Written By
Autism Awareness
Autism & Vision
Levin Eye Care Center
1334 119th Street
Whiting, IN 46394
levineyecare.com
219.659.3050
What is Autism?
Autism is a neurobiological disorder. People with autism have difficulty
processing and responding to information from their senses. They also
have difficulties with communication and social interaction. Symptoms
of autism can include lack of reciprocal social interaction, delays in
development, and inappropriate response to sensory information
Visual Problems and Autism
Visual problems are very common in individuals with autism. Visual
symptoms of autism can include lack of eye contact, staring at spinning
objects or light, fleeting peripheral glances, side viewing, and difficulty
attending visually.
Autistic people often use visual information inefficiently. They have
problems coordinating their central and peripheral vision. For example,
when asked to follow an object with their eyes, they usually do not look
directly at the object. Instead, they will scan or look off to the side of
the object. Autistic individuals might also have difficulty maintaining
visual attention. Eye movement disorders and crossed eyes are common
in the autistic spectrum.
Poor Integration of Central and Peripheral Vision
Autistic individuals can also ignore peripheral vision and remain
fixated on a central point of focus for excessive periods of time. Poor
integration of central and peripheral vision can lead to difficulties in
processing and integrating visual information in autistic individuals.
Motor, cognitive, speech, and perceptual abilities can also be affected
when visual processing is interrupted.
Hypersensitive Touch and Vision
Many people with autism are tactually or visually defensive. Tactually
defensive people are easily over-stimulated by input through touch.
They are always moving and wiggling. They avoid contact with specific
textures. Visually defensive persons avoid contact with specific visual
input and might have hypersensitive vision. They have difficulty with
visually "holding still" and frequently rely on a constant scanning of
visual information in an attempt to gain meaning.
Vision Exams for Autistic Patients
Methods for evaluating the vision of people with autism will vary
depending on individual levels of emotional and physical development.
Testing is often done while the patient is asked to perform specific
activities while wearing special lenses. For example, observations of the
patient's postural adaptations and compensations will be made as he
or she sits, walks, stands, catches and throws a ball, etc. Such tests help
to determine how the autistic person is seeing and how he or she can
be helped.
Treatment of Visual Problems Associated with Autism
Depending on the results of testing, lenses to compensate for
nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism (with or without
prism) may be prescribed. Vision Therapy activities can be used to
stimulate general visual arousal, eye movements, and the central visual
system. The goals of treatment may be to help the autistic patient
organize visual space and gain peripheral stability so that he or she can
better attend to and appreciate central vision and gain more efficient
eye coordination and visual information processing.
Dr. Steven A. Levin O.D., F.C.O.V.D. of Whiting, Indiana is a board
certified behavioral optometrist experienced in examining and treating
visual deficiencies in autistic individuals as well as other developmentally
delayed or non-verbal individuals. According to Dr. Steven A. Levin,
“Vision problems can have a huge impact on academic performance
and behavior in the classroom especially in children with the autism
spectrum. Parents usually have a pretty good idea of what their child’s
potential could be. Parents who suspect any concerns should arrange
for a comprehensive vision evaluation as soon as possible.”
Dr. Steven A. Levin has demonstrated a committed and dedicated effort
to serve the citizens of this community and his profession for 41 years. In
2002, he was named the National Optometrist of the Year by the American
Optometric Association and in 2001, he received the Indiana Optometrist
of the Year award from the Indiana Optometric Association. In 2007, he
was elected into the National Academies of Practice as a Distin