Analysis of the ocular status of children with intellectual disabilities

Objective To screen the ocular status and related factors of intellectually disabled children while offering correction and other appropriate treatment; to understand how to improve access and vision care for these children. Methods Investigation study. Three hundred forty-two students with intellectual disabilities from special schools in the city of Wenzhou and nearby areas attended this health screening. Vision screening included health history, visual acuity, cover test,color vision, eye health, retinoscopy and refraction. Results The children who were screened had mild to moderate intellectual disability. Their psychological and emotional status enabled them to participate in general health exams and communication. About 46.6% of the children were emmetropic. Most of the refractive errors could be corrected with spectacles. A strabismus test showed 67.2% ortho and 12.9% heterophoria. 81.9% of the children had normal color vision and 6.4% had a severe abnormality. Eye exams showed 92.7% had a normal anterior segment and 81.1% had a normal posterior segment. Nystagmus (50.0%) and cataract (28.3%) were the two leading pathological problems. Conclusion In a population of children with intellectual disabilities, refractive errors were the most prevalent condition, followed by nystagmus and cataract. Most of these visual errors could be corrected and visual function could be improved with spectacles, surgery or vision training.Children with intellectual disabilities need more vision and general health care from society. Key words: Vision disorder;  Health surveys;  Children with intellectual disability