April is National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month, and there has been a lot of information in the news about the rising rates of autism spectrum disorders. The CDC now estimates that as many as 1 in 68 children are now being diagnosed with ASD. This is particularly frightening as it’s not well understood what  is behind this abrupt rise.

While such research is ongoing, it’s important to consider what we as parents and providers can do right now to improve the quality of life of those with ASD. The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) has issued a press release discussing the impact of vision in ASD:

“While the search to find the exact cause for ASD is ongoing, the visual link to autistic behaviors provides some answers and help to improve quality of life,” states COVD President, Dr. Ida Chung, O.D., FCOVD.

There has recently been a lot of research involving the role of vision in autism spectrum and other disorders, which you can read about here and here. There’s also a piece about eye movements in ASD in the Huffington Post. Information about visual and other types of stimming can be found in an article in Autism Parenting Magazine.

In our practice, every day we see children with ASD who exhibit visual processing deficits that interfere with school, play, and social interactions. Fortunately, most of these visual anomalies can be improved through vision therapy.

“Visual processing problems are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. They can result in lack of eye contact, staring at objects, or using side vision… Suspect a visual processing problem if you see an autistic child tilt his head and look out of the corner of his eye… a child with poor vision processing may fear the escalator.”– Temple Grandin in The Way I See it: A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger’s

One of the most promising autism therapies available is DIR/Floortime, an approach which influences the style of the vision therapy we offer at the Vision & Conceptual Development Center. In fact, my colleague Dr. Mehrnaz Azimi Green holds an Intermediate Certificate as a DIR/Floortime provider. We first engage the child based on his individual interests, and adapt our therapy techniques based on those interests. We find this tailored approach to be successful with both neurotypical children and those with ASD or other special needs.

We also provide education to other professionals regarding the role of vision in autism spectrum disorders. To keep up-to-date with our speaking schedule, please join our mailing list (we send an e-newsletter about once a month), or visit our Facebook page.

The slides from our most recent lecture, prepared for Parent University, can be accessed here.

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