Refractive Status and Amblyopia Risk Factors in Chinese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Wang et al. (2018) compared eyes of Chinese preschool and early-grade children with autism to same-age peers without autism.

An eye doctor gave every child a full vision exam. They looked for lazy-eye risk factors like crossed eyes (strabismus) and blurry focus (refractive error).

Sixteen of every 100 kids with autism had crossed eyes. Only one or two of every 100 typical kids did.

The large gap means children with autism need vision checks early and often.

Wu et al. (2023) later saw the same pattern in U.S. youths aged 3-18. They also found higher lazy-eye and refractive-error odds, proving the risk is not just Chinese kids or preschoolers.

Milne et al. (2009) gave the first clue: British kids with autism showed weak eye teaming. Jiaxing’s team now shows the clinical fallout—many crossed eyes—building on that early warning.

Laugeson et al. (2014) tested the same Chinese preschool group and found normal sharp vision. Together the papers say: eyes look clear, but they may still be crossed, so always test alignment, not just the eye chart.

Crossed eyes can drop depth perception and spawn lazy eye. Glasses, patches, or surgery work best when started young. Add a quick cover test and light reflex check to your intake for every child with autism. If either looks off, refer to an optometrist or ophthalmologist the same week.