Field Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Articles

The Use of Technologies Among Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Barriers and Challenges

Despite the rapid growth in development of technology, such as software or hardware devices, its implementation among stakeholders working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is slow. This suggests that there might be a number of challenges that hinder technology adoption or its continued usage. The current project aimed to investigate stakeholders’ perceptions on potential barriers in adopting technology. We involved 17 stakeholders, including parents of children with ASD, service providers, and administrators of ASD organizations, in interviews. Thematic analysis yielded three themes: (a) making the right choice, (b) apprehension and concern about uptake, and (c) external obstacles to implementation. This project was the first study to involve key stakeholders to determine components that take place in utilization and adoption of technologies in the field of ASD.

Synchronicity in improvisational music therapy – Developing an intersubjective field with a child with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACTIntroduction: For children with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) intersubjective relating through interactional synchronicity is challenging. However, in a case of improvisational music therapy (IMT) with a 5-year-old boy with severe ASD several moments of synchronicity occurred. The following study aims to characterize the phenomenon of synchronicity as it occurred in the case, and to interpret the intersubjective meaning of the synchronicity.Method: Explorative microanalyses of videotaped IMT sessions were conducted within an interpretivist theoretical framework to investigate the phenomenon of synchronicity. Literature from the field of developmental psychology, ASD and music therapy was reviewed in order to interpret the intersubjective meaning of the occurring synchronicity.Results: Three types of synchronicity were identified: Synchronicity type one (initiated by the music therapist), synchronicity type two (co-creation of a shared rhythmicity between child and therapist) and synchronicity type three (initiated by the child). The three types of synchronicity worked on different levels of intersubjective relating.Discussion: Participation in interactional synchronicity may be reachable within the frame of IMT for a child with severe ASD, because it is facilitated by the inherent property of pulse in music and the way IMT reinforces the intersubjective dynamics of early interplay. A clinical focus on synchronicity can provide an arena for the child to show hitherto unseen resources and participate in synchronous interactions fundamental to further development. The benefit of an interdisciplinary approach to such work is highlighted, as is the need for further research on the topic.

Suivi qualitatif de l’évolution de 120 enfants porteurs de troubles du spectre autistique pris en charge par la méthode des 3i

AimThe 3i intervention is a developmental play-therapy method that considers that children with Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) present an altered developmental process. It aims to help the child progress along a natural developmental path. Each developmental deficit is dealt with successively, with full attention to the specific sensory characteristics of each child. The method is based on Intensive Individual Interaction (the 3Is) of the child with adults. The 3i intervention is managed by the parents and selected care-givers, 5 to 6hours per day, 7 days per week, to favor constant stimulation of the child. A key characteristic of the 3i method is the intervention of numerous selected care-givers, each contributing their preferred way of playing with the child and their enthusiasm. These selected care-givers are mostly non-professionals in the field of ASD. They undergo preliminary screening and receive initial training before interacting with the child in the playroom. They subsequently participate each month in a group session with the other participants, together with the parents, under the supervision of a trained psychologist. GoalThe main objective of this retrospective study was to assess the development of communication and social skills among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), treated with the 3i method for 2 years. Methods120 subjects who pursued the 3i method for 24 months were included in this study, on the basis of their individual files kept by the psychologist, who conducted the monthly meeting with professionals during the implementation of the 3i method. The psychologist rated six indicators (Imitation, Gaze Quality, Social and Emotional Regulation, Verbal Expression, Non-Verbal Expression and Verbal Comprehension) from 1 to 3 (1: not acquired; 2: partially acquired and 3: competence acquired). Thus a developmental acquisition stage or score was allocated to each patient at the beginning of 3i Method and 24 months later. ResultsFor each indicator, the statistical analysis showed that the group of patients significantly increased their skills over the 24 months of the 3i method. On average, the patients reached a higher level of skills in four of the six skill areas. There was a relatively greater increase in the skills relating to imitation and non-verbal communication. DiscussionBeyond the limitations arising from the retrospective nature of the study, which used a non-standardized assessment scale, these results are consistent with a previous prospective study on 20 subjects using international standardized instruments. These results suggest that disabilities related to autism spectrum disorders decrease as a result of a 3i intervention, enabling better daily-life interaction with parents and as a second step better integration in school with peers. ConclusionThis method could reduce the intensity of the autistic syndrome and improve the ability of ASD children to interact with their environment.

