Vision therapy for Autism

Recruiting

Conditions: Autistic disorder,

Registration Number: CTRI/2020/02/023460

Lead Sponsor: India Vision Institute

Brief Summary: Most people confuse the concept of vision. When there is no refractive error and no significant deficit in visual acuity measurement then the sensory organ for vision is assumed to be normal. However children with ASD face many challenges like poor eye contact, lack of social interaction, altered behaviour with the kith and kinâ€™s and finally with the society at large. Paucity in a structured autism specific diagnostic and interventional service puts a lot of stress on the families with children on the ASD, in India, and abroad

Secondly looking into the various interventional therapies offered for children on the autism spectrum, most of the services are structured to handle all special children alike and the interventions are targeted to improve the proprioceptive (i.e., muscles and joints), vestibular (i.e., gravity and movement), and tactile (i.e., touch) systems as it is believed that they are the largest sensory system, most interconnected with other systems and the most utilised [Richard et al. 2008]. Global developmental therapies provided for children with autism spectrum disorder does not address specific deficiencies and difficulties and there are hardly any quantifiable feedback system designed, implemented and documented

Any intervention targeting children with ASD should be aimed at achieving specific developmental, behavioural and educational goals [Thomas KC et al, 2007]. A standardised protocol that measures each and every aspect of vision and visual perceptual skills is not available in our country. Having understood the nuances behind the functioning of the eyes, meticulously determining and defining the deficit and working on specific deficits and finally integrating all the visual skills becomes the need of the hour and hardly any practitioner seems to be even aware of this concept.

As literature is devoid of standardised diagnostic protocols and therapeutic interventional methods with a quantitative feedback report a Vision Integration Trial for autism needs to be developed and implemented.

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Open to Recruitment

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

Children diagnosed to have Autism Spectrum disorder.

Exclusion Criteria

Subjects with a moderate to severe hearing loss, intellectually challenged subjects and emotionally disturbed subjects would be excluded from the study.
Children residing in foster homes, or undergoing individualised education program or put to abuse or neglect will also be excluded from the study.

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Developmental test of visual perceptual skills (DTVP-3) is the tool used pre and post vision therapy. Percentile improvement and improvement in age equivalence would be documented	DTVP - 3 Assessment will be done at the end of 16th week of vision therapy. Change in percentile improvement and change in age equivalence will be noted down

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The parameters that would be monitored are the improvement in attention, eye contact, changes in behavior assessed using a parent questionnaire	At the end of phase I, Phase II and Phase III

Trial Locations

Locations (1): Sri Ramachandra Medical College
🇮🇳
Chennai, TAMIL NADU, India
Sri Ramachandra Medical College
🇮🇳Chennai, TAMIL NADU, India
A Valarmathi
Principal investigator
9884757760
avmathi@gmail.com