014.
For more information about Behavioural Optometry or to book an appointment, please contact Alex Gage at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 or at 48 Sandygate Road Crosspool on 0114 266 7066.
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