Why are visual system problems like visual stimming, side glancing and poor eye contact so common among autistic children and why is it a priority in our treatment protocol to address it and target it early as soon as possible?

We will answer the second part of the question first.

If we treat visual processing problems, other developmental gains will happen because language, social and cognitive skills depend on visions, when they see mouths moving while others speak it is very important for them to learn.

Social interaction and development rely on seeing people’s facial gestures and features. Cognitive skills rely mainly on vision because they need focus on the surroundings. Another important issue in learning is to use visual tracking when reading or matching. and definitely, behavior will be affected negatively if these children can see well. All of the symptoms of autism depend on the brain’s ability to take in visual information and organize it properly.

The answer for the first part of the question: why visual problems are common in autism?

Researchers assume that they don’t see like most people do, they have locked pathways. They see the world around them through a 3D box. They have a limited visual field that everything that doesn’t fit in their box blurs and is perceived as color and shape alone. That’s why the children melt down and get angry when objects are moved or when you clean up their lines or piles of toys sorted by color.

Symptoms of visual problems in autism is like:

1. They have troubles in eye contact

2. Repetitive behavior in front of their eyes as if they live in a magic-eye puzzle

3. Like to watch parts of shows over and over

4. Look out of the sides of their eyes

5. Line up toys in regards of shape or color

6. In and out body movement