QuickTalk Friday Interview Series
An Eye Exam Led To Her Son’s Autism Diagnosis
An interview with Marilyn Glover
An autism diagnosis is not an exact science.
There is no test measuring glucose levels in blood and urine as there is with diabetes.
No MRI scan to reveal brain differences.
Autism is diagnosed solely by observation, and psychologists rely on a checklist of behaviors to determine whether a child or adult meets the criteria for autism as described in the DSM IV.
But signs of autism can also be in the eyes.
That was the case for Marilyn Glover’s son, Elijah — as a routine optometry exam put him on the path to an autism diagnosis at age 20.
Tell me about the eye exam that led to Elijah’s autism diagnosis?
During a routine eye exam, Elijah’s optometrist discovered an inconsistency prompting her to pause the exam and speak to me. It appeared that my son’s vision fluctuated while testing.
“One minute, he could see particular screening data, and the next minute, he couldn’t see it.”
His optometrist, a well-renowned specialist in our area, explained this incident…
