3 Common Behaviors Of Autistic Children That Can Be Helped With Vision Therapy
There are many detrimental habits associated with the behavior of children on the autism spectrum, and many parents think that there is simply nothing that can be done to help these little quirks. However, one often overlooked solution to these types of problems is vision therapy, since several bad habits or issues like poor eye contact, strabismus, or hand/eye coordination are all directly related to vision issues. These habits can be helped greatly by regular vision therapy, especially in developing children and adolescents with autism.
Poor Eye Contact
While it is often thought that social deficiency is the cause of this less-than-friendly habit, the reality is that poor eye contact can actually be attributed, at least in part, to motor skills development in the cortex and eye. Vision therapy can help children with autism to better learn to control their eyes and therefore make better eye contact, which can also help with social skills when the time comes. As with all forms of vision therapy, this method of treatment is most effective in younger children, since their brains and eyes are not fully developed.
Strabismus
Strabismus is the medical term for a lazy eye, and according to research on autism, autistic people are 21 to 50 percent more likely to suffer from strabismus than individuals who are not affected by autism. Fortunately, vision therapy is one of the most common methods to treat this condition, with a fairly high success rate when performed with younger children. Vision therapy to treat strabismus can be easily integrated into a full treatment plan for autistic children with eyesight issues, as well.
Hand/Eye Coordination
One of the most important things to remember about learning disabilities, such as those on the autism spectrum, is that vision can often be problematic, but the eyes themselves are rarely the problem. Instead, how the eyes interact with the brain and other parts of the bodies, like the hands and arms, is the issue. Vision therapy can, then, improve the correspondence between the eyes and the hands, which can have a profound impact on hand-eye coordination which can be underdeveloped in children on the autism spectrum.
If you think that your child's eyesight might be the root of one or more behavioral or physical issues, and you've tried everything, it is more than worth your while to look into vision therapy practices near you. These helpful sessions can use a variety of stimuli to aid your child in a vast variety of areas, including eye contact, strabismus, and hand/eye coordination, to name a few.
Talk to experts like http://www.absolutevisioncare.com for more information.
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