Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Blind Children: Very High Prevalence, Potentially Better Outlook.

Jure et al. (2016) looked at 38 children who were born totally blind. They used gold-standard autism tools to see how many also met ASD criteria. The kids were already in schools for the blind.

Perez et al. (2015) seems to disagree. They found kids with ASD have normal eyesight, just like typical peers. The clash disappears when you see who was sampled: M et al. studied sighted children who already had autism; Rubin studied blind children regardless of autism status.

May et al. (2020) reported 4.4 % ASD prevalence in Australian 12-year-olds. Rubin’s 50 % rate is far higher, showing blindness is a major risk marker, not the general population.

Kwok et al. (2024) also found a hidden pocket of autism—28 % in youths with first-episode psychosis. Both papers flag special groups where routine screening is easily missed.

If you serve a child with total congenital blindness, screen for autism even without red flags. Use the ADOS-2 and watch for social withdrawal that may stem from sensory loss. Track language gains closely; some verbal kids shed ASD symptoms over time. Share findings with the TVI and O&M instructor so everyone targets true social goals, not just blindness-related quirks.