Visual Rehabilitation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Visual Disorders

The Effects of Visual Rehabilitation on Social Interaction and Communication for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Visual Disorders

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have visual problems that add difficulty to social interaction and communication. This study implemented a visual rehabilitation program to improve visual function and functional use of visual information in children with ASD and co-occurring visual difficulties. After the program, children showed improved visual abilities, eye contact, and attention during shared activities. The study also confirmed that the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS) is a practical and reliable tool for tracking these improvements. Overall, the results suggest that helping children with ASD improve their vision may also support their social and communication development.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Language developmental age between 12 and 36 months
• Diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of ASD based on DSM criteria
• Best-corrected binocular visual acuity between 0.1 and 0.5, or other marked intra-individual variability across visual perceptual tasks
• Ability to follow at least two-step commands in daily activities

Exclusion Criteria:

• Moderate to severe intellectual disability