Brief report: Incidence of ophthalmologic disorders in children with autism

Purpose To determine the incidence of ophthalmologic disorders in children with autism and related disorders. Design Retrospective chart review. Four hundred and seven children diagnosed with autism or a related disorder between 1998 and 2006. one hundred and fifty-four of these children completed a comprehensive ophthalmology exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist. Results Ophthalmologic pathology was found in 40% of patients with autism or a related disorder with 29% having significant refractive errors, 21% demonstrating strabismus, and 10% having amblyopia. Conclusions Children with autism or a related disorder will frequently have an ophthalmologic abnormality. Since cooperation with vision screening is understandably limited in these children, a comprehensive eye examination by a pediatric ophthalmologist is recommended for all such children.