Eye gaze differences in school scenes between preschool children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development

Abstract Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience difficulty adapting to daily life in a preschool or school settings and are likely to develop psychosomatic symptoms. For a better understanding of the difficulties experienced daily by preschool children and adolescents with ASD, this study investigated differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD).Methods: The study evaluated 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD. Participants were presented with images of a human face and a classroom scene. While they gazed at specific regions of visual stimuli, eye tracking with an iView X system was used to evaluate and compare the duration of gaze time between the two groups.Results: Compared with preschool children with TD, preschool children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object at which the teacher pointed in the classroom image. Preschool children with TD who had no classroom experience tended to look at the object the teacher pointed at in the classroom image.Conclusion: Children with ASD did not look at the human eyes in the facial image or the object pointed at in the classroom image, which may indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. This suggests that this gaze behavior of children with ASD causes social maladaptation and psychosomatic symptoms. A therapeutic approach that focuses on joint attention is desirable for improving the ability of children with ASD to adapt to their social environment.

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Eye gaze differences in school scenes between preschool children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development

BioPsychoSocial Medicine ◽

10.1186/s13030-020-00203-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Ishizaki ◽

Takahiro Higuchi ◽

Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽

Hodaka Kobayashi ◽

Atsushi Noritake ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typical Development ◽

Human Face ◽

Gaze Behavior ◽

Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽

Children With Asd

Abstract Background Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience difficulty adapting to daily life in a preschool or school settings and are likely to develop psychosomatic symptoms. For a better understanding of the difficulties experienced daily by preschool children and adolescents with ASD, this study investigated differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD). Methods The study evaluated 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD. Participants were presented with images of a human face and a classroom scene. While they gazed at specific regions of visual stimuli, eye tracking with an iView X system was used to evaluate and compare the duration of gaze time between the two groups. Results Compared with preschool children with TD, preschool children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object at which the teacher pointed in the classroom image. Preschool children with TD who had no classroom experience tended to look at the object the teacher pointed at in the classroom image. Conclusion Children with ASD did not look at the human eyes in the facial image or the object pointed at in the classroom image, which may indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. This suggests that this gaze behavior of children with ASD causes social maladaptation and psychosomatic symptoms. A therapeutic approach that focuses on joint attention is desirable for improving the ability of children with ASD to adapt to their social environment.

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Eye gaze differences in school scenes between preschool children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development

10.21203/rs.3.rs-41707/v4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Ishizaki ◽

Takahiro Higuchi ◽

Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽

Hodaka Kobayashi ◽

Atsushi Noritake ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typical Development ◽

Human Face ◽

Gaze Behavior ◽

Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽

Children With Asd

Abstract Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience difficulty adapting to daily life in a preschool or school setting and are likely to develop psychosomatic symptoms. For a better understanding of the difficulties experienced daily by preschool children and adolescents with ASD, this study investigated differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD).Methods: The study evaluated 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD. Participants were presented with images of a human face in a classroom setting. While they gazed at specific regions of visual stimuli, eye tracking was used with an iView X system to evaluate and compare the duration of gaze time between the two groups.Results: Compared with preschool children with TD, preschool children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object to which the teacher pointed in the classroom image. Preschool children with TD, who had no classroom experience, tended to see the object to which the teacher pointed in the classroom image.Conclusion: Children with ASD did not look at the human eyes in the facial image or the object pointed to in the classroom image, which may indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. It is suggested that this gaze behavior of children with ASD causes social maladaptation and psychosomatic symptoms. A therapeutic approach that focuses on joint attention is desirable for improving the ability of children with ASD to adapt to the social environment.

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Eye gaze differences in school scenes between preschool children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development

10.21203/rs.3.rs-41707/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Ishizaki ◽

Takahiro Higuchi ◽

Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽

Hodaka Kobayashi ◽

Atsushi Noritake ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typical Development ◽

Human Face ◽

Gaze Behavior ◽

Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽

Children With Asd ◽

School Classroom

Abstract Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes find it difficult to adapt to the daily life in a nursery or at school and are likely to develop psychosomatic symptoms. For a better understanding on the difficulties that preschool children and adolescents with ASD face in their daily lives, this study aimed to identify the differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD). Methods: A total of 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD were included. We presented images of a human face and a classroom setting and used eye tracking with an iView X system in evaluating and comparing how long the two groups gazed at specific regions of the visual stimuli. Results: Compared to children with TD, children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object pointed by the teacher in the school classroom scene. Preschool children with no classroom experience and adolescents with TD spent the same amount of time looking at the eyes and the object pointed by the teacher in the school classroom scene. Conclusion: Children with ASD did not look at the eyes in the facial image or the object pointed at in the classroom image, which might indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. It is suggested that these gaze behavior of the children with ASD cause maladaptation and psychosomatic symptoms. A therapeutic approach that focuses on joint attention is desirable for the improvement of their adaptation to the society for children with ASD.

