Visual Rehabilitation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Visual Disorders

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have visual problems that add difficulty to social interaction and communication. This study implemented a visual rehabilitation program to improve visual function and functional use of visual information in children with ASD and co-occurring visual difficulties. After the program, children showed improved visual abilities, eye contact, and attention during shared activities. The study also confirmed that the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS) is a practical and reliable tool for tracking these improvements. Overall, the results suggest that helping children with ASD improve their vision may also support their social and communication development.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Behavior Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Communication Eye Diseases Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms Social Communication Vision Vision Disorders Visual Rehabilitation

Age range

1 year–8 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, School of Occupational Therapy

Taipei, 100, Taiwan

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Language developmental age between 12 and 36 months
Diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of ASD based on DSM criteria
Best-corrected binocular visual acuity between 0.1 and 0.5, or other marked intra-individual variability across visual perceptual tasks
Ability to follow at least two-step commands in daily activities

Exclusion criteria

Moderate to severe intellectual disability

Treatment and study plan

Visual Rehabilitation

Behavioral

Participants received an individualized visual rehabilitation program that included PowerPoint-based visual training games and visual perceptual activities. The program was delivered in weekly one-on-one sessions of 1 hr over a 10-week period.

Primary outcomes

Visual Function Battery for Children with Special Needs, VFB-CSN

Time frame: Measured at baseline (within 2 weeks prior to the intervention) and post-intervention (within 2 weeks after completion of the program).

The VFB-CSN is a standardized observable measure of visual function for children with special needs. The VFB-CSN can assess eight visual functions: Visual Reflex, Ocular Muscle Balance/ Imbalance, Visual Acuity, Oculomotor, Visual Field, Contrast Sensitivity, Color/ Form Vision, and Visual Attention. The highest possible total score is 60. The VFB-CSN has shown excellent inter-rater reliability and good ecological validity.
Early Social Communication Scales, ESCS

Time frame: Measured at baseline (within 2 weeks prior to the intervention) and post-intervention (within 2 weeks after completion of the program).

The ESCS is a standardized video coding measure of social communication skills for children with a language developmental age between 8 and 30 months. The ESCS can assess three domains: Joint Attention, Behavioral Request, and Social Interaction. The ESCS has no total score or scoring ceiling; most of the behaviors are documented as counts. The ESCS demonstrates excellent to moderate inter-rater reliability and good construct validity.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Visual Rehabilitation on Social Interaction and Communication for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Visual Disorders

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Jun 12, 2026
Registry last updated: Jun 12, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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