Issues and Trends in Studies related to Features and Experiences of Females with Autism Spectrum Disorders

자폐성장애는 남아 우세를 보이는 대표적인 장애유형으로 기존 연구는 대부분 자폐성 장애 남성을 대상으로 하거나 남성 중심의 특성을 반영하는 경우가 많았다. 그러나 자폐 성장애의 개념이 확장되면서 자폐성장애 여성의 성별 특성이 자폐성장애 판별을 어렵게 하며, 결과적으로 낮은 출현율에 기여한다는 논의도 함께 제기되고 있다. 이를 위하여 그동안 자폐성장애를 가진 여성의 특성과 경험을 보고한 연구 총 17편을 최종 분석하고 자폐성장애 여성에 대한 전반적인 연구현황 및 연구 참여자 특성을 알아보고 ASD 여성의 전반적인 경험 특성을 다음과 같이 정리하였다. (1) 정서 및 사회적 어려움, (2) 남아 우세 환경의 영향, (3) 사춘기 관련 경험, (4) 진단 및 선별의 어려움, (5) 성 관련 문제와 취약성, (6) 성 정체성 관련 인식과 경험. 또한 연구에서 드러난 긍정적 요인 혹은 도움이 되었던 지원과 함께 제언 및 추후 연구방향을 논의하였다.The field of autism spectrum disorders has been dominated by a male view of the disorder because of the sex ratio that more boys than girls have autism. However, recent studies indicate the male expectation may inflate the prevalence of autism in males along with the expansion of the diagnostic criteria for ASD as well as the gender specific features of females with ASD who may not be diagnosed. In this study, national and international studies on features and experiences of females with ASD have been reviewed in order to explore current issues and trends of the topic. A total of 17 studies have been selected and analyzed as follows; (1) emotional and social difficulties, (2) male dominant environment impact, (3) puberty related issues, (4) diagnosis and identification difficulties, (5) sexual issues and vulnerability, (6) gender identity related issues. In addition, positive factors and helpful support were also discussed as well as the future direction of research on the topic.

Dissecting the Genetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Drosophila Perspective.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex group of multi-factorial developmental disorders that leads to communication and behavioral defects. Genetic alterations have been identified in around 20% of ASD patients and the use of genetic models, such as Drosophila melanogaster, has been of paramount importance in deciphering the significance of these alterations. In fact, many of the ASD associated genes, such as FMR1, Neurexin, Neuroligins and SHANK encode for proteins that have conserved functions in neurons and during synapse development, both in humans and in the fruit fly. Drosophila is a prominent model in neuroscience due to the conserved genetic networks that control neurodevelopmental processes and to the ease of manipulating its genetics. In the present review we will describe recent advances in the field of ASD with a particular focus on the characterization of genes where the use of Drosophila has been fundamental to better understand their function.

Social scene perception in autism spectrum disorder: An eye-tracking and pupillometric study

ABSTRACTTypically, developing humans innately place subjective value on social information and orient attention to it. This can be shown through tracking of gaze patterns and pupil size, the latter of which taps into an individual’s cognitive engagement and affective arousal. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present with atypical social, communicative and behavioral patterns, but underlying substrates of these behavioral differences remain unclear. Moreover, due to high comorbidity with other neurodevelopmental disorders, it is often difficult to distinguish which differences are distinctive to ASD. In this study, a group of 35 adolescents and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders were tested to investigate the processing of social and non-social scenes in individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria for autism and those who do not. Eye tracking and pupillometry measures were collected while participants observed images of tightly controlled natural scenes with or without a human being. Contrary to individuals without autism diagnosis, participants with autism did not show greater pupillary response to images with a human. Participants with autism were slower to fixate on social elements in the social scenes, and this latency metric correlated with clinical measures of poor social functioning. The results confirm the clinical relevance of eye-tracking and pupillometric indices in the field of ASD. We discuss the clinical implications of the results and propose that analysis of changes in visual attention and physiological level to social stimuli might be an integral part of a neurodevelopmental assessment.

