One of our sponsors, Drs. David and DeAnne Witherspoon Optometry, recently told us about a national program designed to help parents get free eye exams for their infants 6 to 12 months of age. The program is called InfantSee. Click here to visit their website and read more about the program. 

These eye exams for infants can help detect major vision problems so they can be treated early. There are several physicians in our area who participate in this program. Below is a listing of those eye doctors. Call any of these eye clinics to get more info, or you can speak with our sponsor, Drs. David and DeAnne Witherspoon, by calling 479-464-9702.

Fayetteville:

• Dr. Allyson E. Mertins
• Dr. Tammy Grammer Morris
• Dr. Bobby B. Decker

Springdale:

• Dr. Kimberly Ann Owens
• Dr. Jeffrey B. Myers

Centerton:

• Dr. Megan J. Petty

Rogers:

• Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon
• Dr. Belinda Starkey
• Dr. Christopher Morris

Siloam Springs:

• Dr. Kenneth Childers
• Dr. William Philpott

Bella Vista:

• Dr. William Yoos
• Dr. Belinda Starkey

Braces have come a long way, baby. The technology and advancements in techniques make getting straight teeth a whole lot easier and faster than it used to be. If you or your kids have braces in your future, here’s some info on one of the newest ways to do it. It’s called the Damon System, and you might want to ask your orthodontist about this system and what makes it different.

We learned about it from one of our sponsors, orthodontist Dr. Jesse Gray, whose patients are seeing great results with it. You can see some of his amazing before and after patient photos on his website by clicking here.

From what we’ve read about it, the Damon System gives you smaller, less bulky braces that are easier to clean. Treatment time is supposed to be shorter than conventional braces with fewer dental appointments needed. Here are three of the main differences listed on the company’s website:

1. Damon braces eliminate the need for elastic or metal “ties.”

2. Lightweight “shape-memory” wires move teeth faster with fewer adjustments needed.

3. Damon braces align teeth , usually without the need for extractions or rapid palatal expanders.

Talk to your orthodontist to get more info or do some research online by visiting the company’s website. (Click HERE to see it.)

Dr. Jesse Gray of Northwest Orthodontics can also answer your questions. Call 479-521-4181 to schedule an appointment with him.

There’s an openness and calm about Katherine Arkell  that makes her immediately easy to talk to. I’m sure that’s an asset in her quest to help children, adolescents and families.

Katherine, a new sponsor on nwaMotherlode, is a solution-focused therapist who works with all members of the family — or everyone together at once. She specializes in play therapy and is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor. She’s also a mom to two sons — one at the University of Arkansas and the other still in high school — so she’s right there with you when it comes to understanding the challenges and rewards that go along with parenting.

We sat down with Katherine to find out more about her and her Northwest Arkansas practice. Here are her answers to our questions:

What are some of the top concerns that people bring to you? I treat a wide variety of issues and concerns including depression, anxiety, ADHD, divorce reaction, abuse (emotional, physical, sexual and verbal), discipline, academic and behavior problems, and grief and loss.

I also see families wanting to improve their communication skills with their children and each other, adjusting to becoming a blended family, and dealing with a separation from a parent or other loved one (i.e. military deployment). 

You specialize in “play therapy.�  Will you tell us what that means and who would benefit? Play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that helps children express what is troubling them in a non-threatening way. Essentially, play therapy is to children what talk therapy is to adults.  In the playroom, toys, games and activities are used like words. They can use dolls, puppets, paints or other toys to say what they think and feel.  Play therapy allows children the opportunity to work through, heal and move past the difficult times in their lives. 

Play therapy is especially appropriate for children 3-12 years.  However, teens and adults also benefit from play and recreational processes. (See a picture of Katherine’s fabulous playroom at the bottom of this post or by clicking HERE.)

When might a child need therapy? In the process of growing up, children often experience difficulty coping at some time (at home, at school, with divorce and separation, with other children, etc.) or they exhibit behaviors which concern their parents or teachers. Some children may need more help than others in some areas. Generally, if you, your child’s teacher or pediatrician is concerned about your child’s behavior or difficulty adjusting, play therapy may be the recommended approach to help your child.

Do most insurance companies cover play therapy and counseling? While as a play therapist, I am a certified mental health professional and on several major medical insurance panels, mental health coverage varies from plan to plan. It is best to check with your particular insurer to see what benefits you are entitled to. 

How old are your children? I am the proud mother of two wonderful young men, Andrew, 21, a junior at the University of Arkansas and Austin, 17, a junior in high school.

