the classroom, delighting in every new detail. In an instant, her world had been transformed -- and all because "Dr. Bill'' had slipped a pair of glasses onto her nose.

Eleven-year-old Ashawnte, who suffers from multiple disabilities and uses a wheelchair, is just one of the Bermudian children helped last week by US vision specialists Dr. Bill Padula and Mrs. Jannie Shapiro, his assistant.

The Connecticut-based experts were here to work with more than 30 children -- and some adults -- with physical problems an disabilities. Aided by a contribution from the Lions, they toured Government schools throughout the Island and helped dozens of kids on the road to fuller, more enjoyable lives.

One of their calling points was Orange Valley school, where Ashawnte was being fitted for new glasses, since her old ones were broken.

There were no eye charts and no fearsome optical contraptions to be seen -- just a few neatly-packed lenses. The main tools for the two specialists seemed to be a colourful playmate, a cuddly doll, and a plastic Kermit.

"Vision influences not just seeing clearly, but posture, movement and co-ordination,'' said Dr. Padula. "Many of the children we have been invited to see have physical disabilities and they have not been able to develop mentally, to organise their vision to support balance, movement and co-ordination.'' One three-year-old girl they saw had cerebral palsy, and although she was quite active, her development had been delayed and she did not pay attention very well. She could not sit in a chair to be examined, so they put her on the mat.

"She tended to fall over backward,'' said Dr. Padula. "Her eyes didn't fix on things for a very long time and she kept losing her balance.'' The reason, said Dr. Padula, was that her brain believed the centre of her body was further back than it really was, and she was continually trying to compensate for this by leaning back.

"She's not able to fix on things and attend to them because she's constantly having to deal with where she is in relation to the floor. This is going to interfere with her education and her therapy.'' But when the specialists gave her special lenses to wear, the effect was dramatic.

"Her arms came forward, so she began to play with a toy, and sat for four to five minutes without any support at all.'' Although special lenses are not a cure, they can be used in regular therapy sessions to teach the children how to co-ordinate vision and movement.

"It's like planting a seed,'' said Dr. Padula. "You can never take it back again, and that seed begins to grow. When you take the lenses off, the child still has the experience.'' Adults with strokes or head injuries could be helped in similar ways, he added.

Bermuda teacher Mrs. Marty Davis, who works with the visually impaired, is accompanying the two specialists and has seen the fruits of their last visit two years ago.

She recalls one little girl, now six, who has impaired vision. "She was given a telescope to use in her classroom, which has enabled her to clearly see the blackboard and picture books. It's a major, major accomplishment. It's allowed her to be a natural part of the class.'' Another boy, now eight, who had learning difficulties, could not feed himself properly or pick up things in front of him. Wearing special glasses every day had greatly improved his hand skills.

Dr. Padula said it was best to get children using their special equipment as early as possible, to get them used to it. Lenses could clip onto glasses, or even be built in.

"The kids will not let you take their lens away. They'll fight you for it.'' SEEING IS BELIEVING -- Ashawnte Hollis, 11, gets help for her vision problems from US expert Dr. Bill Padula.