Seeing through new eyes : changing the lives of children with autism, Asperger syndrome and other developmental disabilities through vision therapy

Summary: I've been amazed at how the yoked prism lenses Dr. Kaplan uses can have an immediate impact on a child's behavior ... These instant changes can translate, with the help of vision therapy, into long-term changes including better attention, increased speech, enhanced social skills, and better academic performance. They also can result in a happier, less anxious, less tense individual, with more energy to understand and enjoy the world.' - From the Foreword by Stephen M. Edelson, Autism Research Institute, San Diego, CA Dr Kaplan offers an accessible introduction to the treatment of visual dysfunction, a significant but neglected problem associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other developmental disabilities. He identifies common autistic symptoms such as hand-flapping, poor eye contact and tantrums as typical responses to the confusion caused by vision disorder. He explains the effects of difficulties with 'ambient vision' - the function that is usually impaired in autistic people - which include a lack of spatial awareness and trouble with coordination, and gives guidance on how to identify the visual deficits of nonverbal children, select prism lenses that will alter the visual field, and create individually tailored programmes of therapy in order to retrain the system. Seeing Through New Eyes is essential reading for parents of autistic children, professionals in the fields of autism, optometry and ophthalmology, psychology and education.