Adapting the orthoptic investigation for children with autism spectrum disorders: how can research from other healthcare areas be applied to orthoptic practice? A literature review

Background and aim: The symptoms of autism spectrum disorders can have an impact on the orthoptic nvestigation; however, no gold standard of treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders has been established. There is a paucity of research on autism spectrum disorders in ophthalmology. Hence this work aimed to evaluate strategies used in other areas of healthcare, and establish their applicability to orthoptics. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Knowledge and Scopus. Only English language papers were considered for inclusion. The papers were collated by topic, and their references searched for further information. Results: Childhood diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders are increasing, and a higher incidence of ocular anomalies is found in the autistic population. A number of strategies have potential to be useful in the orthoptic investigation, based upon limited research. Conclusion: Further research is required to establish a gold standard for orthoptic treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders. Early indications suggest that fear reduction strategies used in other areas of healthcare could be applied to orthoptic care.