Ophthalmologic screening of adults with mental retardation

Ophthalmological screening was conducted on 113 clients in a work activity center for adults with mental retardation. Thirty-two percent had abnormalities that were neither refractive nor strabismic. We encountered no instance of neglect of current organic ocular disease. However, 37% of clients had at least one eye that either was not within one diopter of emmetropia or that was not corrected to within one diopter of their retinoscopic findings. Ophthalmologists should consider providing screenings in settings familiar to such clients, where they are more likely to be cooperative.