ASD and visual issues (and an optition? needed)

[cjn27b]

DS has recently been diagnosed with ASD. In the DISCO test he scored on all social interaction and communication points, but didn't score any on the behavioural ones. While he doesn't stim, doesn't care about changes in routine, doesn't have restrictive thinking or any sensory issues there is one thing that seems a little odd. He gets very scared of open tread stairs, board walks, platforms without solid sides, heights (like climbing frames). He'll sort of clam up and get shakey with fear. He often has falls and appears to have difficulty judging what is foreground or background. Has anyone else experienced this? How do you check out what is going on? Does anyone have any idea if anything can be done to help? Lastly, what sort of optition or specialist do you see? Thank you.

I think that's his sensory issue - processing what he can see. If it helps, this is how the world can seem to many of us. We see, hear, sense everything at at once, all day, every day, so working out what things are in that avalanche of incoming info is really really hard. No wonder open tread staircases where the pattern changes every single step are so confusing for us, for example.
Look at the difference between

www.flickr.com/photos/46385073@N03/7806615570/in/photostream
and
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Some find it easier to cope with by wearing tinted lenses. Some don't. Worth trying out some sunglasses in different tints first, maybe?

Yes sounds like a proprioception difficulty in that he can't judge where he is in elation to the space around him. As well as seeing an optometrist I'd ask for a referral to an occupational therapist as well.

Thank you. I've read up on proprioception, and was interested to see this may well have been exacerbated by his terrible glue ear. He has had grommets, which fell out, and years of chronic ear infection resulting in endless hospital trips. Finally, that seems to be getting under control. So hopefully that'll help a bit too. Meanwhile, will start gathering a collection of funky coloured sunglasses. I can see us making up some fun 'games' to try and work out which ones might make a difference! Will also get on to OT and see what's available in the way of optometrists. Anyone know of any in London or SE England that might help?

Unfortunately DS's school is full of open tread stairs so we need to try and find a way of dealing with them...

Thanks again.

Retained reflex therapy and vision therapy are the two therapies that are most likely to help.

Also travel sickness medicine or anti-histamines might help. They both help with inner ear problems.