Supporting clinical excellence

Cardiff University's Special Assessment Clinic team has been shortlisted for the National Autistic Society Award for Clinical Excellence.

The team, based in the School of Optometry and Visual Sciences, provide eye care for patients who cannot communicate in the usual way, including infants and young children with special needs and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Led by Andy Millington, Mike George and Dr Maggie Woodhouse, who between them have more than 50 years of experience testing patients with learning difficulties, the team work closely with the Education Services, providing guidance on visual abilities and needs for children with any form of visual impairment.                                                      

They also operate as a teaching clinic for optometry students as well as conducting research which aims to develop further ways of assessing vision in special needs patients.

Andy Millington, who lead the award application said: "It is a great honour to have our work recognised by the National Autistic Society. We firmly believe that everyone has the right to enjoy high quality eye care, which allows them to lead the kind of life that they want for themselves.

"The emphasis of the work we do in the clinic is always on communication, by written and verbal reports, so that parents, carers and educators are made fully aware of the patient's visual abilities and difficulties, and the ways in which their particular problems can be addressed."

The team will find out whether they've been successful at a prestigious awards dinner in early March.