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Editorial
. 2021 Dec 22:17:212-216.
doi: 10.2174/1745017902117010212. eCollection 2021.

Autism and Visual impairment: A First Approach to a Complex Relationship

Roberto Pili  1 , Bachisio Zolo  1 , Pericle Farris  2 , Valentina Penna  2 , Simona Valinotti  2 , Gian Pietro Carrogu  3 , Luca Gaviano  3 , Roberta Berti  3 , Lorenzo Pili  3 , Donatella Rita Petretto  3
Affiliations
Editorial

Autism and Visual impairment: A First Approach to a Complex Relationship

Roberto Pili et al. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. .

Abstract

Since the first half of the 20th century there has been an interest in the study of the relationship between autism and autistic-like clinical features and with visual impairments. Autism Spectrum disorders are one of the more worldwide-studied neurodevelopmental disorder with an increasing prevalence in the last ten years. Visual impairment is a condition which derives from several causes (genetic, constitutional, injuries, nutritional and environmental ones). Again, it is a kind of spectrum and an overarching category, because visual impairments range from refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism), to amblyopia, strabismus, and to partial and total blindness. Since the first study of Keeler (1956) which described autistic-like patterns in five preschool children who were totally blind due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a growing number of researchers addressed the relationship between autism and visual impairment. In this paper we focused on it, aiming to discuss on some lessons learned in this field and to discuss some open questions since the first research in this field.

Keywords: Autism; Blindness; Diagnosis; Psychological assessment; Visual impairment; World health organization.

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