Are early visual behavior impairments involved in the onset of autism spectrum disorders? Insights for early diagnosis and intervention

Conclusion: According to the literature, difficulties in these three areas have been often reported in children with ASD, and the visual-perception deficit could have cascading effects on learning processes and on social development. Despite this evidence of atypical VB in ASD, their investigation is not yet included into diagnostic processes, and they are not yet considered a specific treatment target.What is Known:•Atypical social use of visual behavior is one the first symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders•Individuals with autism spectrum disorders often show unusual visual exploration of the surrounding environmentWhat is New:•It is possible to hypothesize that early visual behavior abnormalities may affect experiences that permit learning processes and social and communicative development in infants•An early assessment of visual behavior, as a core symptom of ASD, might improve the diagnostic processes and might help to developing more individualized treatments.
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research