PediaVision, a company dedicated to solving the critical problem of undiagnosed vision problems affecting thousands of children, today announced a breakthrough in the use of the PediaVision Assessment Solution for autistic children.
John Facciani, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Virginia's Vistar Eye Center, explains, "Before PediaVision, it was difficult at best to conduct an eye exam on some children with autism because of both the inability to communicate what they are able to see and an unwillingness to let the examiner close enough for a good exam. Without any useful information to go by, an exam under general anesthesia would be required. Now that we have the PediaVision Assessment Solution (PAS), which enables us to conduct a vision screening within seconds from three feet away from the patient, we can better accommodate children with autism," he said. "PediaVision has made a tremendous difference in my practice -- because it is perfect for very young children (as young as six months old) -- and now we've found it to be successful on children with autism," he added.
"Often children with autism have to be sedated in order to go into a doctor's office to have an eye exam -- they don't like being touched and they don't like having their personal space invaded," said Debbie McKinney, mother of Christopher, age 5, who is autistic. "The fact that this device can screen children's vision from three feet away, makes all the difference. Overall this was one of the most pleasant exam experiences since our son was diagnosed with autism," she added.
"With the odds of one in 150 children having autism in this country alone,* the PediaVision device is a must-have for Pediatric Ophthalmologists and Pediatricians everywhere," Dr. Facciani added.
The only binocular vision screening device that produces highly accurate, immediate results, the PediaVision Assessment Solution (PAS) is effective for screening children of any age, especially pre-verbal children. The software produces written results and a recommendation as to whether or not a subject should be referred to an eye care specialist. Conducted from three feet away, the screening is as simple and non-invasive as taking a picture of the child.