▶Happy day. Thank you all for visiting this space where we share experiences and learning opportunities weekly. This week, a critical topic for the learning of children on the autism spectrum will take center stage: visual acuity. Every year, the Venezuelan Society of Ophthalmology recommends that children undergo regular visual acuity testing.

Adequate vision is essential in the physical, educational and psychological development of the individual, since early recognition and prompt referral are crucial, especially during childhood, since alterations in visual acuity at this stage are permanent and can lead in most cases to permanent vision loss.
Cínica de Ojos

▶Autistic children, due to their communication limitations, and even more so if they are young, do not know how to express the visual discomfort they experience. During preschool, some begin to show behaviors generally related to learning failures. In fact, we should remember that one of the factors for ruling out the subsequent diagnosis of a learning disorder is sensory impairments: vision and hearing. We must be sure that both must respond appropriately before being able to point out any major implication in learning skills.

The DSM5, in the description of Specific Learning Disorders, points out:

Learning difficulties are not better explained by intellectual disabilities, uncorrected visual or hearing disorders, other mental or neurological disorders, psychosocial adversity, lack of mastery in the language of academic instruction, or inadequate educational guidelines.

It is recommended that specific learning disorders never be diagnosed before the age of 7 years. However, if we do not take for granted that the recommendations of specialists in the field of ophthalmology are aimed at taking care of visual health from an early age, we must follow these guidelines to avoid, mainly for the child, unpleasant experiences that could harm their learning process.

As a psychopedagogue, I can tell you that when I carry out the evaluation of autistic children for lack of consolidation of school skills, sometimes I have to wait a period of time when it is valuable for the parents to carry out the visual and auditory evaluations. During this time I have to be especially careful because I do not know if these pathways are working properly. It would be beneficial for the parents to carry out these evaluations long before the child reaches these services.

▶At age 5, children should be tested for visual acuity and alignment. At this age, nearsightedness is the most common problem. It can be corrected with glasses. A child with misaligned eyes or signs of other eye problems should be examined by an ophthalmologist.
Eye Screening Exams for Children

In this way, we would act responsibly. If the evaluations result in a normal state, that is very good; if the results are altered, we can correct before learning begins to deviate.

Prevention is care.

▶According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, some of the general guidelines for performing vision screenings are: if the child is born prematurely, if the pediatrician observes any irregularities at the time of birth, if the child has a family history of eye diseases.

From 6 months to 1 year, at the well-child visit, the doctor should be encouraged to perform the child's visual status, if he or she does not.

Between 1 year and 3 years, the pediatrician should perform an eye exam ...

¨There may be a "photoprotection" test. A special camera takes pictures of your child's eyes. These images help find problems that can cause amblyopia (lazy eye). If there are any problems, your child may be referred to an ophthalmologist¨Eye Screening Exams for Children

From 3 to 5 years of age, a visual acuity and sharpness screening can be performed. As soon as the child is competent to read the eye chart.

▶It is worthwhile to be guided by specialists and to carry out both preventive examinations and any necessary interventions as early as possible. We must remember that nowadays we have vision professionals and highly specialized equipment to be able to help and correct children's visual deviations in time.

Vale la pena dejarnos guiar por los especialistas y realizar tempranamente tanto los exámenes de prevención, como lo de intervención que sean necesarios. Hay que recordar que en la actualidad contamos con profesionales de la visión y equipos altamente especializados para poder ayudar a tiempo y corregir las desviaciones visuales de los niños.

▶I think it is necessary to remember that autistic children have multiple interferences that make their development a spectrum of continuities and discontinuities, so as long as we can correct what is necessary so that their learning is as close to quality indices and standards as possible, we would be guaranteeing a positive impact on their well-being, not only academically; but also emotionally and socially.

So if you haven't done so yet, consult your trusted doctor, ask for information and join the slogan "Taking care of yourself is loving yourself"