Creating an educational program for young children who are blind and who have autism.

Re:view, January, 2004 by Jamieson, Sheila

Autism, a lifelong neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, occurs in about one out of every thousand individuals. This disorder can occur at or before birth and the symptoms are usually manifested during the first 3 to 5 years of life. Males are four times as likely to have the disorder, but it affects females more severely (Bryson, 1996; Rapin, 1997). Twenty-five percent of the individuals with mental handicaps have autism (Bryson 2002). Kanner (1943) originally thought that children with autism were only high functioning. Researchers have found that between 67% and 88% of children with autism have an IQ of 70 or less (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Gilberg & Coleman, 1992; Gillingham, 1995). Two thirds of these children have no...