Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a range of childhood developmental conditions characterized by social, behavioral, and communication deficits. Many individuals with ASD have problems with sensory integration that affect the visual system and other sensory-processing abilities. Vision therapy enhances the neurological connections between the eyes and brain to help people with ASD better perceive what their eyes see and make better sense of their environment. Research has found that vision therapy benefits individuals with autism by improving eye-contact and gaze, visual attention, central and peripheral integration, visual-spatial abilities, posture and balance, visual efficiency, and eye-tracking.
While vision therapy won’t solve every issue a child with autism has, it can help with lazy eye and strabismus, among other conditions of visual mechanics and processing. At the Optometry Center for Vision Therapy, our experienced developmental optometrists and therapists are skilled in working with patients with autism spectrum disorders. Consult with OCVT to find the right vision therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
Common Vision Conditions Associated with Autism
While vision problems aren’t always linked with autism, enhancing uncommunicative visual systems can help improve daily life for children and adults with ASD. Individuals with autism are on a spectrum and can have difficulties in several vision areas, including:
- Tracking objects moving quickly
- Maintaining eye contact with people
- Processing reactions to visual stimuli
- Looking beyond or through objects
- Aligning their eyes (strabismus)
- Keeping their eyes from wandering (amblyopia/lazy eye)
- Having light sensitivity
- Viewing things from the side of the eyes (i.e. TV watching)
- Fleeting views or rolling eyes
- Visual Stemming (i.e. flapping fingers in front of eyes)
These conditions require individualized vision therapy for autism, in which our OCVT doctors and vision therapists develop a program suited to the patient’s abilities and needs. The goal of vision therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder is to allow them to perform everyday tasks more easily, easing the burden on themselves and those around them.
How Does OCVT Help?
The Optometry Center for Vision Therapy develops programs which help people with autism find new ways to perform their daily tasks. It’s possible to retrain the brain’s neurological connections and improve hand-eye coordination, depth perception, motor skills, eye contact, and other activities. In-office and at-home therapy with OCVT can start refining vision skills for patients with autism. While vision therapy isn’t a panacea for autism, it can help make lasting changes that improve quality of life.
Schedule a Consultation with OCVT
A consultation with a developmental optometrist at OCVT can be beneficial when caring for an individual with autism spectrum disorder. Children with ASD who manifest vision problems can benefit from treatment at the Optometry Center for Vision Therapy. Childhood is the best time to remedy these issues and retrain the brain. A continued course of vision therapy for people with autism can make a lifelong difference.
At OCVT, we’re focused on each individual case and use the latest treatment methods available. Our team is dedicated to finding the right course of vision therapy for our patients with autism. Fill out our assessment form today to start the evaluation process and book a complimentary consultation.