Types of refractive error in autistic children

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a reported prevalence of 1.1 to 1.5% characterized by impairment of social interaction, communication, and/or repetitive behaviors or routines, The term autism spectrum disorder includes individuals with a diagnosis of autism and Asperger syndrome. In an effort to develop an improved understanding of autism spectrum disorder, many areas of visual processing have previously been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe the refractive profile of a population of children with ASD. Materials and Methods: Ophthalmic examination was carried out on children diagnosed with autism attending a pediatric eye clinic in Benghazi, Libya from October 2018 to April 2019. Visual acuity was assessed by illiterate and child picture Snellen chart followed by complete eye examination and a Cycloplegic refraction was performed, Data were managed by SPSS version no. 20.00. Results: a 26 child were included ranging from 3 to 15 years old, mean age (6.4±3.3 yr.) there were 14 boys (53.8%) and 12 girls (46.2%). Refraction revealed 21 children had significant refractive errors with 11 children (42.3%) had astigmatism, 10 children (38.5%) had hypermetropia and 5 children (19.2%) did not have a significant refractive error. Conclusion: Significant refractive error mainly astigmatism was noted in the children with autism. Correction and searching of these refractive errors early may enhance improvement of this disorder thus help them to have an agreeable life.