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Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
Published on: March 27, 2012
Characteristics of infantile autism in five children with Leber's congenital amaurosis
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262.
Insights
Children with Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) show autistic behaviors, similar to those with infantile autism. This study suggests LCA may explain some cases of autism and blindness co-occurrence.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Pediatric Psychology
Background:
- Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a rare inherited eye disease causing severe vision impairment from birth.
- Autistic behaviors are sometimes observed in children with blindness, but the underlying causes are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the behavioral characteristics of preschool boys with LCA to those of boys blind from other causes.
- To investigate the potential link between LCA and autistic behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral assessments were conducted on five preschool boys with LCA and five with other causes of congenital blindness.
- The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) were utilized.
Main Results:
- Boys with LCA met criteria for infantile autism and displayed significantly higher CARS ratings for autistic symptom frequency and severity.
- Distinctive ABC profiles and higher scores were observed in the LCA group compared to the control group.
Conclusions:
- LCA may account for some reported cases of co-occurring autism and blindness in children.
- Potential neurological underpinnings, such as cerebellar deficits, may explain behavioral similarities between children with LCA and sighted autistic children.
Abstract:
The behavioral characteristics of five preschool boys with Leber's congenital amaurosis were compared with those of five preschool boys who had been blind from birth from other causes. The boys with Leber's amaurosis met criteria for infantile autism and had remarkably similar developmental histories. They had significantly higher ratings on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale for both frequency and severity of autistic symptoms. The two groups also had different profiles on the Autism Behavior Checklist, the Leber group having a distinctive profile and higher scores. It is suggested that cases of Leber's amaurosis may account for some descriptions in the literature of the co-occurrence of autistic behavior and blindness in children. Deficits in cerebellar structure have been reported in some Leber patients and in some autistic children, which may provide the neurological basis for the behavioral similarities seen in children with Leber's amaurosis and sighted autistic children.
