The eyes through which your child sees the word are so unique. Sometimes, those eyes need glasses. That first pair of glasses making everything come into focus is magical. For children on the Autism Spectrum, this is especially important. They already deal with so many other hardships, seeing shouldn’t be one of them.
Photo by Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash
If your child on the Autism spectrum wears glasses, you no it’s no easy feat. If you’re reading this because your child needs glasses for the first time or needs new eyeglasses, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Kids on the Autism spectrum may experience sensory issues like hyper- and hypo-sensitivities to sights, sounds, and touch. Sensitivity to touch can make it difficult for a child on the Autism Spectrum to wear glasses, at least in the beginning. There are ways to get your child familiar with the feeling of glasses on their face if this is an issue for your family. To start, you may want to have a pair of practice glasses that you don’t care about being damaged and have some of their favorite treats or rewards on hand.
Another sensory issue can be sensitivity to light. Thanks to transition lenses, wearing glasses can actually be super helpful to block out light for kids with light sensitivity. While it does incur extra costs, transition lenses are great because they transition to sunglasses outside. This way, you don’t need to have separate pairs of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses – they are one and the same, saving you money in the end. There are also eyeglasses that have tinted lenses in different colors, helping for fluorescent light sensitivity.
Another factor to keep in mind is how much of the cost your vision or medical insurance will cover. This can be the most difficult part of eyeglasses and Autism. Some insurance companies are more helpful than others. Make sure you know how much your provider will cover. Think about how much you can pay out of pocket or if your vision insurance only covers a specific dollar amount. You’ll also want to know which retailers are in-network for your provider. This includes in-store and online retailers.
Be sure to have a warranty on your kid’s glasses as well. Kids are bound to break their glasses a t some point and replacement pairs can be expensive. You’ll want to make sure your warranty covers scratches and broken frames and lenses. Always make sure to have a back-up pair of glasses so your kid can wear something while waiting for the original pair to be fixed or replaced. And make sure the back-up glasses are fitted properly. Improperly fitted glasses are no fun for anyone, let alone for a kid with sensory sensitivities.
All in all, eyeglasses can make a big difference for kids on the Autism Spectrum. Make sure your child is seeing the world exactly as they should. Leave a comment and share your child’s experience with eyeglasses.
This is a contributed post and therefore may not reflect the views and opinions of this blog or its author.
