Accuracy of eye exam?!


Question: Accuracy of eye exam?
I have an autistic daughter who we've been told needs glasses, and she does have a prescription. I question the accuracy of the exam as she wouldn't co-operate while being tested on the computerized testing equipment, so she was given a manual exam with eye charts, but couldn't give clear verbal responses to what she was seeing. The eye doctor stood about 5 ft away from the chair, at a 45 degree angle and appeared to be checking her eyes through the apparatus that has the dials to change the lenses. The Dr. also had a plastic array of different numbered lenses that she was holding up in front of my child while looking at her eyes. It seemed like the Dr. was just doing that for show and I question how valid the exam was. Is it a legitimate examination procedure to look at a patient's eyes from 5 ft away at an angle while they are looking at an eye chart through the apparatus set up in front of the chair?

Answers:

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

One thing you can do if you have questions or concerns is take your daughter to a pediatric ophthalmologist. They are specially trained to handle exams with children and have the most experience. They also have all the equipment in their office to give the most complete eye exam possible. It will cost more, but it's worth it.

Board Certified Optician and lab tech

While the doctor was holding up the various lenses, did they look through something that was shining a light into your daughter's eyes? Is so, then they were doing retinoscopy, and this is a good method for obtaining an rx for a patient who is unable to give clear answers as to what they are seeing.

The doctor was doing retinoscopy which is the usual way to check refractive error in a non verbal or unco operative patient.

The standard way to do it is from a few feet away at an angle using either the phoropter, loose lenses or a retinoscopy bar.

I'm an optometrist


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