ERIC Number: EJ1250635
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Apr
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: N/A
Identifying Prognostic Markers in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Eye Tracking
Bacon, Elizabeth C.; Moore, Adrienne; Lee, Quimby; Carter Barnes, Cynthia; Courchesne, Eric; Pierce, Karen
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v24 n3 p658-669 Apr 2020
While many children with autism spectrum disorder are now detected at young ages given the rise in screening and general awareness, little is known regarding the prognosis of early detected children. The brain is shaped by experience-dependent mechanisms; thus, what a child pays attention to plays a pivotal role in shaping brain development. Eye tracking can provide an index of a child's visual attention and, as such, holds promise as a technology for revealing prognostic markers. In this, 49 children aged 1-3 years with autism spectrum disorder participated in an eye-tracking test, the GeoPref Test, that revealed preference for social versus nonsocial images. Next, children participated in a comprehensive test battery 5-9 years following the initial GeoPref Test. Statistical tests examined whether early age eye tracking predicted later school-age outcomes in symptom severity, social functioning, adaptive behavior, joint attention, and IQ. Results indicated that toddlers with higher preference for geometric images demonstrated greater symptom severity and fewer gaze shifts at school age. This relationship was not found in relation to IQ or adaptive behavior. Overall, the GeoPref Test holds promise as a symptom severity prognostic tool; further development of eye-tracking paradigms may enhance prognostic power and prove valuable in validating treatment progress.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Eye Movements, Toddlers, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Severity (of Disability), Interpersonal Competence, Adjustment (to Environment), Attention, Intelligence Quotient, Predictive Validity, Preferences
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (DHHS); National Institute of Mental Health (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; Social Responsiveness Scale; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales
Grant or Contract Numbers: R01MH080134; P50MH081755; R01MH036840