Towards a culturally informed approach to implementing autism early intervention: a commentary on Ramseur II et al., 2019

Many scholars and practitioners in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) agree on the importance of integrating early intervention practices into joint activity routines. This notion originates from research on typical development (1), suggesting that the predictable structure and affectively rich framework of early child-caregiver routines provide a powerful foundation for child social-communicative and cognitive development.

Eye-Tracking Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Are We Measuring and for What Purposes?

The introduction of eye-tracking technology has enabled researchers in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to “look through the eyes” of individuals with ASD. In the article, we review research in the area with a focus on (1) the constructs that have been measured through eye-tracking paradigms, and (2) the application of this technology across different purposes, including addressing basic science questions, facilitating diagnosis, and measuring intervention mechanisms and outcomes. Most eye-tracking research to date has focused on quantifying differences in social attention between samples with ASD and typical development. Other social constructs such as goal prediction, theory of mind, and joint attention have also been investigated, but to a lesser degree. Similarly, cognitive constructs in non-social domains, such as working memory, visual search, attentional disengagement, and habituation have been investigated through eye-tracking paradigms, but less frequently than social attention. A modest but growing body of literature is focusing on the usefulness of eye-tracking to identify ASD diagnostic markers and measure intervention outcomes, with promising yet inconclusive results. Eye-tracking technology is a feasible measurement tool to capture a range of psychological constructs and can be used for a range of purposes relevant to both research and practice. However, the potential of eye-tracking for capturing processes other than social attention and its relevance to diagnosis and intervention is still to be fully explored.

Parental care-seeking pathway and challenges for autistic spectrum disorders children: A mixed method study from Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Background:Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is globally a major cause of childhood disability. It is estimated that in India approximately 1.7–2 million children are affected with this disorder. Early diagnosis is an important criterion to start early interventions for ASD treatment. However, for every childhood problem that receives a medical diagnosis, there is a period between a parents’ first recognition of unusual symptoms and the eventual diagnosis. Several factors influence this initial symptoms recognition and final diagnosis.Aims:The present study attempts to decipher parents’ perception regarding ASD and to understand the early signs of ASD recognition among parents, treatment-seeking pathways adopted their experiences and challenges in the overall process.Setting and Design:A facility-based cross-sectional study was undertaken at Bhubaneswar, Odisha.Methodology:Parents of children with ASD were recruited for this study. Seventy-six interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed.Results:The major symptom identified by the majority of the parents was social difficulty among their children. Maximum parents had not heard about ASD before their child was diagnosed with the disorder. Parents consulted multiple professionals or traveled long distances to confirm the diagnosis. Child psychiatrists often confirmed the diagnosis and referred patients to rehabilitation centers.Conclusion:Lack of awareness, unavailability of services, and stress contributed to the delay in ASD diagnosis. There is a need for designing proper awareness and genuine center for the treatment. Similarly, referral and counter-referral mechanism is also required to be established to save delay in diagnosis and initiate prompt treatment in the field of ASD.

An emotion regulation app for school inclusion of children with ASD: Design principles and evaluation

The inclusion of adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in mainstream environments, especially mainstream classrooms, is critically impeded by their difficulties in self-regulating their emotions. Albeit new technologies have shown tremendous emulation in the field of ASD, solutions to assist individuals with ASD in emotion regulation appear very limited. This paper addresses this critical challenge through the design and evaluation of a tablet-based application dedicated to supporting adolescents with ASD in self-regulating their emotions in mainstream inclusive classrooms. This system relies on well-proven (paper-based) emotion-regulation interventions reported by special-education teachers and families through a participatory design. The experiment included 14 adolescents with ASD (as well as 19 adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities) using the application during three months in mainstream schools. We compared these two groups with another group of 15 adolescents with ASD who were not equipped with our application. Usability performance as well as efficacy performance (emotion-regulation outcomes) have been investigated in situ. We showed that 1) our system is autonomously and successfully used in mainstream classrooms, 2) it is also an efficient support for adolescents with ASD to self-regulate their emotions. This paper demonstrates that emotion regulation of adolescents with ASD can be supported within mainstream classrooms through an assistive technology, in order to improve both behaviors and sociocognitive processes linked with core features of ASD. Moreover, it provides insights of a methodology suited to mainstream classrooms, building on previous research addressing specialized settings.

