{"id":10759,"date":"2021-04-13T08:11:23","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T08:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=10759"},"modified":"2021-07-15T11:57:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T11:57:33","slug":"vision-and-autism-part-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-therapy-for-special-needs\/autism-vision\/vision-and-autism-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision and Autism: Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Author: Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This year marks my 30th year as an optometrist and during all of those years I have seen thousands of children and adults on the spectrum from autism to learning disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>I owe much of my early knowledge to Patty Lemer who introduced me to the Developmental Delay Registry, now reinvented as Epidemic Answers. I learned about the DAN! Network, Kelly Dorfman, Bernard Rimland, and Mel Kaplan\u2019s work in the beginning of my career, even working for Mel primarily in the vision therapy room in the early 90\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If your child has been diagnosed with autism, <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626374764857000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEq4CuLCaJFO1JZoJEjxir6oEVuLw\">contact an eye doctor<\/a> near you, who can exam and strengthen your child&#8217;s visual skills.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-therapy-for-special-needs\/autism-vision\/vision-and-autism-part-2\/\">Vision and Autism: Part 2<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor for children near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>Autism by numbers<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>It is hard to believe that the rates of children diagnosed with autism in this country have grown from 1 in 2500 to almost 1 in 60!<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We are looking at an epidemic that has dire consequences for our society.<\/p>\n<p>We are guaranteed to come in contact with someone on the spectrum and Patty\u2019s newest book, \u2018Outsmarting Autism\u2019, gives detailed and cutting edge ways to address factors associated with the exponential rise in autism rates and concrete treatment methods. Maria Rickert Hong\u2019s book, \u2018Almost Autism\u2019, is also a good read for parents.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Autism and vision<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Once a child has the appropriate support, I look at vision within the context of a multisensory model.<\/p>\n<p><b>Vision is the dominant sense and much of the brain is dedicated to visual learning<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>An individual learns most efficiently in a multimodal fashion. That means that learning occurs best when inputs from different parts of the brain match.<\/p>\n<p>Learning occurs best when visual inputs match perspective inputs, for example, when we see an object and reach out to touch and feel it in the same place as where we saw it.<\/p>\n<p>The same synchronicity of auditory and visual inputs occur when we see and hear something that matches. Think of the mismatch and confusion that happens when the soundtrack of a movie does not match the lip movements of the actors.<\/p>\n<p>This sensory motor integration is critical for the proper development of a child.<\/p>\n<p>In children with developmental delays, there is often a lack of cohesion between visual, auditory and other inputs leading to the unusual behaviors, language, and socialization difficulties such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Repetitive movements<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Echolalia or repeating words<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Lack of eye contact<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Accurate assessment of a child in a vision examination includes looking at posture, balance, physical health, receptive and expressive speech patterns, cognitive understanding of the tasks given, motor coordination, attention, and awareness.<\/p>\n<p><b>The functional vision examination gives essential information so that the appropriate intervention can be recommended.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The eye itself and how a child uses their vision can give clues on how to best treat the entire system.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Vision therapy for autism<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Because vision is key to so many other systems, vision intervention, such as vision therapy, can have a profound effect on a child.<\/p>\n<p><b>Specific optical lenses, prisms, tints, and vision therapy are highly effective in treating patients on the autism spectrum.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The most commonly observed signs indicating that vision therapy could benefit a child include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Poor eye contact<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Repetitive hand movements<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Staring<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Side looking<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Light sensitivity<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Poor coordination<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Learning challenges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A customized program of vision therapy provides the opportunity to develop these visual skills in a guided and therapeutic manner.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Examination of visual skills is essential<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Determining the strength of the visual skills is a vital component of an eye examination for all children on the autism spectrum<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>Children, especially, may be exposed to various stressors including biochemical, environmental, physical, social, educational and emotional challenges that impact development and learning.<\/p>\n<p>Referral to health care practitioners can provide patients with the essential nutrition and recommendations to strengthen the immune system, balance hormones, and detoxify the body, from more traditional treatments to the latest ones which use more alternative medicine methodology.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential to assess a child\u2019s functional visual skills, as well as nutrition, physical health, development, environmental and genetic factors, cognitive ability, motor, speech and language, and their educational demands.<\/p>\n<p>I am grateful for those who came before me and those colleagues that understand the importance of vision intervention in those on the spectrum.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-therapy-for-special-needs\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/vision-therapy-for-special-needs\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626374764857000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGu6STwh0Zq_y3qp5Iv6BC1jC0GWw\">Vision\u00a0for Special Needs<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>If your child has been diagnosed with autism, <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626374764857000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEq4CuLCaJFO1JZoJEjxir6oEVuLw\">contact an eye doctor<\/a> near you, who can exam and strengthen your child&#8217;s visual skills.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Randy Schulman, MS, OD, FCOVD This year marks my 30th year as an optometrist and during all of those years I have seen thousands<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1320,"featured_media":8794,"parent":269,"menu_order":82,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[108,213,85,95,107,111,126,112,86,88,186,217,113,102,153,149,83],"class_list":["post-10759","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-attention","tag-autism","tag-children","tag-childrens-vision","tag-concentration","tag-convergence","tag-double-vision","tag-dyslexia","tag-education","tag-eye-turns","tag-focusing","tag-hyperopia","tag-lazy-eye","tag-learning","tag-school","tag-vision-skills","tag-vision-therapy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Vision and Autism: Part 1 - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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