The Gift of Sight: Visual Perception
Treatment for Autistic Children
Autism affects every child differently, so it's difficult to find exactly the treatments your child needs to cope with their symptoms. One thing that affects some (if not all) autistic children is problems with visual perception. By using some standardized methods to help improve visual perception, you can give your child the ability to see the world more clearly, facilitate learning and understanding, and possibly prevent some behavioral problems as well.
Autistic children mainly have problems with sensory overload and impairment. These are some of the same problems experienced by many people who do not suffer from this condition, and there are many treatment options available. However, individuals with autism find that the sensory overload of the world due to light, colors, contrast, shapes, and patterns is too much to handle, causing them to move or shut down in general. This is a genetic condition that is sometimes simply cured by autism, so if the child's parents are having trouble reading or have received other treatment for visual perception problems, there is a good chance the child will need help as well.
The Irene Method is an effective way to treat visual perception disorders. This method uses color to create a more harmonious world. If anyone has suggested using a color filter on the page while reading to be able to read better and faster, you may have heard of these methods. This method has been proven to work, and if your autistic child is at the reading maturity level, you may want to try these color filters to see if there is a difference in speed and comprehension. However, your autistic child is more likely to benefit from color filters all day long, not just while reading. To overcome this problem, special glasses were made using colored lenses. Not every child reacts to every color the same way, so figuring out which color blocks harmful light is a trial and error process. You can also choose to use colored light bulbs in your home to help autistic individuals with visual perception problems.
This method helps children mainly in 4 areas: depth perception, social interaction, learning and physical health. Colors help the child determine how far they are from an object, and the world becomes more three-dimensional, aiding depth perception. Social interaction also improves because the child feels that they are in a calmer world and can see and interpret facial expressions more clearly. Colors make it possible to learn, especially while reading, and in general the child will feel better, because it helps to reduce headaches and dizziness. You can help your child cope better with the world and their autism by testing this technique and others to help with visual perception problems.
It may take some time to finally come to terms with a diagnosis of Autism. Some people are just happy to have an answer for what's wrong with their child. Others have a hard time accepting that their child is different from other children. Eventually you will accept that your child is different, and that's okay. Once you accept the diagnosis of autism, you can start helping your child. Do all the research you can about autism. Think about how difficult it is for your child. They need you to be behind them 100 percent in their treatment. The first step to doing this is to accept.
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