What Does Vision Have to Do with a Child with Autism?
The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of developmental disabilities that are characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication as well as repetitive stereotyped behaviors. People who have ASD are affected in their ability to attend, learn and process sensory stimuli (RA Coulter, OVD 2009).
Children with ASD have a higher incidence of visual problems and need to be properly evaluated for these vision problems. At
Hellerstein & Brenner Vision Center, PC, my private practice in Denver, we have evaluated and treated patients on the Autism spectrum for more than 30 years. With some patients with ASD, vision treatment can have a significant impact on daily life skills…even if the patient sees 20/20. Take a look at Ethan, a 5 year old patient diagnosed with ASD. See how Ethan’s world changes when he received his glasses.
Visual symptoms often found with ASD:
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Turning head, looking out of the corner of an eye
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Attracted to shiny surfaces or mirrors
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Hyper-fixating on one object while ignoring other objects in room
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Poor eye contact
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Flicking fingers or hand near face and eyes
Here is your opportunity to hear the answers to these questions about ASD and vision:
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How do you know if a child with ASD has vision problems?
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What are the signs of vision problems that parents and teachers can look for in children with ASD?
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How might glasses or vision therapy help a child with ASD?
Let me introduce to you, speech pathologist, Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP. Linda specializes in meeting the communication needs for people diagnosed with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD and others by using Visual Strategies. Linda and I have collaborated to create a webinar titled, “What Does Vision Have to Do With Your Child with ASD?”
There is a
free interview that you can listen to here.
Hope you will join us!
With love and gratitude,
Lynn Fishman Hellerstein, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO
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