Eye test

[Nogodsnomasters]

Hi, my ds5 has high functioning ASD and a really low pain threshold is an issue. He went for his first eye test yesterday as he'd started mentioning his eyes were blurry some times. The test went fine and the optician was sure he needed glasses so he had to have his eyes dilated to get the prescription. He was brave for the first eye until he realised it stung and then refused to have the second eye done. I tried bribes with no avail and then I even tried restraining him but the woman could not get the drops in because he fought so hard and he's bloody stronger than I realised.
We tried for 40 mins with coaxing and restraint but he was so worked up he was a sweaty mess so we gave up. She said we could try again once more on a different appointment but if they couldn't get it they would have to refer him to hospital where they would basically pin him down, which is stressful enough for a 5 year old without adding his ASD into the mix.

So we're booked in again next Thursday and I was wondering if anyone had similar experiences and had any tips I could use? I've got a dropped bottle from chemist that I've filled with water and I'm going to let him watch me put it in my eye to help prepare him but other than that I have no idea what else I could try especially on the day itself?
Thanks

That should say dropper* bottle

I would go to the hospital. They are used to seeing ASD patients and would never restrain him without your permission. They also have local anaesthetic drops they can use first to stop it stinging or they can instill them with his eyes closed. Good luck

Thanks for reply, problem is they probably would have to restrain him so id end up having to give permission in that whole cruel to be kind way just to get it over with. I'm making sure dh comes to the next appointment next week as if we can't get him to co-operate he could hold him tighter than I can. I'm just clutching at straws to think of something that will coax him into gentler than forcing it.

@Jazzytulips - the issue with that is the anaesthetic drops sting!
But yes, he just needs to lie down, shut his eyes and have them put in very quickly in the inner bit of the ear.

Many children need a couple of appointment with or without SEN.

Well if the anesthesia drops stings too then there's no hope of him sitting calmly and having it done 4 times as the minute the pain/discomfort starts he kicks off. I am going to ask the optician can they do both eyes at once very quickly with his eyes closed as you say and just hold him in my arms and hope for the best I guess then?

Can you get the drops and do it at home? Ds responds much better that way and it means less waiting time when there

sirzy I didn't realise that was an option! Do you think the optician would let me collect them before the appointment and do it at home before taking him in for the appointment?

It’s well worth asking. Ds is rested at the hospital but we are always given the drops to give at home

Your optician sounds lovely and patient!
Worth asking if you can give them at home but as an optician I personally would not be comfortable handing them out, so respect her decision if she wants to put them in at the appointment.

Don’t drop tap water in your eye, there’s all sorts of nasties that live in tap water that are best kept out of your eye. Get some lubricating eye drops from the pharmacy and use them to demonstrate instead.

Apologies if you didn’t mean tap water - I realise you said ‘water’ in your OP.

I will ring the optician today on my lunch break and ask if it's an option with them, I definitely feel I would have a higher chance of success if doing it at home because of his ASD a more familiar and comfortable environment could do the trick.

And yes I meant tap water, I imagine one small drop would be no different than washing my face in the sink or bath tbh.

I think deliberately introducing tap water into your eye is unwise but obviously it’s up to you.

It should be okay, we can supply the drug used for cycloplegia as well as use it. I'm never that keen as I like to know that the drug has gone in! But, it may be your only option.

You're generally okay to get tap water in your eye, unless you wear contact lenses. (use saline though if you have an infection, scratch or sore eye). The very nasty eye infection called acanthamoemba keratitis needs some kind of route of transmission into the eye and also something to hold the water on the eye for a while. So just splashing water into an undamaged eye isn't really a problem.

underneaththeash the optician said no. I am gutted as I really thought I'd found a solution to the problem but no, it seems I'm going to have to have me and DH restrain him if I can't talk him round into it.

Good to hear about the tap water drop not being an issue, I don't wear contact lenses and currently have no eye issues. It's just to give him an example of someone else doing it and being brave, getting him to take part in it etc.