Autism, A High Risk of Hearing Loss

Higher Rate of Hearing Loss with Autism

According to a national survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2018), one out of every 59 children, eight years of age, are diagnosed with autism. In 2013, one out of every 50 children, 6 to 17 years of age, were found to have a diagnosis of autism. (Centers for disease control & prevention, (2013). Special education or early intervention services (table 17) and Learning disability or ADHD (Table 3)(Series 10, 2&). Retrieved from website: http:// www.cdec.gov)

A 12-year study in Sweden found hearing loss at a higher rate in 199 children (153 boys, 46 girls) diagnosed with autism (21-7 yrs.) when compared to studies researching hearing loss in typically developing children. Researchers found several different types of hearing loss:

• Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss in the cochlea – Testing of inner cochlea hairs required a response
• Severe to Profound Central Hearing Loss – Auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR) assesses the inner ear’s cochlea and auditory pathways to the brain – requires no response
• Conductive Hearing Loss from ear infections negatively affects ear drum movement and middle ear bone movements – testing requires no response (Rosenhall, U., Nordin, V, Sandstrom, M., Ahlsen, G., Fillberg, C., 1999. Autism and hearing loss. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 29:5)

Researchers also found that studies of typically developing children found much lower percentages (0.1% – 0.2%) of pronounced and profound hearing loss (Braden, 1994; Davis, Wood, Healy, Webb, Rowe, 1995; Kankkunen, 1982; Martin et al., 1981; Parving, 1983; Sehlin et al., 1990; van Rijn, 1989)

Researchers found a bone anomaly in participants’ inner ear vestibular canals called “superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome (SSCD)” in 29% out of 14 participants with a diagnosis of autism and hypersensitivity to sound. This can cause a hearing loss due to disruption to inner ear hair cells. (Thabet, EM., Zaghloul, HS., (2013). Auditory profile and high resolution CT scan in autism   spectrum disorders children with auditory hypersensitivity. European Arch   Otorhinolaryngology. doi: 10.1007/s00405-013-2482-4. Epub2013 Apr 12)

Higher Rate of Visual Processing Difficulties with Autism

A parent, a loved one, and even the individual may be unaware there is an eye turn.  An individual tends to avoid what feels uncomfortable or causes unclear vision. Strabismus causes unusual postures, which aligns the eyes.  Strabismus can be:

• Intermittent, occurring only when a person’s eye grow tire after having to focus on a target (reading)
  • May only occur with one eye
  • May occur in each eye, one eye at a time
  • May occur in both eyes
• Chronic strabismus is often referred to as crossed eyes

The best course of action with any academic delays, despite intelligence, is a comprehensive visual evaluation by a developmental behavioral optometrist or neuro-rehabilitation optometrist.

Vision therapy stimulates visual neural pathways strengthening control eye muscles needed to stabilize eye position and movement.

https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/strabismus

Strabismus — Questionnaire visual processing activities teach you how to observe and what to observe

Strabismus is when both eyes do not line up together like so:

Researchers found significantly higher rates of strabismus in individuals with autism. Out of 7,640 families, 18% of boys and 29% of girls had strabismus when compared to children without a diagnosis of autism; 2% of boys and 4% of girls.  (Kaplan, M., Edelson, SM., Rimland, B., (1999). Strabismus in autism spectrum disorder. Focus on   Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. V14 n2 p101-05.)

Convergence Insufficiency

Only one dolphin should be seen by both eyes. This picture shows that each eye is working
independent from the other. Researchers found a significantly higher rate of strabismus in 44 children with autism (5 out of 44) when compared to no strabismus found in 44 typically developing children. (Milne, E., Griffiths, H., Buckley, D., Scope, A., (2009). Vision in children and adolescents with   autism spectrum disorder: evidence for reduced convergence. Journal of Autism and   Developmental Disorders, 39(7); 965-975)

Cheri Moore's Findings Resulted in Improved Responses to AIT and Vision Therapy

Cheri Moore's desire to improve clients' emotional response during auditory integration training resulted in the discovery of a high rate of co-existing visual processing difficulties with sound intolerance, with or without a hearing loss.  After some clients experienced increased visual processing difficulties during AIT, like chronic double vision, Cheri Moore collaborated with optometrists specializing in vision therapy to track client's progress.  Auditory-visual protocols have resulted in improved responses to auditory integration training and vision therapy.