Stereotyped behaviours in blind children

Stereotyped behaviours occur frequently in blind children. Most authors att ribute stereotyped mannerisms to factors such as hospitalisation, motor lim itations, and reduced capacity for exploration. There seems to be a specifi c association between blindness and behavioural mannerisms, such as eye pre ssing and eye poking, which have been observed in children with peripheral blindness. We studied the prevalence of stereotyped motor behaviours in a s ample of congenitally blind children with and without other neurodevelopmen tal disabilities in order to assess the types and features of such stereoty ped behavioural traits. Twenty-six congenitally blind children (11 male and 15 female) were assessed through videotape recording and through a questio nnaire focusing on the type, frequency, form of manifestation and duration of the children's stereotyped behaviours. Stereotyped behavioural traits we re observed in 19 (73%) of the patients. Stereotyped behaviours most freque ntly observed were body rocking (8; 30.7%), repetitive handling of objects (8; 30.7%), hand and finger movements (7; 26.9%), eye pressing and eye poki ng (8; 30.7%), and lying face downwards (6; 22.8%) and jumping (3; 11.3%). We found that a reduction in stereotyped behavioural traits could be obtain ed by stimulating appropriate adaptive behaviour in children, while these b ehaviours were increased by restricted environmental conditions, reduced se nsory stimulation and reduced motility. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.