Gender Dysphoria, Sexuality and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Map Review.

In this systematic map review, we aimed (1) at identifying studies including the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and gender dysphoria (GD) between 1946 and 2018, and (2) to present the papers included in this systematic map review to provide authors in the field of GD, sexuality and ASD with an important database of studies focusing onthis very complex topic. The field is of emerging interest, as observed by the large increase of studies over the past decades, especially since 2015. However, future challenges are to be addressed in future studies.

Understanding the impact of adaptations to a parent-mediated intervention on parents' ratings of perceived barriers, program attributes, and intent to use.

Within the autism spectrum disorder field, rates of attrition in parent-mediated interventions have highlighted the need to engage families around improving the delivery of these services. The primary goal of this study was to approximate the impact of adaptations to an evidence-based, parent-mediated intervention, Project ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers), that had been made in collaboration with families in a Medicaid system. A total of 103 parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder were randomized to watch a presentation of either the original or adapted Project ImPACT program. After watching the presentation, participants rated (1) demographic information, (2) perceived structural barriers, (3) Project ImPACT attributes, and (4) intent to use the program. Results from hierarchical linear regression models demonstrated that program type alone predicted parents' ratings of perceived structural barriers. Additionally, both program type and the interaction of program type and annual household income were unique predictors of parents' ratings of program attributes and intent to use. Qualitatively, although many parents reflected positively on both Project ImPACT programs, parents who viewed the adapted program appeared more likely to report positive program attributes. Results suggest the importance of engaging families in improving the fit of parent-mediated interventions for use within a variety of community settings.

Epistemic injustice in dementia and autism patient organizations: An empirical analysis

ABSTRACTPatient organizations (POs) represent patient collectives in health care policy. The inclusion of people with a ‘neuro-psychiatric’ condition poses a particular challenge for the organizational processes and political representation of such collectives. In recent years, new POs (POs of) have been established in the field of autism spectrum disorder and dementia that advocate a different agenda and have a different organizational structure than traditional POs (POs for). The divide between these two types of POs indicates a different standpoint with regard to who should be included on an organizational level, which voices are accepted and who should represent these voices on the political level. The inclusion and exclusion of voices needs to be normatively justified in order to be regarded legitimate representation of such a collective. With the help of Miranda Fricker's theory of epistemic injustice, we scrutinize whether and, if so, which types of epistemic injustices (wrongdoings to a person as a knower) can be found within POs' practices and the political field in which they operate, by analyzing 37 interviews with PO representatives, their members and policy makers. Our in-depth analysis indicates that persistent stereotypes hamper the inclusion of affected members both within POs and on the health political level. Being affected causes distrust in having the ‘capacity to know' in a two-fold way; it is assumed that those who can represent themselves are “not affected enough” to present valuable insights into the condition and those who have difficulties to express themselves due to their condition are excluded because of their affectedness. We conclude that our analysis of the epistemic practices of POs serves as a good starting point to address these shortcomings from a theoretical and practical perspective and offers a valuable starting point for bioethics to understand unjust structures in the health political context.

1.3 Evaluating Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnostic Tools in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

It is only with the release of the fifth edition of our diagnostic manual (DSM-5) that an individual may carry a diagnosis of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. Many in the field of ASD have been applying ADHD diagnostic tools to sample groups with ASD without considering whether these tools would be valid in an ASD population. We examined the validity of ADHD diagnostic tools in youth with ASD.

Bilingualism in children with autism spectrum disorder: Making evidence based recommendations.

