Vision problems are common with autism and many times are overlooked. Normal autistic behaviors, such as: poor eye contact, looking though or beyond objects, extreme aversion to light, unusual reaction to sight, lack of reciprocal play, inordinate fear of heights or lack of appropriate fear of heights and stemming, could be visual symptoms.
Kyle's story is one that his mom wants as many people to know so his frustration does not have to be repeated. While in a park, when he was three years old, Kyle walked over a 50 foot cliff. Years later, when he had a developmental visual evaluation, it was found that he lacked depth perception. No wonder he had walked over the cliff. In grade school, on his Individualized Educational Program, the staff wrote that he lacked reciprocal play because throwing and catching a ball was difficult. He had been practicing throwing and catching in occupational therapy for 2?years. After getting prism glasses and six weeks of vision therapy, Kyle was able to throw and catch a ball. Kyle had an unusual gait. It was stiff and flat-footed. He wouldn't run. After vision therapy, he could ride a bike and play on monkey bars. After vision therapy, his gait changed. Kyle would look off into space; he seemed to be tuning out vision to be able to attend to auditory information. With auditory, occupational and vision therapy, his senses started working together instead of only being able to use one or the other.
Kyle's mom wants people to imagine a quiet pool of water. When you drop a pebble in the middle, the calm water ripples outward. One small pebble can create quite an impact. If there is a visual problem, the vision problem can impact motor development. If motor development is impacted, that can impact social and communication skills. Kyle's mom thinks that if they had known about his visual problems when he was much younger, many of his motor and social deficits would not have been so significant.
If you child has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, be sure they have a visual evaluation with a developmental optometrist as soon as possible. A person does not have to be verbal in order to find out if they are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism. Visual games will be played to see how the person's eyes aim, focus, track, follow, move, see 3-D (depth perception), and process central-peripheral information.
Yoked prisms are special lenses that bend light in the same direction: up, down, left or right. These lenses can have dramatic results by creating a difference in how the world is seen and allows the person to change how their world is perceived. In the visual evaluation, an activity such as throwing and catching a ball, walking up and down stairs or using scissors to cut along a line may be done. While wearing different powers of yoked lenses, the same activity is repeated and evaluated. The doctor may prescribe yoked prisms for special activities or for full time wear. The lenses may use them as an integral part of vision therapy.
Visual problems are common with those that have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. Having a visual evaluation by a developmental optometrist may lead to treatment that can have a ripple effect on sensory development and integration.
2。
Roberto's Story
Dear Dr. Torgerson,
I wanted to provide this letter to let you know how valuable it has been for us to have Roberto complete Vision Therapy. Roberto was diagnosed when he was four years old with sensory integration dysfunction and more recently as having symptoms consistent with Aspergers’ Syndrome, on the Autism Spectrum. He has been in Occupational Therapy for three years and recently we have been working through an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. All together these ( and other treatments) make for a very hectic schedule, especially when you factor school into it; however, we believe Vision Therapy was an integral piece to Roberto’s continuing developmental improvements. He began vision therapy just before his sixth birthday. The homework sessions were frustrating and challenging at times but the therapy visits made it worthwhile for him to see his improvements.
Before vision therapy Roberto struggled with reading and had trouble maintaining eye-contact. Prior to going to Alderwood Vision Therapy, he had seen other optometrists who indicated his eye-teaming issues might require surgery. We were grateful for vision therapy – strengthening his eyes – as opposed to surgery. His overall coordination and level of alertness had been concerns and have impacted his performance at sports and in school. Since completing vision therapy, his ball handling skills and reading have greatly improved. The greatest asset for Roberto, though, was the exceptional staff at Alderwood Vision Therapy. Samantha has a deep understanding of Roberto’s overall issues and incorporated balance, response time, coordination and self regulation into vision therapy. The result has been improved ability to attend while at school and confidence in ball skills and reading.
