The Parents as Teachers National Center invited InfantSEE® provider Gail Doell, O.D., of St. Louis, MO, to speak at its annual conference in April.

As a lecturer on Health, Hearing and Vision Screening, Dr. Doell spoke to educators and trainers at the convention.

“The audience was very receptive,” said Dr. Doell. “It was wonderful. They were very interested in the InfantSEE® program. A few people had even already established relationships with optometrists who had signed up. They saw it as a valuable service—one person from rural New Hampshire waxed eloquent about it. I encouraged everyone to talk to their own optometrists about InfantSEE® and to get them signed up if they were not providers.”

The Parents as Teachers organization has a program philosophy of providing parents with child development knowledge and parenting support, said Ann Haffner, the manager of Professional Development and Enrichment for Parents as Teachers.

The InfantSEE® program fits in well with the goals of Parents as Teachers to:

• Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices
• Provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues
• Prevent child abuse and neglect
• Increase children’s school readiness and school success

Haffner said Parents as Teachers educators can refer and educate parents about the InfantSEE® program. “The program is a perfect conduit to look for issues and promote visits to specialists,” said Haffner.

Dr. Doell said she also promotes the InfantSEE® program to pediatricians and patients. “I use it as a conversation starter,” she said. “The door is not always wide open, but you can open it one inch at a time.”

Dr. Doell said she displays InfantSEE® brochures all throughout the practice she shares with her two partners and makes a point of discussing the program with patients who are pregnant. “It’s nothing aggressive, but it’s another way of promoting optometry,” she said.