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Eye gaze differences in school scenes between preschool children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development

10.21203/rs.3.rs-41707/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Ishizaki ◽

Takahiro Higuchi ◽

Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽

Hodaka Kobayashi ◽

Atsushi Noritake ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typical Development ◽

Human Face ◽

Gaze Behavior ◽

Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Human Eyes

Abstract Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience difficulty adapting to daily life in a preschool or school setting and are likely to develop psychosomatic symptoms. For a better understanding of the difficulties experienced daily by preschool children and adolescents with ASD, this study investigated differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD).Methods: The study evaluated 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD. Participants were presented with images of a human face in a classroom setting. While they gazed at specific regions of visual stimuli, eye tracking was used with an iView X system to evaluate and compare the duration of gaze time between the two groups.Results: Compared with children with TD, children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object to which the teacher pointed in the classroom image. Preschool children with no classroom experience and adolescents with TD spent the same amount of time looking at the human eyes and the object to which the teacher pointed in the classroom image.Conclusion: Children with ASD did not look at the human eyes in the facial image or the object pointed to in the classroom image, which may indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. It is suggested that this gaze behavior of children with ASD causes social maladaptation and psychosomatic symptoms. A therapeutic approach that focuses on joint attention is desirable for improving the ability of children with ASD to adapt to the social environment.

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Eye Gaze Differences in School Scenes Between Preschool Children and Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and Those With Typical Development

10.21203/rs.3.rs-41707/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Ishizaki ◽

Takahiro Higuchi ◽

Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽

Hodaka Kobayashi ◽

Atsushi Noritake ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Typical Development ◽

Human Face ◽

Children With Asd ◽

School Classroom

Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes find it difficult to adapt to the daily life in a nursery or at school. For a better understanding on the difficulties that preschool children and adolescents with ASD face in their daily lives, this study aimed to identify the differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD). A total of 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD were included. We presented images of a human face and a classroom setting and used eye tracking with an iView X system in evaluating and comparing how long the two groups gazed at specific regions of the visual stimuli. Compared to children with TD, children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object pointed by the teacher in the school classroom scene. Preschool children with no classroom experience and adolescents with TD spent the same amount of time looking at the eyes and the object pointed by the teacher in the school classroom scene. Children with ASD did not look at the eyes in the facial image or the object pointed at in the classroom image, which might indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. An educational program that focuses on joint attention in a classroom is desirable for the improvement of school life for children with ASD.

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The contribution of platelets to peripheral BDNF elevation in children with autism spectrum disorder

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-97367-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cristan A. Farmer ◽

Audrey E. Thurm ◽

Bianca Honnekeri ◽

Paul Kim ◽

Susan E. Swedo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Platelet Count ◽

Developmental Delay ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Typical Development ◽

Platelet Counts ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Standardized Mean Difference ◽

Serum Bdnf

AbstractBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key peptide in neurocognitive development, has been reported to be elevated in the serum of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a few studies, however, no differences or the converse have been documented. As a secondary analysis of a natural history study, we examined differences in ELISA serum BDNF between a group of children aged 1 to 9 years (69% white) with ASD (n = 94) and those with typical development (n = 52) or non-ASD developmental delay (n = 21), while accounting for the potential confounding effects of platelet quantity. Platelet counts were measured within 4 h of blood draw using an automated cell counter. Taqman single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays were used to genotype 11 SNPs within the BDNF locus. Unadjusted mean BDNF concentration was higher in children with ASD than in children with typical development (standardized mean difference = 0.23; 95% CI 0.07, 0.38), but not children with non-ASD developmental delay. The magnitude of this difference was reduced after adjusting for platelet count (standardized mean difference = 0.18; 95% CI 0.02, 0.33). Although some BDNF SNPs were related to BDNF concentration, the distributions of these genotypes did not differ across diagnostic groups. This study replicates previous work suggesting that average serum BDNF concentration is higher in ASD compared to typical development, and extends that work by highlighting the potentially confounding role of platelet counts. The etiology of platelet count differences warrants further elucidation. Nonetheless, our results suggest that elevation in BDNF may be partially explained by higher platelet counts in children with ASD, an association that should be considered in future analysis and interpretation.Registration: NCT00298246

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Caregiver-mediated approaches to managing challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience ◽

10.31887/dcns.2013.15.2/lklinger ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 225-233

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Challenging Behaviors ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Adolescents With Asd

A significant proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are referred to mental health centers due to the presence of challenging behaviors. Because challenging behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD often result from underlying social and communication difficulties and comorbid anxiety, traditional caregiver-mediated behavior intervention techniques developed for children with disruptive behavior disorders may need to be adapted for this population. Behavioral interventions that target communication skills, social skills, anxiety, and sensory responsiveness in children with ASD may be needed. Notably, while best practice necessitates the involvement of caregivers in treating children and adolescents with ASD, few randomized control studies have examined the effectiveness of caregiver-implemented interventions in reducing challenging behaviors. This review summarizes the current literature with regard to caregiver-mediated behavioral interventions for children with ASD, and suggests areas for intervention development and research.

