Vision examination of children in Riyadh's handicapped children house

Fifty-eight children with neuromuscular handicap participating in a habilitation program at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia underwent an abbreviated vision examination evaluating their visual status. Manpower, time, language and equipment constraints prevented the performance of routine, complete eye examinations for each child. This initial effort was designed to assess the subjects' vision as well as examination time, space, manpower, and any other unforeseen problems in treating this population. This vision evaluation showed that 63.7 percent had ocular findings, and only 17.2 percent had a history of previous eye examination. Currently, a program of evaluation, training and education is underway to treat these children with motor and social handicaps at the Handicapped Children House. Routine vision examination, more complete than undertaken with this study, should be instituted, incorporating ocular history, external examination, refraction, dilated ophthalmoscopy, slit lamp with further evaluation and treatment of those children with findings.