Over half of the world's population speaks more than one language (Ansaldo, Marcotte, Scherer, & Raboyeau, 2008), and thus many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will be raised in bilingual families. ASD is among the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting one in 68 children (Wingate et al., 2014). It is characterized by deficits in social communication, as well as restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviors (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Since many children with ASD also present language deficits (Rapin & Dunn, 1997), it is often recommended that bilingual families of children with ASD focus on the language of schooling and refrain from using the family's home language with their child in order to avoid language confusion or further language delays (Jegatheesan, Fowler, & Miller, 2010). Recent research has questioned whether these recommendations are well founded. Does bilingualism truly increase language delays in children with ASD? Will bilingualism lead to language confusion in these children? What are the implications of recommendations that discourage bilingualism, both for the child's development and for the family's overall well-being? The goal of this paper is to answer these important questions by reviewing the literature available in the field of autism specifically and within the broader field of bilingual language development. By doing so, we aim to assist professionals working in the field of ASD in providing recommendations that are evidence-based to bilingual families affected by ASD.Bilingualism in Neurotypical ChildrenBroadly speaking, bilingualism refers to an individual's ability to communicate in two languages. Bilinguals can be placed on a continuum that ranges from individuals who know a few phrases in a second language to those who are equally proficient in their two languages. When speaking about bilingualism, the term majority language is used to refer to the language spoken by the majority of individuals in a given environment, while the terms minority, home, or heritage language refer to the language spoken by a minority of speakers in a given community. For many bilingual speakers, their languages are closely linked to the culture associated to each language they speak (Kremer-Sadlik, 2005). Given the importance and, for some families, the necessity of bilingualism, multiple studies have examined the effects of bilingualism on language development in neurotypical bilinguals, and more recently, in children with language, cognitive and/or developmental delays, including children with ASD. Overall, research suggests that neurotypical children can become proficient in their two languages, even attaining abilities similar to those of monolinguals. That said, although bilingual children share many similarities with their monolingual peers, bilingual children should not be considered to be two monolinguals in one child. Indeed, several differences exist between bilinguals and monolinguals, particularly during the first few years of language acquisition. The following paragraphs will address these issues and discuss some of factors that influence language acquisition and proficiency in neurotypical bilingual children.Several factors including (a) age of language acquisition, (b) amount of language input, and (c) social factors tied to the language context can affect the pace of language development in one or both of a bilingual child's languages (MacLeod, CastellanosRyan, Parent, Jacques, & Seguin, 2017; MacLeod, Fabiano-Smith, Boegner-Page, & Fontolliet, 2013; Thordardottir, 2011). When addressing differences in age of language acquisition, bilinguals are often divided into two groups reflecting the age at which they began to learn their second language. Simultaneous bilinguals are individuals who acquired both languages more or less at the same time, usually before the age of 3 years, whereas sequential bilinguals are those who acquired their second language after having acquired their first language, usually after 3 years of age (Paradis, Genesee, & Crago, 2011), although there is considerable variability within the literature with regard to the age cut-off that defines these two groups (see Paradis et al. …

Using the Double ABCX Model to Integrate Services for Families of Children with ASD

This conceptual paper reviews the need for a family-focused service delivery model within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) field and suggests that the Double ABCX Model of Stress and Adaptation is a way to address this need. Within the ASD field, there is an absence of service delivery models that are able to address the needs of the family as a unit, rather than the individual child with ASD. This gap is striking given the reciprocal relationship between parent and child outcomes within the ASD field. To support our argument that the Double ABCX model could be used to integrate parent and child-focused interventions within the ASD field, this paper starts by reviewing the mental health outcomes often associated with having a child with ASD. We next provide a historical overview of the Double ABCX model and review a body of ASD intervention literature within the context of the Double ABCX model framework. Doing so shows that a number of child and parent focused interventions within the ASD field can be fit within the Double ABCX framework. However, a handful of methodological and sampling limitations prevent the Double ABCX model from being fully supported as a model that could be applied in a variety of settings. Taken together, this review highlights that the Double ABCX model is a promising strategy to integrate child and parent-focused interventions within the ASD field, but highlights that specific areas of future research are needed in order to build continued support for this argument.

