Supporting Children with Visual Stress: The Development of a Web Resource for Parents and Professionals

Abstract

Introduction

Visual stress is a condition which makes reading difficult. The use of coloured lenses in spectacles to alleviate the symptoms of visual stress has attracted increasing interest. The aim was to develop a web-based resource to centralize information about the condition and the processes for the screening, assessment, and provision of coloured lenses.

Method

Action research methods were employed. The exploratory phase used semi-structured interviews to gather parents' and professionals' views on the condition and their suggestions for the content and layout of a supporting web resource. The innovatory phase was used to design the prototype web resource. The evaluative phase was used to appraise and enhance the prototype website and collate data on website usage.

Results

Parents and professionals had some awareness of the condition but felt less sure of the evidence base for coloured lenses. Professionals valued research as evidence, whereas parents preferred testimonials. Suggestions for the content of a web resource to centralize information on the topic were clearly articulated by professionals, parents, and experts in the field. In the first year, over 7,500 individual web users visited the resource.

Conclusion

The first collaborative resource on the topic has been successfully produced, thereby offering a centralized information resource.