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Blindness

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Definition

The relationship of blindness and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is complex, and, as a group of prominent researchers had aptly noted, it has been a continuing source of interest and perplexity for researchers and clinicians (Hobson et al. 1999). Central to examinations of the relationship is a collection of behaviors regarded as characteristic of children who are blind, in particular children who are congenitally blind, and children who have profound visual impairment. The collection includes stereotyped and ritualistic behaviors, pronounced limitations of social and communicative competence, delayed and limited symbolic play and language, delayed use and reversals of personal pronouns, echolalia and speech limitations, and difficulties with abstract thinking (Gense and Gense 2005; Perez-Pereira and Conti-Ramsden 1999).

Many of these behaviors also are considered to be characteristic of sighted children who have ASD. Because of the seeming commonality of certain behaviors...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Therese R. Welch

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  1. Therese R. Welch
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Correspondence to Therese R. Welch .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Welch, T.R. (2020). Blindness. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_18-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_18-4

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Blindness
    Published:
    25 April 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_18-4

  2. Original

    Blindness
    Published:
    20 October 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_18-3

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