Autism and Blindness

Autism, blindness, and low vision are areas that do overlap and create special problems. Below are links to selected articles and papers dealing with this subject. If you find these articles helpful or if you find other articles that you feel should be included in this list please contact Tim Lockwood at lockwood@esu4.org .

Autistic tendencies: Are there different pathways for blindness and Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Rebecca Andrews and Shirley Wyver, Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. Paper from British Journal of Visual Impairment, Vol. 23, No. 2, 52-57 (2005)

Autism Network for Individuals with Hearing and Visual Impairments
A recording of the Annual Meeting of the Autism Network for Individuals with diagnosed Hearing and Visual Impairments. Overview of the international network and transitional updates. Focus on new medical and health interventions and safety information for emergency providers with necessary modifications for blind and deaf students at all levels of the Spectrum.

Autism Spectrum Disorders and Visual Impairment: Meeting Students' Learning Needs (Book 2005)
Written by Marilyn H. Gense and D. Jay Gense, two professionals who have devoted their lives to studying and helping visually impaired children with autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Visual Impairment offers a comprehensive look at how autism interacts with vision loss and presents effective ways to work with students.

Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Visual Strategies for Visual Learners (Web Page)
By Lisa Rogers

Blindness, Mental Retardation and/or Autism
Paper Presented by Anette Ingsholt, Psychologist, ph.d,. National Institute for Blind and Partially Sighted Children and Youth, August,2002

Blindness and autism: What is the relationship between blindness and autism-like difficulties in children?
Paper presented by Knut Brandsborg, Psychologist, Huseby Resource Centre, August,2002

Autism Spectrum Disorder in Learners with Blindness/Vision Impairments Comparison of Characteristics
ByMarilyn H. Gense, M.A. D. Jay Gense, Ed, (Revised January 2002)

Autism and Visual Impairment  
by Terese Pawletco, FOCAL Points, Fall 2002 Volume 1, Issue 2

Social Skills: IEP Goals for Students with Visual Impairments and Aspergers Syndrome
by Terese Pawletko, Ph.D. October 3, 2002

Autism in the Visually Impaired Child
by Terese Pawletko, Ph.D. & Lorraine Rocissano, Ph.D. Psychology Department Maryland School for the Blind AER/DENVER, July 18, 2000

They Have Some Features, But Are These Children & Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum? What Do We Do? 
By Terese Pawletko, Ph.D. AER International Conference July 17-21, 2002 Toronto, Ontario

Autistic Spectrum Disorders And Cortical Visual Impairment:  TWO WORLDS ON PARALLEL COURSES  
By Mary T. Morse, Ph.D. Education Consultant for Children With Special Needs AER -DENVER - JULY, 2000

Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Cortical Visual Impairment- Two Worlds on Parallel Courses - Part 2 
By Mary T. Morse, Ph.D.Educational Consultant, N.H.and Terese Pawletko, Ph.D. & Lorraine Rocissano, Ph.D. Maryland School for the BlindAER -DENVER - JULY, 2000

Examples of Symptom Presentation in Blind-Autistic Children in Contrast to Blind-NonAutistic Children a la DSM-IV Criteria
by Terese Pawletko, Ph.D. & Lorraine Rocissano, Ph.D. Psychology Department Maryland School for the Blind, July, 2000

Visual Impairment and Autism -What we know about causation and early identification
by Dr Hilary Cass, Consultant Paediatric Disability Autism and Visual Impairment Conference, Edinburgh, (March 1996)

Educational Implications of Autism and Visual Impairment
by Rita Jordan, Senior Lecturer Autism, School of Education, University of Birmingham Autism and Visual Impairment Conference, Edinburgh, March 1996

Autism and Visual Impairment: Taking the Issues Forward in the Context of Multi-disciplinary Working
by DR Anne O'Hare, Consultant Paediatrician Autism and Visual Impairment Conference, Edinburgh, (March 1996)

Autism And Visual Impairment - Making Sense
by Fiona Boyce and Fiona Hammond from Proceedings of Autism and Visual Impairment Conference, March 1996

Educational Implications of Autism and Visual Impairment
by Rita Jordan, Senior Lecturer Autism, School of Education, University of Birmingham Autism and Visual Impairment Conference, Edinburgh, March 1996

Visual Training for the Autistic, Interview
Melvin Kaplan, O. D. of Tarrytown, Director of The Center for Visual Management, New York , 1996

The Challenges of the Nineties Concerning Children with Visual and Multiple Impairments
by Lilli Nielsen, Ph.D., Refsnaesskolen, Kalundborg, Denmark, Sept 1990

The following articles are available in print. We are seeking permission for the full text or abstract to be available on-line. (Thanks to Stuart W. Teplin, M.D., University of North Carolina School of Medicine for these titles)

Steinberg A, Park J, and Finkel S: The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in children who are blind. Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders, 4:133-152, 2000.

Steinberg A, Marano H: Autistic spectrum disorder and its identifcation in children who are blind: A clinical perspective from the field. Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders 4:153-183, 2000.

Hobson RP, Lee A, and Brown R: Autism and congenital blindness. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 29:45-56, 1999.

Ek U, Fernell E, Jacobson L, and Gillberg C: Relation between blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity and autistic spectrum disorders: a population-based study. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 40:297-301, 1998.

Addtional Links

WrongPlanet - Asperger's Resource and Aspergers Community