A mixed-method evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth-based parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Research within the autism spectrum disorder field has called for the use of service delivery models that are able to more efficiently disseminate evidence-based practices into community settings. This study employed telehealth methods in order to deliver an Internet-based, parent training intervention for autism spectrum disorder, ImPACT Online. This study used mixed-methods analysis to create a more thorough understanding of parent experiences likely to influence the adoption and implementation of the program in community settings. Specific research questions included (1) What are parents' perceptions of the online program? (2) How does ImPACT Online compare to other services that parents are accessing for their children? And (3) Do parents' experience in, and perceptions of, the program differ based on whether they received a therapist-assisted version of the program? Results from 28 parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder indicate that parents saw improvements in their child's social communication skills and their own competence during the course of the program, regardless of whether they received therapist assistance. However, qualitative interviews indicate that parents who received therapist assistance were more likely endorse the acceptability and observability of the program. These findings support the potential for Internet-based service delivery to more efficiently disseminate evidence-based parent training interventions for autism spectrum disorder.

Networked learning: an opportunity to enhance the learning opportunities for students with high functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome?

The purpose of this paper is to consider whether or not networked learning has the potential to enhance learning opportunities for students with high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome, through reflective consideration of the cognitive theories associated with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and Passey's (2014) key constructs of learning. In so doing, the paper initially provides a clarification of the criteria for a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, and the problematic issues associated with concepts of high functioning autism. It then presents psychological theories of the autism spectrum and discusses a range of associated characteristics that may prevail when an individual has high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome. The paper briefly explores the way in which educational practitioners seek to achieve inclusion for students with high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome and the ways in which these students may, nonetheless, be implicitly excluded from the academic route that their measured intelligence quotient suggests might be possible. The paper then considers key conceptual lenses that provide insight into constructs of learning, highlighting the way in which the application of such lenses might require adaptation in the light of the cognitive theories of autism. It briefly presents some of the ways in which technology is currently and predominantly used to ameliorate some of the impairments associated with autism and then looks to consider the extent to which various forms of networked learning might extend the academic learning capability of individuals with high functioning autism. The paper also discusses the way in which co-morbidities of autistic spectrum disorder may exacerbate the learning barriers of students with high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome and impact upon the affordance that such environments might offer to those students. The paper concludes by proposing suggestions for further research. It also suggests potential development activity that could support a better understanding of the ways in which networked learning might be adapted to support not only students in higher education, but also for those studying at secondary level for whom mainstream or special schooling remains problematic. It further considers the ways in which education research practitioners might engage with autism charitable organisations, international practitioners and clinicians in the field of autism spectrum disorders.

Ülkemizde Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Çocuklarda Sosyal Becerileri Geliştirmeye Yönelik Yapılan Güncel Çalışmalar

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are observed that they display social-interaction problems, language and communication issues and limited/stereotypical interests and behaviors. Being lack of social abilities may make lives of individuals diagnosed with ASD harder. For that reason, researches and practices in the field of ASD has a great importance. This review paper contains published master’s and doctorate thesis conducted between 2014-2015 in Turkey towards improving social abilities in individuals with ASD, in national thesis research center, and the studies that were reached in Google Academics Search Engine and EBSCO-host database by using the key words “autism”, “autism and social ability”.

A Multidimensional Approach to the Study of Emotion Recognition in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Although deficits in emotion recognition have been widely reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), experiments have been restricted to either facial or vocal expressions. Here, we explored multimodal emotion processing in children with ASD (N = 19) and with typical development (TD, N = 19), considering uni (faces and voices) and multimodal (faces/voices simultaneously) stimuli and developmental comorbidities (neuro-visual, language and motor impairments). Compared to TD controls, children with ASD had rather high and heterogeneous emotion recognition scores but showed also several significant differences: lower emotion recognition scores for visual stimuli, for neutral emotion, and a greater number of saccades during visual task. Multivariate analyses showed that: (1) the difficulties they experienced with visual stimuli were partially alleviated with multimodal stimuli. (2) Developmental age was significantly associated with emotion recognition in TD children, whereas it was the case only for the multimodal task in children with ASD. (3) Language impairments tended to be associated with emotion recognition scores of ASD children in the auditory modality. Conversely, in the visual or bimodal (visuo-auditory) tasks, the impact of developmental coordination disorder or neuro-visual impairments was not found. We conclude that impaired emotion processing constitutes a dimension to explore in the field of ASD, as research has the potential to define more homogeneous subgroups and tailored interventions. However, it is clear that developmental age, the nature of the stimuli, and other developmental comorbidities must also be taken into account when studying this dimension.