Attention conjointe et exploration visuelle des enfants au développement typique et avec TSA : synthèse des études en oculométrie

Abstract

Joint attention is the ability to coordinate attention with a partner in order to share an experience about another person, an object or an event. Autism is a developmental disorder that involves impairments in social interaction and communication. An impairment of joint attention is a cardinal feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Therefore, understanding the nature of this impairment is central. The response to joint attention refers to infants’ ability to follow another person's gaze direction, head posture, gesture or verbalization about an object of interest. Visual joint attention can be studied during joint attention bids by gaze following and gaze pointing. As a precise and non-invasive method, the use of eye-tracking is a relevant way to study joint attention variables. In addition, the accuracy of this method helps to understand visual exploration particularities in children with ASD. Eye-tracking can be used with non-verbal or low functioning children because verbal answer is not always required. This review of eye-tracking studies shows some skills of gaze following concerning ASD, close to typical children but with some temporal and spatial atypical features in visual fixations. Gaze following skills are less efficient in ASD children than in typical children and this difference increases from three to six years old. Nevertheless, pointing at an object of interest allows ASD children to better understand joint attention bids. On the contrary, adding a verbal cue in joint attention situations do not necessarily children with ASD to respond adequately. To run a study in this field with caution, it seems important to take into account the developmental and intellectual level of the children, and to be aware of the eye-tracking specifics: type of stimuli, measurements characteristics, and eye-tracker models, in addition to the difficulty to study peripheral gazes. Most studies focus on response to joint attention and only a few investigate initiation of joint attention. This process refers to infants’ ability to create or indicate shared point of reference spontaneously. This is a new challenge for eye-tracking studies because of methodological issues. Despite some limitations of the eye- technique, it allows to show visual exploration particularities in ASD children during joint attention situation. This technique brings news opportunities for studies in this field as well as new challenges.