Children on the autism spectrum end up having numerous appointments and difficult schedules. It may seem overwhelming to add vision therapy. But, I believe the investment Roberto has made in vision therapy, particularly at this age, will serve him for years to come.
I am very grateful for the caring, compassionate and professional staff at Alderwood Vision Therapy and believe it would be beneficial for children on the autism spectrum with vision issues.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Acutanza (mom to Roberto)
3。Temple Grandin, Ph.D, Speaks About Vision Problems in Autism
A world-renowned individual with autism, Temple Grandin spoke to the large gathering of developmental optometrists at the annual meeting of COVD in Phoenix, AZ, in 2003.
In 2006, Vintage Books released an expanded, second edition of Dr. Grandin’s classic book, “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism”. Dr. Grandin made quite an impression the optometrists in attendance at her lecture and, judging by the content of her book, the converse is true as well.
On page 79, Dr. Grandin writes: “If visual processing problems are suspected, the child should see a developmental optometrist. This is a special eye doctor who can do therapy and exercises to help the processing problems that are inside the brain. In many of these children, the eye itself is normal but faulty wiring in the brain is causing the problem.”
It is vital to understand that children with autism may have normal eyesight (20/20), yet benefit from either special lenses or prisms, and active vision therapy. A new book just published in 2006 by a colleague of ours, Dr. Melvin Kaplan, explores the points made by Temple Grandin in much more detail. Dr, Kaplan’s book is entitled: “Seeing Through New Eyes: Changing the Lives of Children with Autism, Asperger Syndrome and other Developmental Disabilities through Vision Therapy”, and is published by Jessica Kingley Publishers. 作者: thast 时间: 2008-5-4 00:08 标题: re:我也遇到这样的问题，就是孩子的自我刺激，... 我也遇到这样的问题，就是孩子的自我刺激，他是爱在栏杆前斜着眼睛跑过，有没有好的办法呢，训练和药物都可以啊，请朋友指点！作者: 千寻 时间: 2008-5-4 03:48 标题: re:是啊,我的孩子也有类似的问题,关注中,请... 是啊,我的孩子也有类似的问题,关注中,请有经验的父母不吝赐教~作者: 璞儿妈妈 时间: 2008-5-4 22:46 标题: re:我儿子和thast家宝贝的情况很相似，近... 我儿子和thast家宝贝的情况很相似，近期明显开始喜欢在栏杆或者是类似一排家具构成的直线等旁边跑过。还有其他的宝宝有类似的情况吗？作者: genghb111 时间: 2008-5-5 15:32 标题: re:jmc0623，还得劳您的驾：... jmc0623，还得劳您的驾：
您推荐的文章里所说，In many of these children, the eye itself is normal but faulty wiring in the brain is causing the problem.所以我们会采取一些感统措施，如throwing and catching a ball, walking up and down stairs or using scissors to cut along a line ,and so on.以不断的“冲击”来打通阻塞了的faulty wiring in the brain.这是现在已被普遍接受了的有效的办法。
视觉治疗里所说的棱镜/透镜的工作原理是： bend light in the same direction: up, down, left or right. These lenses can have dramatic results by creating a difference in how the world is seen and allows the person to change how their world is perceived.
我的孩子喜欢斜着或从下往上看事物，似乎这些特殊的角度在他脑海中形成的印象是不一样的。不是他在正常的角度看不到东西，而是他从另一个角度看到的东西似乎不一样。
是不是通过棱镜/透镜弯曲光的透入角度，来实现孩子异样视物角度看到的东西和正常的角度看到的东西一样，从而使他不再迷恋于特殊的视角带来的刺激？
但如果是这样的话，他去掉眼镜后，会不会恢复原状呢？使他不再回到原来状态的原理又是什么呢？
作者: 女儿是天使 时间: 2008-5-5 18:22 标题: re:"If you child has a... "If you child has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, be sure they have a visual evaluation with a developmental optometrist as soon as possible."
谢谢jmc0623这些信息。