It’s one thing to be inspired by subjects that you have appreciated from afar, but it’s altogether more impactful to be motivated by an issue that has touched you directly. That was certainly the case for Dr Louise Gow MCOptom, whose interest in treating neurodivergent patients was confirmed by one specific encounter.

“About 15 years ago, I was clinical lead at the Institute of Optometry. We had an autistic boy come for an eye test. He found waiting in the waiting room and transitioning through to the consulting room distressing. As a result he could not access the full range of tests that would normally be applied for a child of his age and cognitive abilities,” Louise says. 

“Together the boy, his mum and I tried to figure out a way to make the whole process easier for him. It was frustrating because with his cognitive abilities I felt we should be able to complete all tests required, but we just couldn’t – we’d get so far before it became overwhelming for him, triggering distressed behaviour. From that, I thought it would be a brilliant thing to research: what can we do to support autistic people to have an eye test?” 

After that experience, Louise completed her professional doctorate with a particular focus on optometry and autism.

“There are many societal barriers faced by autistic people in all aspects of daily life. From the perspective of primary eye care services,  even a 20-minute wait in a waiting room can go from being a bit annoying to genuinely distressing. I felt like this was a research project that was very worthwhile and something tangible, where I could say: this is what we can do to make people’s lives a little better.”

So what can we do to make seeing an optometrist better for autistic people? No two autistic people are the same so remember that adjustments need to be tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the individual. Here are Louise’s top tips.