Eye Tracking Studies Effect of Motion on Autistic Infants
A recent study using eye tracking was conducted at the University of California, San Diego on infants and toddlers with autism. In the study, Karen Pierce, a PhD at the university, led a team as they observed 110 children between the ages of 14 and 42 months. Of the 110 children observed, 37 had autism spectrum disorders (ASD), 22 were developmentally delayed, and 51 were developing on track.
In the study, which was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the children watched two screens side by side. One with a video displaying moving geometric patters – basically, a computer screensaver. On the other screen, videos of other children dancing, exercising, doing yoga, and moving about.
Each child was equipped with an eye tracking system and observed as they sat before the screens watching the videos. Their time spent watching either side was monitored, as was how many times they switched between subject matter on the screen.
As it turns out, 40% of children with ASD focused more on the screensaver compared to only 9.9% in the developmentally delayed group. Of the typical development group, only 1.9% spent more time watching the geometrical moving shapes. Sixty percent of the subjects with ASD showed a preference for the images of other children running and dancing, performing closely to the other two groups of developmentally delayed and typical development kids.
Pierce and her team determined that if a child spent more than 69% of their time fixating on the screensaver, autism spectrum disorders could be predicted 100% of the time. That’s a pretty strong case.
Of the developmentally delayed and typical group, the children’s eyes wandered from image to image as they focused on the left and right sides of the screen at times. But those with ASD showed far less eye movement overall, fixating on the geometric images and within that image focusing on a few specific areas only over a longer amount of time.
Eight months later a smaller sampling of the group was retested with similar results. Eye tracking technology showed that it’s possible to assess children for ASD at an early age, and not only is it effective, it made for a uniquely low cost and simple exercise for doing so. Amateur testing can’t replace professional diagnosis of course, but as a screening tool, an eye tracking rig can be of great use it seems.
Preference for moving shapes vs. people linked to autism in babies
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