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Effects of Sleep Disturbances on Behavioral Problems in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.559694 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Ying Wang ◽

Jingjing Lin ◽

Ying Zeng ◽

Yanan Liu ◽

Yamin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sleep Habits ◽

Children With Asd

Study Objectives: This study aims to identify the characteristic sleep disturbances that affect behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), providing a potential direction for sleep and behavioral intervention in ASD.Methods: The data of 513 children with ASD and 246 typically developing (TD) children aged between 2 and 5 years old were collected. The behavior performance of preschool children was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist for 1.5–5.0 years old. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was used to measure the sleep status of the children, and the Social Responsiveness Scale was used to measure the severity of disorder. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of sleep disturbances on behavioral problems, and independent-sample t-test was performed to compare the mean of the samples.Results: Compared to TD children, children with ASD had longer sleep onset delay and more night awakenings. The parasomnias score (a subscale of the CSHQ) was significantly associated with the internalizing (β = 0.113, P = 0.010), externalizing (β = 0.128, P = 0.006), and total problems (β = 0.143, P = 0.001) of children with ASD, while this association was not significant in TD children. “Bed wetting” and “restless and moves a lot” (two items in the CSHQ under parasomnia) significantly only affected the overall behavioral score in children with ASD (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Parasomnias, especially bed wetting and restlessness, are specifically associated with the behavioral problems of children with ASD rather than TD children.

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Emotional contagion in children with autism spectrum disorder varies with stimulus familiarity and task instructions

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579419000154 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 383-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Molly S. Helt ◽

Deborah A. Fein ◽

Jacob E. Vargas

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Eye Gaze ◽

Emotional Contagion ◽

Cognitive Empathy ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Contagious Yawning ◽

Task Instructions ◽

Children With Asd

AbstractAlthough deficits in cognitive empathy are well established in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the literature on emotional empathy, or emotional contagion, in individuals with ASD is sparse and contradictory. The authors tested susceptibility to contagious yawning and laughter in children with ASD (n = 60) and typically developing (TD) children (n = 60), ages 5–17 years, under various conditions, to elucidate factors that may affect emotional contagion in these populations. Although TD children showed equal amounts of emotional contagion across conditions, children with ASD were highly influenced by the familiarity of the target stimulus, as well as task instructions that encourage eye gaze to target. More specifically, children with ASD exhibited less contagious yawning and laughter than their TD peers except when their attention was explicitly directed to the eyes or (and even more so) when their parents served as the stimulus targets. The authors explore the implications of these findings for theories about the mechanisms underlying empathic deficits in ASD as well as the clinical implications of having parents involved in treatment.

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Enhanced cognitive processing by viewing snakes in children with autism spectrum disorder. A preliminary study

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-019-0352-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marine Grandgeorge ◽

Alban Lemasson ◽

Martine Hausberger ◽

Hiroki Koda ◽

Nobuo Masataka

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Reaction Time ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Age Groups ◽

Color Naming ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Group Participant ◽

Children With Asd

Abstract Background Prioritization of the processing of threatening stimuli induces deleterious effects on task performance. However, emotion evoked by viewing images of snakes exerts a facilitating effect upon making judgments of their color in neurotypical adults and schoolchildren. We attempted to confirm this in school and preschool children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods Forty French children participated and corresponded to two age groups: a group of schoolchildren and a group of preschool children, each group including 10 children with typical development and 10 children with ASD. Each participant was exposed to 120 trials composed of 20 photographs of snakes and 20 photographs of flowers, each of which appeared 3 times (in red, green and blue). Participants were asked to indicate the color of each image as quickly as possible via key-press. A three-way analysis of variance test for reaction time (RT) considering image type (IMAGE), participant group (PARTICIPANT), and age (AGE) as main effects and its interaction terms was performed for each subject. Results When the reaction time required to respond to presented stimuli was measured, schoolchildren tended to respond faster when stimuli were snake images than when stimuli were flower images whether the children had or did not have ASD. For the 5-to-6-year-old preschool participants, the difference between reaction time for the color-naming of snake images and flower images was ambiguous overall. Conclusions There were possible odd color-specific effects in children with ASD when images were presented to the children in green. Implications of the findings are argued with respect to active avoidance or attraction as one of the behavioral characteristics commonly noted in children with ASD.

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