DS2 has hospital orthoptist appointment, what to expect?

[wigglybeezer]

DS2(mild AS) has an appointment with the orthoptist at the local hospital, as usual i am worried about being seen as a fussy middle class mother, but I feel I need guidance/reassurance about his vision despite him having an eye test recently. Problems are;

Has to look at ground when walking along. (visual spatial problem?)

Complains of vision going funny (wibbly etc.)occasionally.

Goes cross-eyed when engaged in stimming (twirls toys about 6inches away from face).

Still gets letters confused and in wrong order sometimes when reading.

Poor reading stamina.

Awful handwriting which rarely sits on the line (but neat drawing and colouring in).

Red/green colour blindness.

Bad at ball games.

Does anyone think they will be able to do anything to help. I am trying to get individual problems sorted rather than just say "Oh well, its the AS that makes him that way". anything that helps with his stamina for reading would make a big difference at school.

When Ds saw the orthoptist at our local hospital ( he was 5) he had his vision checked (using a letter/shape chart), eye movements (ocular motility) checked using a little picture on a stick for child to look at, and cover tests to check for strabismus/squint ( covering one eye at a time whilst child looks at stick/toy/letter). He then had his pupils dilated (drops which he hated because it made him blurred) and was seen by the ophthalmologist who looked at the back of both eyes etc with an ophthalmoscope (a torch like instrument held close to the eyes).
The hospital eye service is usually fairly traditional, so can be very good with eye muscle weaknesses (such as giving exersises) or focusing problems but less concerned (or geared up for) visual spacial problems, pattern glare etc which is more the behavioural optometrists (not nhs) field I think.
The OT ds is seeing through the NHS is specialised in sensory integration.

The worst part was the blur from the drops ( not getting them in but because it stops the child focussing) as ds ( LD ans ASD) could not understand why he could not see properly close up and got very upset ( tried to scratch his eyes out). It took several hours to wear off!
Hope this helps.

Thanks, Magso, I think what DS needs is a behavioural optometrist but I am a bit nevous about private treatments, their websites always seem to promise miraculous imrpovements which makes me suspicious (I come from a family of very serious Scottish medics so you can imagine the reaction when anything unorthodox is discussed!). If I could find one up here that was reccomended by someone i trust that would be great. Saying that, a friend did get her child referred for Irlens (coloured overlays and or lenses) treatment on the NHS.

Wigglybeezer - I should have said we are in England - I have no experience of the Scottish system although I suspect it is more flexible! (apologies for typos!)