How long have you lived in NWA and what do you enjoy most about living and working in NWA? I have lived here 4.5 years. I moved here sight unseen and feel very fortunate to have landed in such a beautiful part of the country. I love the four distinct seasons, the diversity of the area and the easy access to other geographic destinations. I also appreciate the warmth with which I was welcomed into the small business community.

To find out more about Katherine’s credentials and her practice, click HERE. Or you can give her a call at 479-685-7830.

I met Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon and her husband, Dr. David Witherspoon, shortly after getting a note from the school nurse. My second-grader flunked the vision test, and he needed to see an eye doctor. I had already had his eyes examined once in kindergarten by a different physician, and he couldn’t find a problem. So I opted for a second opinion and called Dr. Witherspoon’s office for an appointment.

Within a few moments of starting the exam, Dr. DeAnne knew exactly why my son was failing the “muscle control” portion of the eye test. She explained the condition to me, which isn’t anything serious, and put me at ease. She even faxed a note to the school nurse so she’d know my son had been checked out thoroughly. Sometimes, it’s awfully nice when your doctor is a fellow mom who understands how nervous we mama types can get about our kids’ health.

So I’m happy to announce that Drs. David and DeAnne Witherspoon Optometry are now sponsors of nwaMotherlode.com. Their clinic is located in the Village on the Creeks shopping plaza in Rogers, and they have a huge selection of frames in their clinic as well. (Brands available include frames by Kate Spade, Escada, Gucci, DKNY, Vera Wang, Guess, Coach and LOTS more. Click here to see all the choices. For kids, they have multiple brands including Disney frames and Power Rangers! We love options!)

If you or one of your kids needs an eye exam, keep the Witherspoons in mind. If you love this website, we hope you’ll “show the love” to the sponsors who help make it possible. The Witherspoons are parents to two daughters, and they’re both incredibly personable and “mom-friendly.” Below is a Q&A with Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon that will help you get to know her a little better:

How did you become interested in optometry?

When I was 12, the world became clearer after a visit to my local optometrist. Suddenly, the trees had leaves from afar, the kitchen clock had a second hand, the football players had numbers on their backs from my view high in the stadium. This is not unlike any eye care professional’s story. From there, we just wanted to let others have their “wow moment.” There is still nothing like the feeling I get when a youngster puts on that first set of glasses and says “Wow.”

What are the red flags that might indicate a child is having vision problems? At what age should a child have his or her first eye exam?

Signs of an eye issue in children can include squinting, eye turn, head tilt, inability to stay on a near task, inability to do near work at a normal working distance, difficulty reading or skipping lines, and comprehension issues. Some signs are more obvious, and some not at all. Many of these will be picked up on a first eye exam, others on a more comprehensive exam. There is a relatively new program for infants 6 to 12 months old called InfantSee. It’s a visual assessment accomplished early to look for early issues. (We’ll give you more info about this program in a later post.)

What types of vision problems are hereditary?

There are many genetic eye conditions. Most common in children would be eye muscle problems. Other eye conditions can be environmental, age-related or secondary issues related to other disease processes.

From your experience working with grade-school kids, is it cooler to wear glasses these days than it used to be?

Fifty years ago some children wanted glasses just to have them. Today, that still happens, but with the technology in the exam room, it’s easier for the professional to discern who wants glasses versus who needs them. The difference is the glasses available today and the choices kids get to make are “cooler.”

What are the latest advancements in your industry?

Technology advances in optometry have come a long way in the 28 years I’ve been involved in the profession. The advanced ways to analyze the retina, optic nerve and overall health of the vision system is quite good, given the miniscule size of the areas of the eye that we evaluate. The OPTOS retinal scanner is a great example of the technology available in office today.

What are the happiest moments of your job? Which ones are the most challenging?

My happiest moments are when my patients are pleased. When a patient comes in with an issue and we’re able to solve that issue and make their day-to-day life better for them, it’s an awesome feeling. Challenging moments occur when a patient has an issue that is out of my control or that just isn’t going to be solved by any human input or contribution.

How did you and your husband meet? What are the biggest perks and challenges of working with a spouse?

David and I met in optometry school in Memphis in 1978 by chance or luck when the instructor said “Find a lab partner who you can work with all year.” I turned around and there he was. Though I really would have preferred a female lab partner, the only other two girls had partnered with each other.

The challenge of working together is to leave the work at the office when others are around. When our oldest daughter was 10, she said at the dinner table one night, “Do we have to talk about eyeballs at the table again?” David and I are, however, empty nesters now and we do relish being available to our patients 24/7. We love optometry!

When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?

When we’re not working, David and I love to travel, spend time with our girls. (Megan is 26 and Amy is 19.) We also have a little cabin in the woods we go to often for escape. There are no computers, TV stations, video games and no land lines for the phone. The girls have made lots of memories there.