Eye Test for ASD child

[JeanneA]

Hi Glen is 16 now and hasn't had an eye test and I was wondering whether its something I should be looking into. He wouldn't be able to have a normal eye test as he wouldn't be able to say the letters etc. Does anyone know or have been somewhere that an eye test can be performed on someone such as Glen? I would like to know who I would have to contact.

[lisac]

I think a usual opticians is ok to start with. They can tell a lot just by looking into the eyes . If they cant get a reading or think there may be problems they will refer him to the eye department in your local hospital. There they can put in eyedrops that show up everything, if he is shortsighted etc. The only thing is these eyedrops sting like buggery

( but not if you blink rapidly) stinging only lasts for few moments though, dont know if Glen would be alright with that?

 

Just thought, your GP should be able to refer him to a eye specialist at the hospital if he thinks Glen would be hard to test?

Edited May 26, 2010 by lisac

[chris54]

I have not first hand experience but there are ways of testing the eyes of people who cannot communicate.

There may be a service in your area for this or ask at your local optician to see what they say. Even some of the national high street chains say they can do this.

 

The last time I had my eyes tested the optician used a system that does an approximation of your sight first and only then uses the "yes no" bit to fine tune.

[JeanneA]

Thanks for both of your replies, really helpful.

[Mumble]

My brother and I used to be seen at the hospital for eye tests - him because he needed it adapted / done differently, me because I have really dodgy eyes.

 

[Tally]

I used to know a woman with severe cerebal palsy who was not able to co-operate with an eye test. She had an optician visit her at home to test her eyes. The prescription could not be fine tuned, but an approximate prescription was made. She was not able to say, but it's pretty certain that she could see better with the glasses than without.

[zenemu]

The optician only really needs a quick look with an Ophthalmoscope to get the prescription and to check most aspects of eye health. The eye chart is just there to check visual acuity (how well you can resolve fine detail), and it isn't really that important. Any optician will be able to do the test, and most will have come across ASD patients before.

 

It is possible that they will want to check the pressure within the eye depending on what meds Glen is on, in which case they will use a Non Contact Tonometer, which is a device which blows a quick puff of compressed air into the eye. It only lasts a second and doesn't hurt or feel particularly uncomfortable and the optician will only do that after talking to you and being convinced that Glen won't mind it.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Zen

[JeanneA]

Thanks but I don't think Glen would like something being blown into his eye somehow as he is very temperamental, thats why Im concerned about an eye test. I will have to think about it and probably ask the GP's advice or ask an optician myself.

[baranigirl]

DD3 had an eye test last yr and she was 3yrs old, the optometrist just looked into her eyes with the machine thing and asked her to point to images on a bord she held whilst showing the same images on the screen in front

 

DD2 had to do the same thing at the hossie when she was 2yrs old as she has dwaynes syndrome and an astigmatism and has worn glasses since then

[Sally44]

Typical opticians have already been covered.

If you are thinking of any visual perceptual difficulties then those are done on the response and behaviour of the child if they are unable to give verbal information.

My son was assessed for Irlen Syndrome. This simply requires trying on different coloured lenses and looking at books and pictures and the TV. My son was asked which one was best for his eyes and he chose the colour - with the Irlen practitioner agreed with his colour choice from the symptoms I had discussed with him.

I've also been to see Ian Jordan in Ayr, and he too does not need the child/adult to be verbal. Alot can be gauged even from how they walk, go upstairs etc.

I know you've got alot on at the moment with glen, waiting for his funding etc. The only reason I looked at visual perceptual difficulties for my own son was because he has sensory integration disorder and it is a fact that most of the sensory information comes in through the eyes. So I approached it logically thinking that any visual perceptual problems, if helped or rectified, could have a knock on positive effect with other sensory difficulties he had.

 

I'm pretty sure Irlen practitioners can come to your home. And our local hospital assesses for Irlen overlays, but not glasses, and I think the glasses are the best ones to have.