Research adds to evidence that vision problems are common in kids with ASD

A study by researchers in Taiwan and the United States indicates that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have an elevated incidence of vision problems.

The study, by Yi-Lung Chen and colleagues, examined data on children who were born in Taiwan between 2004 and 2017. The study population included 20,688 children with ASD and 2,062,120 matched controls.

The researchers report, “Children with ASD had higher risks of incident hyperopia [farsightedness], myopia [nearsightedness], astigmatism [refractive errors that interfere with clear vision], and strabismus [in which the eyes do not align correctly] than did those without it.” They conclude that clinicians should screen children with ASD for ophthalmic conditions, adding that “further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the associations between ASD and ophthalmic diseases.”

The study’s findings are consistent with earlier research by Carlota Gutiérrez and colleagues (see ARRI Vol 36, No. 4), which found a high rate of vision problems in children with ASD. Overall, Gutiérrez and her team found that more than 48 percent of children with ASD had refractive problems.

Citations

“Risks of hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism, and strabismus in children with autism spectrum disorder: A nationwide, population-based cohort study,” Yi-Lung Chen, Cheng-Fang Yen, Yu-Hung Lai, Ray C Hsiao, and Wei-Po Chou, Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, September 22, 2024 (online). Address: Yi-Lung Chen, Department of Psychology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.