Investigating Gaze Behaviour of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Classroom Setting

Aideen Mcparland,Mickey Keenan,Stephen Gallagher

doi:10.1007/s10803-021-04906-z

Aideen Mcparland, Mickey Keenan + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04906-z

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Abstract

A defining feature of ASD is atypical gaze behaviour, however, eye-tracking studies in ‘real-world’ settings are limited, and the possibility of improving gaze behaviour for ASD children is largely unexplored. This study investigated gaze behaviour of ASD and typically developing (TD) children in their classroom setting. Eye-tracking technology was used to develop and pilot an operant training tool to positively reinforce typical gaze behaviour towards faces. Visual and statistical analyses of eye-tracking data revealed different gaze behaviour patterns during live interactions for ASD and TD children depending on the interaction type. All children responded to operant training with longer looking times observed on face stimuli post training. The promising application of operant gaze training in ecologically valid settings is discussed.

Highlights

Atypical gaze behaviour when viewing social stimuli is a key characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (Chawarska et al 2013; Noris et al 2012; Rice et al 2012)
The Area of Interest (AOI) in the present study was defined as any face stimulus present during the live interactions conducted in a learning support classroom
During the recording of a dyadic interaction the face AOI was defined as the researchers’ face; during a triadic interaction, the face AOI’s were defined as the researchers’ face and the research assistants’ face. This approach made it possible to quantify the dimensions of gaze behaviour to be measured within an AOI during both live interactions

Summary

Introduction

Atypical gaze behaviour when viewing social stimuli is a key characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (Chawarska et al 2013; Noris et al 2012; Rice et al 2012). Previous eye-tracking research has been characteristically thwarted in its scope of presenting individuals with ASD either static or dynamic representations of social stimuli on a computer screen when assessing gaze behaviour (for review see Guillon et al 2014; for meta-analysis see Chita-Tegmark 2016) Based on this experimental paradigm, researchers have been relatively split in their findings, often reporting a more typical pattern of gaze behaviour when viewing static social stimuli (Anderson et al 2006; Chawarska and Shic 2009; Dalton et al 2005; Elsabbagh et al 2013; Freeth et al 2010; Key and Stone 2012; Riby and Hancock 2009; Van der Geest et al 2002; Wilson et al 2010) and an atypical gaze behaviour pattern when viewing dynamic social stimuli that involves motion (Hosozawa et al 2012; Klin et al 2002; Rice et al 2012; Shic et al 2011; Speer et al 2007)

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