Investigating optometric and orthoptic conditions in autistic adults
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating optometric and orthoptic conditions in autistic adults
IRAS ID
271545
Contact name
Ketan R Parmar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 7 days
Research summary
Research Summary
Currently, limited research has investigated the links between autism and optometric and orthoptic conditions, which include level of vision, a requirement for spectacles and the coordination of the two eyes. The current research suggests a greater need for spectacles and a higher number of eye-coordination problems in autistic children, mainly with co-existing learning disabilities. Little is known about the vision of adults with autism who do not have learning disabilities, and so this study will focus on this group.The research will explore the range, type and impact of visual symptoms and eye conditions in autistic adults using questionnaires and eye examinations. The impact of any required treatment (spectacles, eye exercises, coloured lenses) will also be investigated. Finally, feedback obtained from participants will be used to produce guidelines for optometrists by which they can make their services more autism-friendly. Participants will undergo this at the University of Manchester's optometry clinic, and will be engaged in the study for a maximum of 10 hours, over a maximum of ~8 visits.
Summary of Results
We conducted eye examinations on autistic adults, implementing the adaptations suggested. These involved a variety of tests which checked spectacle prescription, eye coordination and sensitivity to patterns (visual stress). Our findings suggest that this population is more likely to require frequent spectacle prescription updates than non-autistic people. Additionally, eye coordination and visual stress issues were more common in our participants compared to non-autistic people. Visual stress is usually managed with tinted lenses. We found that providing up-to-date spectacles or treating eye coordination problems reduced the need for tinted lenses. At the beginning and end of this study, we asked participants to complete three questionnaires. These measured: autistic visual sensory experiences, how vision affected daily tasks, and the quality of vision when doing close work. We investigated whether providing new spectacles or treating eye coordination problems affected the outcomes of these questionnaires. We were surprised to find no significant changes in the questionnaire results between the first and second time that participants completed them. This shows a poor relationship between eye conditions and visual sensory experiences, how vision affects daily tasks, and the quality of vision when doing close work, in autistic adults. But, due to a small number of participants taking part in this study, our evidence isn’t strong enough for these conclusions. We have suggested this study to be repeated on a larger scale.We conducted one-to-one interviews with autistic adults to understand how eye examinations can be made more accessible. We noted that eye examinations are not very accessible for autistic adults. Factors which cause anxiety and stress (e.g. tests involving bright lights or close contact) can be reduced with easy-to-implement adaptations. Using our findings, we have produced recommendations and resources for eyecare providers on providing autism-friendly services. Examples of such adaptations are:
-providing an option to book appointments online.
-asking autistic patients about any special requirements, in advance of their appointment.
-Providing autistic patients with “what to expect during your eye examination” information, so that they can prepare for the appointment.
-Minimising the number of rooms and staff members the autistic patient encounters during their appointment.
-Replacing eye tests which cause sensory issues for autistic patients with tests which reduce or avoid these.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0719
Date of REC Opinion
17 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion