Visual Impairments and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Aged 9-10 Years

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the intersection of visual impairments and cognitive abilities in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children.Sixty children participated in the study. These children were seen at a specialized center for neurodevelopmental disorders in Morocco. Thirty were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and thirty with Learning Disorders (LD), involving literacy or numeracy. Among the 30 children with ASD, Group 1 (G1) consisted of 15 children with a visual impairment (ASD-VI), and Group 2 (G2) consisted of 15 without visual impairment (ASD-nVI). Among the 30 children with a Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Group 3 (G3) consisted of 15 children with a visual impairment (DLD-VI), and Group 4 (G4) consisted of 15 without visual impairment (DLD-nVI). The study assessed the standard scores obtained by the children in the Figure-Ground and Form Constancy subtests of the Developmental Test of Visual Perception, Second Edition (DTVP-2), and the Similarities subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V).The controlled variables included chronological age, sex, and level of fluid intelligence. It was not feasible to control for the correction of visual difficulties. Notably, 60% of the children did not wear corrective lenses, and among the 40% who did, there were strong suspicions that half of them had unsuitable corrections for school conditions. However, all children had a minimum visual acuity of 4. The sample comprised four groups (G1, G2, G3, G4), each consisting of 15 children. Matching characteristics such as age (months), gender distribution, and cognitive abilities (measured by matrices and balances) showed no significant differences between the groups, as indicated by the p-values. The results, presented as means and standard deviations, highlighted variability across the groups in these subtests. Pairwise comparisons between the groups revealed statistically significant differences in the Similarities subtest, specifically between G1 and G2 (p=0.02) and G1 and G3 (p=0.03). In contrast, differences in the Figure-Ground and Form Constancy subtests were not significant.The findings suggest nuanced interactions between visual impairments and cognitive abilities in children with ASD, underscoring the importance of appropriate visual corrections and tailored educational interventions to support this population's unique needs.