Stereotyped Behaviors in Blind Children: Relationships to Motility Behaviors of Autism.

Three groups of visually impaired children--10 with rubella, 7 with retrolental fibroplasia (RLF), and 9 with blindness other than rubella or RLF--were observed for stereotypic behaviors. Ss were observed in four different environmental settings: classroom/instruction; mealtime activity/breakfast, lunch, or supper; physical education/movement activity; and unstructured leisure time. Findings suggest that sterotypic behaviors are not related to lack of vision but rather to the etiology of the condition and presence of additional handicaps. Rubella children performed a larger variety of stereotypic behaviors (primarily autistic-motility behavior) than did Ss in the RLF group. Environmental setting had a great impact on the manifestation of stereotypic behaviors among those SS who performed them, with unstructured leisure time appearing to invite more stereotypic behaviors among rubella children than classroom and physical education/movement activity. The relationship of neurological involvement with stereotypy was considered. (CL)