Jan J E, Freeman R D, McCormick A Q, Scott E P, Robertson W D, Newman D E
Dev Med Child Neurol. 1983 Dec;25(6):755-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1983.tb13844.x.
Many children with severely impaired sight exhibit stereotyped mannerisms. Visual self-stimulation, e.g. eye-pressing and light-gazing, normally is restricted to the visually impaired; prolonged eye-pressing is the most common. This behaviour depends on onset of visual impairment, age, degree and quality of residual light, type of ocular abnormality, the presence of additional handicaps, and the activities in which the child is involved. Children with bilateral optic-nerve defects never press their eyes; those with retinal disorders tend to press vigorously. A possible physiological explanation is that self-stimulation occurs when the demand of the brain for meaningful visual information is not adequately met.
