Bad parent avoids eye appointment!

[peaches]

R has been going to the children's hospital for about a year regarding his eyesight. He was referred at a routine check up in reception class. He was borderline for glasses for a while, but they decided to give him a prescription, as he was astigmatic.

 

The last two times he has refused to have the eye drops at his appointment. He has his glasses, wears them, has had a normal sight test and his current prescription is still good, but he wont have the eye drops in. You can imagine the sort of bribing and cajoling that both myself and the nurse at the Childrens hospital had to do. No way were we getting any where near him with the eye drops.

 

I dont know if it was a freudian thing, but his last appointment was last week and I genuinely forgot all about it. I was relieved when I didnt have to take him so havent made another appointment. I am happy enough with his eyesight, and happy to visit our local friendly optician when necessary, but I cant bring myself to pester the Childrens hospital for another appointment and face the eyedrops.

 

1. Why are they necessary at every visit?

 

2. What will happen if we miss the eye drops?

 

3. Anyone else had this and got round it?

[sheuk]

Hi there, I think you should contact the hospital and ask them the questions and also mention that you don't feel he needs to attend a specialist, only they know the condition of your sons eyes.

[Ian Jordan]

 

We would NEVER use eye drops in ASD routinely even though the guidelines suggest otherwise. (it would have to be a serious situation to justify drug usage in a child on the spsectrum)

 

It is actually cruel for some children on the spectrum and is unnecccesary - but you may find that the hospital resist bcause of published guidlines (which do not take into account ASD).

 

It is a complex issue - and there are very good reasons why those on the spectrum should not have eye drops routinely - they do not respond normally in many cases and issues such as pain persistence and level make eyedrop instillation a potentially abusive situation. (But, like many other areas - there are no exceptions to the rule!!!!)

 

I have just written an article for an optometry magazine on how to approach ASD - it will challenge many techniques that are standard in the NHS (many don't work well and are often very unpleasant to the child).

 

If the parents of children with ASD only knew what can be done with vision and visual processing in comparison to what is usually done....................

 

But changing guidlines is a big task - you cannot imagine how much resistance there will be to innovative thinking

 

 

 

 

[smiley1590]

my parents when i needed eye drops used physically restrain me to stop me moving to get them in my eye i hated it that much i cry wriggle and scream make them stop even though said make me better!

[KezT]

Our optician has an ASD nephew - it does make things easier LOL

 

He has never used eye drops on DS - who does wear glasses and whose sight is deteriorating rapidly (as did mine & DH's at the same age). But optomotry is a bit of an anathema to me so I don't really know when drops are and aren't necessary. You will have to check directly with the opt I expect. If it was a choice of screaming child for 24 hours every 6 months or losing his sight, I would definitley opt for the screaming - but if it is just one of those things they usually do, but not directly necessary in his case then it is worth having a bit of a chat about how ASD affects him and that they are in effect barring him from using the service by insisting on the drops, which under DDA is of course, illegal.

 

 

[Louisa]

My mum & I used to have to hold my daughter down to get the eye drops in at the hospital (she didn't have any diagnosis then). The nurses used to assure us it was absolutely necessary she had the drops applied. When I think back I feel so cruel.

 

She also used to struggle getting her eye's tested even at the opticians because of the machine she had to put her head/chin in.

 

x